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Hotel debut caps off amazing Newcastle renaissance

Hotel debut caps off amazing Newcastle renaissance

The glam Crystalbrook Kingsley is yet another sign of the spirit of revival sweeping this 200-year-old seaside town, proof there is plenty of fizz left in the bottle.

Stephen ClarkSenior designer

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The opening of Newcastle’s first five-star hotel is evidence that people are taking a fresh look at my home town. It caps off an extraordinary decade and a half for a city (bigger than either Canberra or Hobart) that is transforming into one of the country’s most liveable small capitals.

The Crystalbrook Kingsley, which bills itself as an old soul with a fresh twist, is both a symbol of the town’s changing fortunes and its new centre. It stands just where the city narrows, hemmed in on three sides by the Hunter River, Pacific Ocean, and a steep ridge called The Hill. A line of rugged cliffs sweeps away to the south, while to the north the 65km-long Stockton Beach stretches all the way to Nelson Bay.

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Stephen ClarkSenior designerStephen Clark is the art director of The Australian Financial Review's weekly Life & Leisure section and also writes on travel, men's fragrances and grooming. Email Stephen at s.clark@afr.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/hotel-debut-caps-off-amazing-newcastle-renaissance-20220107-p59mmp