What to expect at Sea Sea Hotel in NSW’s mid-north coast

There’s been a lot of excitement about this uber-cool property launched in a sleepy NSW surf spot. Does it live up to hype?

Upon opening last November, two years after it was announced, designer George Gorrow’s boutique hotel and “surf club” Sea Sea Hotel was booked to 100 per cent capacity, such was the anticipation. The hype continued, with staff only coming up for air in February, which is when I check in and feel an immense sense of arrival.

Location

30-34 Pacific Street, Crescent Head, NSW

Formerly Wombat Beach Resort in Crescent Head, the revitalised Sea Sea is a 10-minute walk from “Creso’s” famous right-hander point break. It’s a five-hour drive north of Sydney and just a touch longer from Brisbane, with Port Macquarie the closest airport. When Maria River Road is tarred, a project slated to start mid-year, the drive time to Port Macquarie Airport will be about 30 minutes.

First impressions

In a town best known for its sand-hugging campground, Sea Sea is redefining the scene with a design-centric “clubhouse” for locals and visitors drawn to Crescent’s salty, laidback vibes. Assistant manager Eka welcomes me into Sea Sea’s souvenir shop, which doubles as reception, where a rack of gleaming hand-shaped surfboards, available for hire, stands alongside an iconic photograph called Huamana and Shark (Greg Nagel, Tahiti, 2010). Past guests of The Slow, a Bali hotel co-owned by Gorrow and his wife, Cisco Tschurtschenthaler, will recognise it instantly.

Celebrating 70s surf culture in both look and mindset, the adjoining restaurant and bar beckons, with comfy chaise-longue seating, fireplace and a vintage arcade machine tucked into the corner of a gallery, pulled from Gorrow’s personal collection. Below a mirror ball, turntables and a wall of records invite listening sessions. Another co-owner walks past me with bare feet.

>This story first appeared in Travel + Luxury in The Weekend Australian, 15 March 2025. Continue reading here.