Staycation. Think about it: going somewhere new and booking an Airbnb is never as relaxing as you expect it to be. While the place you’re staying in might be nice, you’ve got the pressure to get out and explore a new area, soaking up all the sights and delights this new space has to offer.
Don’t get us wrong, this is great, but when you just want to chill with minimal distractions, this isn’t the best way to do it and you’ll often return from your holiday feeling more exhausted than when you left.
Aside from the pressure of a new location, you’re also cutting out the hassle of a big drive to and from your destination as well as the guilt of further emissions from your travel.
A staycation is the perfect remedy for all of this. Booking a luxe spot in a city you’re familiar with removes all the pressure of feeling like you have to go outside and do stuff and gives you complete freedom to relax and enjoy your surroundings. Sleep in until 12, start drinking at 1, watch films in your (free) dressing gown all day; you can be as lazy as you want and you don’t even need to feel guilty about it.
We discovered this hack when staying at a suite the newly refurbished Crowne Plaza Hotel in Coogee, complete with two restaurants, a pool, and a gym, to try out for the weekend.
We stayed in a King Superior Ocean Front Suite with incredible views of Coogee Beach and the surrounding coastline. The room was super luxurious; fresh plush carpets, stylish bathroom, and a bed so comfy we took a photo of the label to track down for our next mattress purchase.
The room was situated on the corner of the hotel, giving you two balconies where we spent most of our time. It was a rainy weekend, which suited us perfectly as we spent hours just watching the surfers below try and tame the unusually massive swell.
For anyone looking to veg out and get away from it all, Crowne Plaza Coogee is the place. The two attached restaurants, Shutters and Estate both offer ample supplies of delicious food to keep you going and bespoke cocktail menus to keep you interested.
The hotel has recently completed the first two phases of its multi-million dollar “sea-change” renovation which includes the refurbishment of all of its 209 guest rooms with a fresh look that reflects the hotel’s beachside location.
It absolutely shows. From the minute we walked in, to the minute we left, we felt like we’d gone back in time to an era of supreme hospitality and customer-forward service. The plush surroundings, like the airy, light-filled Shutters where you can get a really good buffet breakfast complete with all the hash browns you can eat, add to the feeling that you’ve checked out of reality for a while.
We live in the Inner West of Sydney and, while we’ve been to Coogee countless times, we’re certainly stuck on the city side of the beach/city divide that Sydney has. A staycation on the Eastern Beaches is a great way to remedy this and feel like you’re really making the most of the city you live in while still keeping in touch with all the arty-cultural things that the Inner West offers. Plus, Sydney is a beauty; why wouldn’t you want to view all of its exquisite angles?
Coogee itself is a great location as its far less hectic than Bondi but still has more going on than every other Eastern Suburbs’ beach. The Crowne is barely a minute from Coogee Bay Hotel and five minutes at most from Coogee Pavilion. You can easily make it a night of bar hopping and not have to deal with an expensive Uber at the end of it. Or simply stay in your room and drink room-service wine and beers while exploring the in-room menu of the latest films on the huge wall-mount TV like we did.
Even if you don’t feel like treating yourself for a weekend — and you should, everyone needs a break after the last few years – a stay at the Coogee Crowne Plaza would make the perfect gift for someone in your life who really needs to chill out. Think parents, friends, or anyone doing it particularly tough at the moment.
In summary, while we got gifted the room and the weekend, we would absolutely pay for it and this isn’t just the gratitude talking. We left this place feeling restored and have been buzzing off the break for the past few weeks. Definitely something to consider for your next trip away.
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