Manly Beach

Elysium Manly

★★★★★

Elysium Manly is the beachfront hotel on Manly's North Steyne, facing straight across the promenade and the Norfolk Island pines to the surf of Manly Beach. For decades it traded as the Manly Pacific; after a property-wide renovation of around thirty million dollars, completed with the Australian design house Coco Republic, it joined Accor's MGallery collection, and in 2026 it moved again, relaunching under the Elysium luxury brand in August, with the general manager staying on through the transition. The hotel has 213 rooms and suites across eight floors, many with panoramic ocean views; the renovation refreshed every room and added coastal suites and villas, including a top suite with a private ocean-view terrace. Wellness is the new focus: six Wellness Suites have their own private infrared saunas, the rooftop has a mineral pool with a sundeck and a bar beside it, and the hotel runs yoga and wellness experiences. Dining includes Cibaria, an Italian restaurant recognised with a chef's hat in local guides, Bistro Manly, and 55 North, the lobby bar designed by the Sydney studio Luchetti Krelle and named after the hotel's address. The hotel is certified by Ecotourism Australia. Manly itself is the great seaside village of Sydney, with a surf beach, the snorkelling cove at Shelly Beach, the Corso of cafes and pubs, and the bush and cliffs of North Head. The Manly ferry from the wharf, about ten minutes' walk away, reaches Circular Quay in around half an hour, so the city is easy to reach, and arriving home by ferry at sunset is part of the pleasure.

Staying in Manly changes the rhythm of a Sydney trip. Instead of commuting to the beach, you wake up to it: an early swim between the flags, a run along the promenade to Queenscliff, a snorkel at Shelly Beach before the crowds, breakfast with sea views. The ferry then becomes your daily harbour cruise, carrying you past the Heads and the Opera House to Circular Quay for sightseeing, and bringing you home in the evening. It works particularly well for longer stays, families and repeat visitors who have already done the city.

Choosing a room: ask for an ocean-view room; the view over the pines to the surf is the reason to be here, and higher floors see furthest along the beach. The Wellness Suites with infrared saunas are a distinctive splurge, and the coastal suites with two bedrooms suit families. Because the hotel changed brands in 2026, check the latest room names, inclusions and loyalty arrangements directly with the hotel when you book.

Who it suits: beach lovers, couples on a wellness break, families and anyone who wants a resort feel within the city. Trade-offs: the half-hour ferry each way adds time to city sightseeing, last ferries in the evening limit late nights in town, and the beachfront location is busy on summer weekends. The 2026 brand transition also means some details may still be settling in. But no other hotel in Sydney puts you this close to a surf beach while keeping the harbour a ferry ride away.