Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Sydney

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel marked a coming of age in terms of style and facilities.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

The view westwards down Sydney Harbour from a tiny second-floor terrace at Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is so long and deep it feels as if I am about to leap off a springboard and dive right in. Room 210 and other chambers in this harbour-view category are blessed with multi-million-dollar panoramas of the kind that adorn brochures and postcards. And such an outlook deserves a backdrop to match, which is where designer Sibella Court comes in.

The Hamptons design trend, with its beachy décor in colours of sand, sea and sky, suits coastal properties, and Court has cleverly tweaked the hotel’s look to be even more specific to a harbour context, bringing in maritime references such as model boats, framed naval flags and finely drawn scientific illustrations of fish. There’s even a pair of retro gent’s bathers with a buckled belt displayed on a wall.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

But, first, let’s consider the importance of the location. The 31-room Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel sits squat and square opposite the ferry wharf. “Famous since 1883” boasts its signage, but this date refers to the original Palace Hotel, which was demolished, rebuilt and renamed in 1937, hence the clear Art Deco references in today’s architecture. A trip out here would have been a proper excursion for most Sydneysiders of the era, all fish and chips, seagulls and salty air. The hotel was bought by hospitality entrepreneur Fraser Short in 2013, marking a coming of age in terms of style and facilities.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

The reimagined property is all rather fashionable in public areas, too, with tongue-and-groove panelling and big white lights that have the floaty look of the make-a-wish sky lanterns of Thailand and Bali. Breakfast is taken in the Sunset Room, a multi-use space also popular for weddings, when it’s all frilled up with flowers. But in the mornings, the mismatched furniture brings to mind an old-style boarding house rather than an identikit hotel. Hessian bags hang on big wooden hooks; rugs on the grey floorboards are patterned in navy and white stripes; cane sofas are piled with squashy cushions. A good continental buffet sits as centrepiece with barista coffee at extra cost and hot dishes to order, such as Sydney’s near-obligatory serves of mashed avocado on sourdough toast, brightened up here with heirloom tomatoes, feta, basil and drizzles of lemon oil. Many windowside tables have views of Norfolk pines and the green swathe of Robertson Park.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

Back in No. 210, I take in all the design elements I love, from plantation shutters and crushed linen to tribal rugs and an old-style traymobile set with glassware, cups and the makings of tea. A drum-shaped shade on a standard lamp and a display cushion on the bed are both patterned with seascapes, pillars are twined with ropes, and the irregular wooden coffee table looks as if it’s made from marine salvage. Each of Court’s restyled guestrooms is different, and the overall look is chic yacht club.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

If you’ve not been out this way for a while, the hotel’s Beach Club might surprise. No longer a beer garden, this harbourfront space was jazzed up about five years ago as a combined island-style bar and roofed, open-sided dining area. It feels a bit like the Caribbean meets Capri with huge blue and white Basil Bangs market umbrellas, picnic tables painted mint green and white, and savvy young staff. Expect buckets of prawns, just-shucked oysters and seafood platters as well as pasta, fish of the day, sashimi selections and smart cocktails of the ilk of watermelon martinis. It’s one of the most flexible concepts imaginable, designed to take away, eat-in or move across various levels and savour those soft-shell crab sliders as you go. However, it is hugely noisy, and open until late, so slumbering soundly up in No 210 proves a challenge. Oh, for a soundtrack of clinking boat lanyards and lapping waves…

Perfect for: Couples or families.

Must do: Grab fish and chips to go from Doyles on the Wharf and picnic in Robertson Park, or take afternoon tea on the terrace of historic Dunbar House. Free bikes are provided to hotel guests. Macquarie Lighthouse faces the ocean off Old South Head Road; visit the grounds or book one of the bi-monthly guided tours.

Dining: The Beach Club is the star of the show here but, if staying a few nights, drive to Bondi and dine at Icebergs Dining Room.

Getting there: About 11km by road east of the CBD; ferry services depart Circular Quay. The route skirts the harbour’s southern foreshore, offering close-up views of Sydney’s dress-circle real estate, parks and marinas.

Bottom line: Harbour-view suite $408 per night, breakfast included; book online for discounts of up to 30 per cent, valid to September 30.

watsonsbayhotel.com.au