Newcastle has been in the news lately. Lonely Planet crowned it one of the hottest cities to visit this year. Newcastle! Its inclusion at No. 9 is surprising, given Sydney and Melbourne have never featured on the list.

Over the past couple of years there have been some exciting developments in Newcastle with the most significant being the redevelopment of the old Royal Newcastle Hospital site fronting Newcastle beach.

Part of the project is the stylish, 4½-star, 88-room Sebel Newcastle Beach, built and owned by Mirvac, which includes retail, residential and public space. It’s the first Sebel to be built from the ground up and the first full-service 4½-star hotel to open in Newcastle in almost a decade.

The Sebel Newcastle Beach is best described as a corporate beach hotel.

Designer Victor Wong from Mirvac’s own design team wanted to deliver a business hotel with a beach feel that is highly contextural. everywhere you look the tactile materials and colours reference the essence of the beach.

The foyer features a strong timber battened “spine” that runs along the full length of the hotel lobby creating a focal point from the outdoor plaza.  The entry features a David Trubridge sculpture and the tiled floor is broken by Bolon woven vinyl used as an inset rug.

From the pendant lighting in the lobby  to the floor lamps & bedside lamps in the guest rooms, they embody the idea of the natural elements of the beach.

Victor’s favourite design feature is the ‘spilling’ of the vibrant coloured reception carpet  into the lift lobby.