Yamba, Australia
The Surf Yamba
Streamlined coastal hotel
Streamlined coastal hotel
Curved like a 1930s ocean liner, this twelve-room hotel overlooks Main Beach with an open sundeck and heated rooftop plunge pool.
“The ocean-facing Art Deco hotel has a Palm Springs vibe, with terrazzo, light timber, rattan, muted tones, and a heated rooftop pool.”
What it’s good at
Notable
Streamlined ocean-liner curves frame bathrooms tiled in pistachio and strawberry terrazzo.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
The answer was Sydney architects Design King Company, who rebuilt the site from scratch into a 12-room boutique hotel whose curved exterior takes its shape from the Art Deco Ritz Café that stood here in the 1920s
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Main Beach and its ocean baths sit just down the hill, and village cafes are a short stroll away.
The rooms
Bedrooms are finished in light timber and rattan, with crockery and breakfast gear neatly tucked behind cream canvas cupboard doors.
The rooftop pool
Bring a swimsuit.
Striped loungers flank the heated plunge pool, which looks north across Norfolk pines to the ocean horizon.
How it began
The Mayne family holidayed in Yamba for four decades before buying the tired headland motel and rebuilding it from scratch.
Yamba
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.