Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah makes a good base if you’re looking to explore Northern Beaches, Manly and Brookvale.
Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah makes a good base if you’re looking to explore Northern Beaches, Manly and Brookvale.
In September, Mercure Hotels — one of the world’s most recognisable hotel brands — opened its 1000th hotel. To sample one of the chain’s Sydney offerings, Anna Sarjeant checks into Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah for a night’s stay. One down, 999 to go.
Location: Albeit a 30-minute drive from downtown Sydney, Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah makes a good base if you’re looking to explore the Northern Beaches, Manly and Brookvale. While the latter may be lesser-known among Kiwis, this lively suburb offers a hub of activity, with several craft breweries, the picturesque Allenby Park (home to waterfalls and natural bush walks) and — should it take your fancy — a local axe-throwing company called Kiss My Axe.
Popular Manly Beach is a 10-minute drive south and guests can also hop on a ferry into Sydney CBD from Brookvale.
Perfect For: A great option to avoid the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD, I’d also recommend this hotel if you’re embarking on a NSW road trip, perhaps passing through Sydney and heading north towards the Central Coast, Newcastle and yonder. You may like to stay here if you have local ‘rellies’ but crave your own space. It’s a fuss-free establishment that caters for couples, families and solo travellers alike.
First Impressions: Check-in is unceremonious but in a good way. Greeted by the main sitting and dining area, there is a cafe-cum-reception counter to your left and digital self-check-in straight ahead. Once you have retrieved your booking, you’ll still need to approach reception to grab your key card. The staff are welcoming, kind and courteous.
Digital self-check-in screens at Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah.
The room: Large enough for myself and an extra if I wasn’t travelling solo, there’s also space for a small corner table and TV, as well as a bijou kitchenette area complete with fridge, sink and microwave. The bed is large and comfy, and the room itself looks over a cheerful courtyard.
The courtyard at Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah.
The TV offers Chromecast so you can hook up all the shows you’ve been binge-watching at home and are now suffering withdrawals from.
During my stay, a large all-girls sports team (potentially teams) congregated outside the window on what I believe — while eavesdropping — to be the last day of a sports tournament/trip. There were Moana songs and much giggling and hollering — it was the summer holidays and my heart panged for my youth. I was never good at sport but I was good at giggling and hollering.
The bedroom and kitchenette at Mercure Sydney Manly Warringah.
Bathroom: Does the job. There’s a decent-sized shower with equally decent water power and a selection of soaps and body lotions by Elemental Herbology.
Facilities: Services include on-site parking, complimentary Wi-Fi, laundry and 24-hour reception.
Food and drink: Distrikt Press Cafe offers breakfast and a lunch and dinner dining menu. There’s also a small kiosk-style counter so you can grab a quick coffee and a slice to go, or you can sit in the restaurant and enjoy table service. Should you wish to dine in your room, the menu is the same and includes comfort food options such as toasties, pizza, chicken nuggets and fries (you certainly won’t find many children sniffing at the options). I enjoyed a generously sized lasagna with chips and a large salad.
Distrikt is also where guests enjoy a buffet-style breakfast with both hot and cold options. The morning of my departure, I tucked into a simple bowl of cereal as I don’t like to fly on a heavy stomach, but I spotted everything you’d need to make a full English breakfast, as well as the biggest jar of Nutella I’ve seen in my life. The sports troupe — now joined by an all-boy contingent — was in its element, going back for seconds and thirds.
The biggest jar of Nutella I've ever seen.
In the neighbourhood: While immediately outside I only spotted a car garage and car wash, Manly Beach is easily accessible if you have a car. You can walk to the aforementioned Brookvale township in roughly 15 minutes (two minutes if you drive), where there’s also Westfield Warringah Mall and Label Sydney, a warehouse-style venue that hosts live music.
Sustainability: Bathroom products are stored in refillable bottles and the hotel is certified by Ecotourism Australia. The hotel has removed single-use plastic throughout and implemented Huskee coffee cups which are both recyclable and reusable (and interestingly made from the husk of a coffee bean). The digital self-check-in service that I mentioned earlier is also part of an incentive to reduce paper waste.
Accessibility: The hotel has a Standard Accessible Family Room suitable for wheelchair users. The restaurant is on the ground floor.
Price: From NZ$190 a night in a Standard Queen Room.
