Coogee

Coogee Bay Hotel

★★★★★

Coogee Bay Hotel is the affordable way to wake up by the sea in Sydney. It is one of the city's best-known beach pubs, a big, sprawling venue on Coogee Bay Road with the beach right on its doorstep, and it offers two quite different kinds of accommodation. The Boutique Rooms are in a separate wing behind the main hotel and are the quieter choice, with options such as Ocean Studios and District View rooms; some have balconies, bay windows or simple kitchen facilities, and the best of them look out over the bay. The Bay Rooms sit above the main bar and are decorated in a playful coastal style; they are cheaper and closer to the action, which means you will hear it on busy nights. The pub itself is half the reason to stay. There is a large beer garden called The Garden, a sports bar, a beach bar and dining room facing the sand, a lounge, and a bottle shop, so food and drink are never far away, and on summer weekends the whole place hums with locals and travellers. Coogee Beach itself is a sheltered crescent with gentle surf, a grassy foreshore park with barbecues, and historic ocean baths around the bay, including Wylie's Baths and the women-only McIver's Ladies Baths at the southern end. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk finishes here, and the coastal path continues south towards Maroubra. The city centre is about twenty minutes away by bus, and Bondi Junction is the nearest train station. It is a laid-back, unpretentious base for a beach-focused stay.

Where it fits: most visitors base themselves at the harbour or in the city and visit the beaches for a day. Staying at Coogee flips that around: you get sunrise swims, ocean pools and the coastal walk on your doorstep, and you commute to the harbour sights by bus. Coogee is more relaxed and less glamorous than Bondi, with a strong local community and lots of affordable cafes and restaurants along the main street. It is a particularly good option for a second Sydney visit, or for the beach half of a split stay.

Room craft: light sleepers and couples should book the Boutique Rooms, and if the budget allows, an ocean-view room; the view across the bay at sunrise is the reason to be here. Travellers who plan to enjoy the pub at night and want the lowest rate will be happy in the Bay Rooms above the bar. Ask about parking when you book, as street parking in Coogee is limited on summer weekends.

Who it suits and the trade-offs: beach lovers, surfers, groups of friends and couples on a budget who want an easy-going seaside stay. It is a pub first, so service is relaxed and nights can be loud, especially on weekends and holidays. The trip to the Opera House and Circular Quay takes time by bus. But for walking out of the door onto the sand and finishing the coastal walk with a cold drink in the beer garden, it is hard to beat.