Ettalong Hotel: Five-storey, $18.5m ‘boutique’ DA approved by Central Coast Council

It’s been designed by architects responsible for Hugos Manly, Clovelly Hotel and Honey Suckle in Newcastle. The $18.5m hotel proposed in Ettalong has been given the green light.

An $18.5m ‘boutique’ style hotel has been approved in Ettalong.

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An $18.5m ‘boutique’ style hotel has been approved for Memorial Ave in Ettalong.

Central Coast councillors gave the five-storey proposal the nod at Monday night’s council meeting and called for staff to look into the parking situation in and around Ettalong.

The hotel will include 83 rooms, a restaurant, conference facilities, terraced garden and a luxurious rooftop bar with an infinity pool.

It will have 77 car spaces including eight tandem valet spaces, on two basement levels.

Parking was a major concern in the community objections to the DA, with resident Peter Gillis from Ettalong Beach Residents Group highlighting the shortfall of 31 car spaces.

He told the council the lack of parking would be “chaotic” during the tourist season.

Aerial view showing the location of the hotel in Memorial Ave at Ettalong.

However, owners of the site Longbeach Living indicated the parking shortfall would not create a negative impact, with hotels on average at 70 per cent capacity.

Other objections against the DA included overshadowing, lack of setbacks, height as well as destruction of the village atmosphere of Ettalong.

“The residents feel that the design is unprecedented in Ettalong Beach,” Mr Gillis said.

“It does not compliment the existing buildings in the commercial corridor of the village and it is totally unsuitable and over scale in the seaside village.”

The architects also designed Trinity Point in Lake Macquarie.

As well as Hugo’s Manly.

Vince Squillace, from Squillace Architects, told council the building would add a “unique and iconic” building to Ettalong and jobs and tourism opportunities.

Squillace Architects is known for Hugo’s Manly, Manly Pavilion, Clovelly Hotel as well as Trinity Point in Lake Macquarie and Honey Suckle in Newcastle.

Mr Squillace said the Ettalong development would be a “catalyst for further positive investment in the area”.

Councillor Richard Mehrtens said approval of the development was exciting for Ettalong, in terms of employment, tourism and accommodation.

“It will result in vital town centre activation for Ettalong,” he said.

Cr Mehrtens said the development would activate the Ettalong town centre.

“It will bring dozens and dozens of new visitors. We have a real opportunity to turn day trippers into overnight stays.”

However Deputy Mayor Jane Smith said she couldn’t go past the shortfall of parking.

“It does cause all kinds of problems for the area,” she said.

“Further down the track as parking becomes very difficult in Ettalong the community will turn around and say ‘how did that ever get approved without required parking?’

“We have these rules to ensure there is enough parking in these areas.”