Visitors to the Central Coast now have another option for accommodation. Popular boutique hotel Bells at Killcare has added to its offering The Lodges, four architecturally designed homes, each three-storeys and with two king bedrooms, living areas and outdoor spaces, including private pools.
Though set on their own private eco-bush sanctuary in Bouddi National Park, the four lodges have access to the resort’s facilities, which include a restaurant, garden bar, bakery, 25m heated lap pool and day spa. Each lodge also has views of Broken Bay, Palm Beach and Sydney, and from a viewing deck, you can see out to Lion Island.
The lodges were designed to blend into the coastal Angophora canopy and are set in a place where five waterways converge. On the ground level of each, you’ll find two bedrooms in foliage tones with stone accents. They feature underfloor heating and a bathroom with a freestanding tub and rain shower. Outside the bedrooms are a private pool, heated to 24 degrees year-round, a poolside BBQ and al fresco dining area.
On the second level is an open-plan living and dining area with a full kitchen, bar and fireplace for cosy evenings. From a wrap-around terrace, you can watch the area’s resident white-breasted sea eagles soar.
Finally, on the third level, the Mediterranean-style Sunset Deck, take in views of Bouddi National Park, Broken Bay, Palm Beach, the Hawkesbury River and, in the distance, Sydney’s skyline.
When you’re not relaxing in your room, explore your surroundings with a low-impact wilderness walk from your lodge that’ll lead through towering eucalypt trees, past ancient rock formations and along coastal boardwalks along Putty Beach and Maitland Bay.
When you’ve worked up an appetite, dine at Bells’ restaurant The Wild Flower Bar and Dining. Here, you’re served seasonal dishes made with produce grown and harvested in the kitchen gardens.
The menu highlights NSW producers, suppliers, winemakers and growers, including locally harvested seafood like freshly shucked oysters and crayfish caught off nearby Macmasters Beach. Pair your meal with drops from the restaurant’s collection of local and international wines.
When the weather’s gloomy or you’re simply in the mood for treating yourself, book in for a treatment at Bells Day Spa. Like the retreat’s main rooms, it’s East Coast Hamptons’ styled, and therapies range from deep meditative massage to anti-ageing facials, lasting up to two hours long.
Related: This Cosy Waterfront Retreat Will Convince You to Finally Visit the NSW Central Coast
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