Some people dream of climbing Everest. Others want to run marathons. Me? For ten years, I’ve had a date circled in my imagination with Halcyon House Cabarita. Every Instagram photo of striped pool umbrellas and blue horizons only fanned the flames.
A Decade on My Bucket List
This boutique hotel has been open since 2015, yet it took me a whole decade to finally book a stay. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. From the moment I settled into my supremely comfortable room, I knew Halcyon House was more than just a hotel. It was a bucket list experience — equal parts coastal luxury, nostalgia, and sheer fun.
The Best and The Rest
✅ This is an amazing luxury stay with beachfront access, a spa and a hatted restaurant.
❌ I found the service at Paper Daisy a little slow, so make sure to allow plenty of time for breakfast. But then, this is the sort of hotel where you want to linger longer anyhow!
Sunset from my second-floor room at Halcyon House Cabarita.
Welcome and Thank You!
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Plan Your Trip to Cabarita on NSW’s Tweed Coast
Halcyon House is perched at Cabarita Beach on the NSW Tweed Coast, one of those rare stretches of coastline that still feels blissfully under the radar. It’s a 30-minute drive south from the Gold Coast Airport, or just under two hours if you’re heading down from Brisbane — the perfect long-weekend distance. The drive winds past cane fields and hinterland hills before spilling you onto the coast, where Halcyon House sits practically on the sand. You can arrive in style by car, but honestly, the moment you step inside those Anna Spiro-designed interiors and catch your first glimpse of the ocean, you’ll feel like you’ve landed in another world entirely.
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From Surf Shack to Style Icon
When Halcyon House opened in 2015, it flipped the idea of luxury hotels in Australia on its head. Once upon a time, this was just a tired surf motel from the 1960s. Enter visionary owners and interior designer Anna Spiro, who turned it into a design wonderland that makes even the most seasoned travellers weak at the knees.
Let’s be clear: this is not beige minimalism. This is maximalist joy. Spiro layered the spaces with bold patterns, antiques, wicker, rich textiles, and enough art to open a gallery. Somehow, it doesn’t feel chaotic; it feels curated, warm, and downright fabulous.
My room was a dreamy cocoon of personality and comfort. Supremely comfy bed? Check. Classic bathroom tiles I wanted to steal for my own renovation? Check. A balcony where I could sit and watch the endless blue horizon while pretending I was in a Slim Aarons photo shoot? Double check.
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My King Bed Room in Ardo Hotel Townsville.
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Poolside with Umbrellas and Attitude
Halcyon’s pool is iconic. With its vintage striped umbrellas and retro tiles, it’s the backdrop to thousands of Instagram posts — and yes, I added my contribution. Lounging here, cocktail in hand, it’s easy to understand why this hotel changed the Australian boutique accommodation scene.
It feels glamorous but never pretentious, like the difference between sipping champagne from a crystal flute versus a glass that might once have hosted orange juice. Either way, you’re still fizzing.
Cabarita Beach just outside Halcyon House
Dinng at aper Daisy Halcyon House
Dining at Paper Daisy: Where Nostalgia Meets Fine Dining
At the heart of Halcyon is Paper Daisy, a hatted restaurant where Chef Andrew Milford works wonders with local produce. Here’s the thing: this isn’t just food, it’s theatre for your taste buds. Every dish tells a story about the Northern Rivers region — from seafood pulled fresh from the coast to herbs and greens that sing of the subtropical climate.
But this year, the real star isn’t a prawn or a snapper fillet. It’s cake. Yes, for Halcyon House’s 10th anniversary, every guest gets a miniature 100’s and 1000’s cake in their room. A gourmet glow-up of the birthday party staple we all grew up with. I squealed like a six-year-old with pigtails and sticky fingers. It’s joy, sugar, and nostalgia, all bundled into a bite.
Halcyon House Spa treatment room
Halcyon Wellness: Heat, Ice & Happy Puddles
Halcyon has never been about just looking good — it’s about feeling good. The newly expanded Halcyon Wellness spa is a temple of indulgence with a capital “I”.
First stop: the traditional Swedish sauna. Goodbye stress, goodbye muscle tension, goodbye pretending you don’t need a holiday. Then there’s the cold plunge pool — a bracing 8ºC dip that wakes you up faster than triple-shot espresso. The dome-shaped steam room is the cherry on top, melting away every shred of tension. And just when you think you’re done, a Sodashi facial leaves you glowing like you’ve been sleeping nine hours a night, drinking green juice, and avoiding chocolate. I only had a look at all these sadly, but on my list for a return visit.
The Halcyon House Spa also has a shop full of must have goodies.
Who Will Love Halcyon House
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Design devotees – If you’ve ever rearranged your cushions after seeing an Anna Spiro room, this place will send you into a maximalist frenzy.
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Boutique hotel lovers – Those who prefer personality over cookie-cutter chains will find Halcyon House Cabarita irresistible.
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Foodies – Paper Daisy alone is worth the trip. Hatted restaurant, regional produce, and birthday cake as a bonus? Yes, please.
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Spa seekers – Sauna, steam room, and an icy plunge pool that’s colder than your morning ex? Tick, tick, tick.
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Instagrammers – Those striped pool umbrellas practically demand a grid post. #HalcyonHouse
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Romantics – Perfect for couples who want long walks on Cabarita Beach followed by cocktails by the pool.
Who Won’t Love Halcyon House
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Minimalists – If beige walls and uncluttered spaces soothe your soul, Anna Spiro’s riot of patterns may send you running for a plain white doona.
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Kids on sugar highs – While families are welcome, this isn’t the place for cannonballs in the pool or finger-painting on designer fabrics. Save that for the holiday park.
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Bargain hunters – Halcyon House is boutique luxury with all the trimmings. If you’re looking for budget beds and buffet breakfasts, you’ll want to scroll on.
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Wellness sceptics – Not everyone enjoys alternating between sauna, steam room, and an 8ºC plunge pool. (But trust me, it’s invigorating once you stop screaming.)
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Anti-Instagrammers – If you roll your eyes at striped umbrellas, curated cocktails, and “most Instagrammed hotel in Australia” status, you may be happier somewhere less photogenic.
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People allergic to joy – There’s birthday cake. Enough said.
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Ardo Hotel has its own gin.
Final Thoughts: Why Halcyon House Cabarita Topped My Bucket List
Halcyon House has redefined boutique hotels in Australia and continues to set the bar for what coastal luxury should feel like: playful, stylish, deeply personal, and a little outrageous. For me, finally staying here after ten years of dreaming was a milestone moment.
Would I return? Absolutely. But next time, they’ll need to pry me away from that bed and those waves with a crowbar. Until then, I’ll be plotting my return while daydreaming about birthday cake and blue horizons.
Disclaimer: Eat drink and be Kerry was a guest of Halcyon House.