The Boathouse Hotel Patonga is a place to make treasured holiday memories

Evoking Australian beach-shack nostalgia, The Boathouse Hotel Patonga is an expression of designer and owner Pip Goldsmith’s iconic coastal aesthetics.

After their successes at multiple venues across Sydney, The Boathouse team have ventured outside the city, to the secluded NSW Central Coast seaside village of Patonga.

Offering three apartments – one, two and three-bedroom – above the pub, plus the newly opened four-bedroom Patonga Cottage that can sleep up to 10, the accommodation at waterfront The Boathouse Hotel Patonga embodies timelessness.

“For me and my husband, Andrew, it has the old-school, Australian coastal holiday feel,” says Goldsmith, who visits with her family multiple times a week.

Bounded by the Brisbane Water National Park and the Hawkesbury River, Patonga is a gem of an isolated beach suburb just a 90-minute drive from Sydney or an easy 10-minute boat taxi from Palm Beach.

Although popular in summer, The Boathouse Hotel Patonga also offers a welcoming retreat from the city in the quiet, cooler periods thanks to its cosy interiors.

Considering all weather conditions was essential for Goldsmith, so the cottage boasts an outdoor shower, an open deck and barbecue, and a firepit for snuggling next to, a glass of red in hand and s’mores toasting over the fire.

“In the cottage, we always tried to imagine how we would holiday, whether we were with our parents, grandparents, with or without children,” Goldsmith says.

“I feel like, when you’re on holiday, people want a little bit of luxe, but we didn’t want to be super-fancy with the building … we felt like doing a brand-new build just wasn’t Patonga.”

Areas that received the luxe finish were the kitchen bench and the tiles in the bathrooms and kitchen, but Goldsmith embraced relaxation with the rest of the aesthetics. Examples are a colourful couch to curl up on and timber floors that can be easily swept of sand.

“We’ve got some ottomans that are bright orange with lobsters on them, which sounds absurd, but I love that part of it,” Goldsmith says. “There are touches of things that people wouldn’t necessarily have at home, which is my favourite part of the design.”

She sourced a mix of local and vintage furniture, including two Sleepy Hollow chairs.

“They were a nod towards that nostalgia, where you go to an old beach house, and you get all that old random furniture,” she says. “They had that quirky feel.”

The apartments and cottage are littered with succulents and plants that make them feel lived in.

“Andrew is a landscape designer by trade, so the plants are such a big part of what we love, and we always think having that extra greenery makes people feel good,” Goldsmith says.

For the couple, The Boathouse Hotel Patonga is centred on making holiday memories – a spot that families and couples alike can return to throughout the year for a retreat into coastal tranquillity.

While in Patonga …

Eat at The Boathouse Hotel Patonga

The hotel has casual pub dining and you can watch the boats go by from the large beer garden. As a guest, you can cut the queue and order dinner straight to your accommodation.

Patonga to Pearl Beach walking track

A moderate track perfect for any season, the Patonga to Pearl Beach walk takes you through the bush and past the Pearl Caves, providing epic views of Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River.

Shop at the Galleria Ettalong Beach

Spend a weekend morning exploring this quirky mall, a 20-minute drive from Patonga. Its markets offer art, craft, clothes and food from around the world.

Indulge at Helado coffee and gelato bar

While in Ettalong, pop into Helado for a Pablo and Rusty’s espresso, or you could pay respect to the meaning of the name (Spanish for ice cream) and enjoy a delicious scoop or two.