Big rooms, killer location and a great pool; there’s plenty to like about Rydges Port Macquarie.
Fingers fumbling with excitement, I shove the fresh, shiny metal point of my fishing hook straight up the prawn’s backside, curving it around and digging it into the hardest part of the head. So far I’m four from five. Five prawns; four fish. It would have been five from five, too, if the last one hadn’t snapped the line.
My son is in on the action now; we’re taking turns casting. In the meantime, he is clambering over the painted rocks of the Port Macquarie breakwall – each large stone emblazoned with a mark, a story, of some local. Or some visitor. We’re enjoying two of Port Macquarie’s favourite pastimes – fishing and a walk by the breakwall – in the shadow of our accommodation.
Rydges Port Macquarie.
You’ll find the popular coastal town of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. It’s famous for its koalas, stunning beaches and aforementioned community-painted breakwall, one of the most unique and memorable forms of street art I’ve come across. As such, Port Macquarie has been a favourite holiday destination for donkey’s.
But where to stay?
During my most recent visit, I pulled up stumps for a four night stay at Rydges Port Macquarie and I’m happy to report, there’s plenty to like.
Location. Location. Location.
You can’t get more central than Rydges Port Macquarie. Literally a stone’s throw from the Hastings River, it also manages to be right in the centre of town and a short walk from the waves, skate park, playground and thrills of Town Beach. Five-minutes in the opposite direction you will find a large shopping mall, which includes an IGA.
The hotel does offer underground parking, but it has a two-metre height limit that ruled out my Prado. Thankfully, street parking wasn’t too much of an issue. From 8.30am to 6:30pm, there is a two-hour limit, but that never really had an impact as we’d always end up going somewhere during the day. There’s plenty to do around Port Macquarie after all.
The hotel uses this location to its advantage, with many of the rooms and the fantastic pool overlooking its grassy front lawn and the gorgeous Hastings River. I found myself a number of times just wandering out to the breakwall or the jetty to fish, pulling in some gems amongst an endless stream of bites. One morning my eldest son took himself off for a dawn surf. You get the picture.
There’s a classic old pub on the corner and the Little Shack cafe across the road, as well as Mike’s Seafood – a famed fish and chip shop – a pancake house and a bottle shop within a matter of metres.
Eat Well, Swim Better
Rydges Port Macquarie isn’t overflowing with facilities. The foyer is modest, but bright and airy. Much of the downstairs is split into the Zebu restaurant and Zebu bar – the latter widely used by passers-by. The bar is in a great location and has lovely design quirks, including gas fires, but boy is it expensive!
A buffet breakfast is available every morning in the Zebu Restaurant. It ticks all the boxes you might expect without achieving anything particularly noteworthy. Your classic Western hot food staples, alongside a handful of cereals, fruits and pastries. But it’s a nice place to be. I did get an opportunity to take the family for dinner at Zebu and that was fantastic. A memorable meal well worth it if you have the budget.
Up on the first floor you’ll find a small gym that offers just enough space for a few people to get their heart-rate up on the handful of machines, but is otherwise underwhelming. It does look out, however, onto Rydges Port Macquarie’s biggest highlight: a magnificent pool overlooking the Hastings River.
I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the spa, staring out at the view while the kids played games, ducking and weaving through the little waterfalls. There’s some shaded two-person sunbeds if you can jag one, as well as numerous sun lounges and various tables and chairs. The only thing it’s missing is a BBQ – I longed for somewhere to cook the fish I kept catching off the breakwall!
Rydges Port Macquarie has Big Rooms
We secured two interconnecting rooms on the western side of Rydges Port Macquarie for our stay. From here you could get decent water glimpses and a great vantage on the sunset. In one room, our soft-yet-extremely-comfortable king bed. In the other, two equally comfortable twins for the kids and a roll-in bed for our third offspring. I was pleased with the quality of this last bed, which felt as premium as its peers.
The rooms are still big enough for a couch and a table with chairs, as well as the TV entertainment unit. There’s no shortage of storage either and while I was happy that there’s a fridge, it’s quite small and was so crowded with minibar items, we couldn’t fit any of our food and drinks inside.
The bathroom is generously sized, with a good shower and ample lighting. Bizarrely the sliding door doesn’t seal and can’t be locked, so if you’re a stickler for such privacy, that may be a problem.
Ultimately, the rooms at Rydges Port Macquarie feel bright and new. I also appreciated the quiet, dependable air-conditioner and the lack of noise coming from either outside or our neighbours. In retrospect, I would have tried to get one of the river-facing balcony rooms, not only for the view, but for the outside space as there was nowhere in our room to hang wet costumes and towels. But I still really enjoyed the stay.
Worth the stay?
I have fond memories of our time staying in the Rydges Port Macquarie Hotel. The rooms feel new, clean and spacious, the pool is excellent and the location is absolutely fantastic. The breakfast was well-received, too, even if it was workmanlike in its approach. Port Macquarie is a great holiday destination with plenty to see and do, and being able to end each adventure with a beer in the spa, overlooking the breathtaking river as the sun cast orange prisms across its surface, was quite the feeling. I’d happily stay there again.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
To find out more or to make a booking, visit the Rydges website here.
Rydges Port Macquarie
Address: Hay St, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Contact: (02) 6589 2888
Chris Stead stayed with his family as a guest of Rydges Port Macquarie.
