Sydney’s new luxury beachfront hotel: InterContinental Coogee Beach opens

InterContinental has opened its first beachfront hotel in Sydney, introducing 198 redesigned rooms, two signature restaurants and a coastal aesthetic steps from Coogee Beach

InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach has opened, bringing a new luxury hotel to Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The 198-room property marks a significant redevelopment of the former Crowne Plaza Coogee hotel site and includes 22 suites designed with a contemporary coastal aesthetic.

Guest rooms adopt a restrained palette typical of beach hotels – whites, blues and soft textures – with curved joinery and large windows positioned to maximise natural light and ocean views. In the premium suites, indoor–outdoor living is a defining feature, with spacious lounges, refined finishes and outdoor baths designed for slow, restorative stays.

According to the hotel, wellness is deliberately threaded through the guest experience, offering a sanctuary that feels both restorative and connected to place.

The pool deck and Club InterContinental

The hotel’s ocean-facing infinity pool deck is now open, sitting above the coastline with private cabanas, adjustable overhead screening and a planting scheme that runs from canopy palms down to low coastal grasses. The pool is heated year-round, and new ‘Nourish Bowls’ are available poolside and throughout the hotel at any time.

Club InterContinental occupies its own floor – a lounge of neutral tones and nautical textures, open from morning through to the evening, when champagne and canapés are offered. A private al fresco terrace gives access to the ocean outlook separately from the pool deck below.

Wellness and the local lens

Two pickleball courts have been added – a first for a Sydney hotel. Èliva Spa is due to open in May, with magnesium mineral pools, infrared and salt saunas, cold plunge baths and a crystal steam room. A recovery lounge with PEMF infrared masks, LED facial masks and compression boots will sit alongside a 24-hour gym.

The hotel’s concierge team has also put together a local guide: snorkelling the underwater nature trail at Gordons Bay, early morning swims at the heritage-listed Wylie’s Baths, neighbourhood cafés and seasonal walks along the shoreline.

Dining

Shutters Restaurant & Bar is led by Executive Chef Stephen Lech, whose menu draws on seasonal Australian produce with Mediterranean influences. The dining room incorporates the building’s original shutters into its design, casting shifting patterns of light across neutral tones and coastal textures. “Coogee has such a welcoming energy, and I wanted the food to reflect that,” Lech said. “We’ve created a menu designed to share and to change with the seasons, celebrating seafood and local produce at their best.”

Alongside Shutters, the hotel is also home to Rick Stein at Coogee Beach, the culinary duo’s Australian flagship restaurant. The 224-seat venue follows the seafood-first style established at Stein’s acclaimed restaurants in Mollymook and Port Stephens and overlooks the sands of Coogee. “Sydney’s Coogee Beach is the perfect location for our flagship Australian restaurant,” Stein stated. “It’s relaxed yet sophisticated, with that incredible connection to the ocean that has always inspired my cooking.”

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Colin Chun, who brings more than two decades of international experience. The menu focuses on New South Wales seasonal produce, supported by a bar offering coastal-inspired cocktails and a curated wine list.

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