Romantic Hotels in Newcastle

The Mrs. and I were on an extended vacation in Australia (3 months), which included a three-day drive of discovery between Sydney and the Sunshine Coast. One of our overnight stops was in Newcastle, where we stayed at the Crystalbrook. Typically, when we travel we stay at the nicest 4 or 5 star hotel we can afford (particularly if we can book it via Amex Play Fine Hotels and Resorts, which comes with a number of benefits), but we found the Crystalbrook almost by accident, as we searched for a hotel with a parking garage where our packed car could be kept overnight, versus on the street. Great find indeed. The Crystalbrook is a midsize luxury hotel, developed within a renovated office building. It is new(ish), fresh and well maintained. It is a bit quirky, thanks to some of the accommodation made as a former office building, but those quirks are charming, not annoying, or off putting. Accommodations were quite upscale – not on par with say the Four Seasons, but very nice. We dined at the in-house restaurant and found the food better than standard hotel fare, which was nice. However, the best trait of the Crystalbrook was its staff. Everyone we encountered was polite and pleasant. They made our overnight stay a positive one. I am not sure if we will have occasion to travel to Newcastle again, but should that occasion arise, will we be staying at the Crystalbrook. Should you have occasion to me in Newcastle, I recommend you stay there as well.