Parnell House unveiled as Newcastle’s most luxurious penthouses

With the regional hotspot’s population booming, a $40m hotel is set to be built, with two exclusive penthouses also up for grabs.

Artist renders of Parnell House and penthouses, Newcastle, NSW. Pictures: Supplied

A $40m luxury hotel in the heart of Newcastle has been given the green light for development, with two exclusive penthouses also up for grabs.

Developer Winim announced its Parnell House Penthouses in the regional city north of Sydney, near the famous Hunter Valley wine region, with apartments to be built atop a new 46-room luxury hotel.

Designed by SDA Architects and MXM Design, the twin penthouses, priced at $10m and $14m, occupy the entire rooftop of the boutique hotel.

The penthouses offer 360-degree views of the city.

The heritage building at 21 Parnell Place will be demolished and redeveloped into Parnell House, which will have a cafe, bar, restaurant and wellness spa.

According to a March report by Core Logic, high-end home prices have been on the rise in Newcastle since the pandemic.

The recent sale of a string of multimillion-­dollar properties over the past 12 months, including a city penthouse apartment for $8.5m, ­indicates the tourist hub is becoming a desirable destination.

Winim managing director Justin Kuiters said Newcastle was growing strongly in commercial space.

“We’ve always liked Newcastle for its economy and tourism so what inspired us for this site was that it’s pretty much unheard of in the east coast,” Mr Kuiters said.

Artist renders of the penthouse kitchen.

“Buying a hotel that’s right on the edge of two famous beaches — Nobbys and Newcastle — is extremely rare.”

Mr Kuiters said construction on Parnell Place would begin in August, with completion expected by August 2025.

The twin penthouses, dubbed Sand and Dune, have their own private lifts, a covered outdoor kitchen, and a sun deck leading to a plunge pool in a private courtyard.

The penthouse will have 191 sqm of internal living space and 78 sqm of terraces, while the more expensive penthouse will have a larger 245 sqm internally and about 123 sqm of terraces.

Artist renders of a penthouse master suite.

“The hotel rooms will be in the mid-level of the building, they’ve all got views of the ocean or the city,” Mr Kuiters said.

“You’ve got all the sand and dunes immediately at your doorstep, which is the driving theme.

“To identify the two, one of the penthouses looks over the dunes and the other one looks over the sandy beach,” he said.

Both multimillion-dollar penthouses have ocean views and 360-degree views of the city, hand-blown glass pendants and circular skylights to bring in light.

Artist renders of the elevated bathtub in Parnell House.

The decadent master suite includes a private dressing room and an elevated stone bathtub with hand-carved steps.

High-end buyers moving into the tourist hub are a mix of Hunter Valley locals, Sydneysiders and Melburnians, people who have been drawn to Newcastle for its natural beauty and atmosphere.

The population has increased by nearly 1 per cent this year, spurred by the expansion of the university and the scaling up of Newcastle airport.