QT Bondi

I’ve spent the last 10 summers based around Bondi Beach in one form or another, so I immediately recognised the QT Bondi building as I pulled up to check in, and remember all the construction over the past few years.

On the Northern stretch of beach, the hotel forms part of a new-build complex which also encompasses a florists, men’s boutique store, poke bowl bar and a supermarket. Not a great start if you’re after a sense of character, culture or history. But you don’t come to Bondi Beach for any of those things; you come for the sunsets, the swimwear and the cafés, all of which are just a few flips and flops away.

The QT is set up somewhere between a serviced apartment and a boutique hotel which, on paper, sounds like something that has the potential to go horribly wrong. In practice, it manages to harness the very best of both worlds. 

Checking in at the front desk doesn’t really feel like a hotel – there’s a desk and some art and, next thing you know, you’re up in your private chambers. But what the QT lacks in communal areas (no restaurant, gym, pool, shop), it immediately makes up for in the apartments themselves. I don’t think I’ve ever been faced with such a comprehensively thought-out hotel room. You name the amenity, they’ve thought of it – from umbrellas to shoe-horns; beach bags to dressing gowns; dishwashers to tumble-dryers; dominos to beard kits; champagne to coconut water… Frankly, it’s a little overwhelming. 

I suppose, given the location, a gym and pool are entirely unnecessary, given that Bondi’s many outdoor exercise options are right outside (and the last thing it needs is a new place to get coffee and eggs). The front-desk staff were really helpful in pointing the way to the latest café openings, and tailoring dinner options to precise whims. 

Besides which, suffering from restaurant fatigue (perhaps the most first-world problem ever), I opted to cook in my in-room kitchen on the second night, which worked out great given the supermarket was just downstairs. Nothing could make me feel more at home than whipping up spaghetti and salad as if I was in my own house. 

The bathroom was stocked with appropriately hipster-friendly Malin + Goetz products, a generously-sized bathtub and a walk-in shower. I definitely found there was space in the apartment for everything: a decent table to work (and eat) from, a huge comfy sofa (which doubled as an afternoon bed when the jet lag kicked in), and even a sizeable fully furnished outdoor balcony area.

As a tech nerd, I was very happy to be able to pair my phone and laptop to Bluetooth speakers, and the (American-ly proportioned) TV. All very luxurious stuff, by the time you’ve sunken in to the gigantic squashy bed and are Netflixing and Spotifying yourself into oblivion. 

The room’s decor, like the rest of the hotel, is a kind of Miami art deco, all fresh pastels and concentric circles. It works well, cleverly imbuing what could have been a soulless brand-new building with a sense of style and place. 

But the real star of the show here is the location. Unless you’re extremely unlucky with the weather, you’ll be spending most of your Bondi time outdoors, so I found that I didn’t really end up using most of the goodies that my room with stocked with (not much need for dominos when the sun is setting over the world’s most famous beach outside). As well as the sea itself, there’s Iceberg’s (Bondi’s famous salt-water swimming pool, sauna, yoga studio and gym), and the epic coastal walk, with all its beach stops on the way. 

Then there’s the shops and the restaurants, which are seemingly infinite in the area. I could list dozens of worthwhile places to eat, but to limit to some of my favourites, I’d recommend Lox, Stock & Barrel (for breakfast), North Bondi Fish and Milky Lane (for burgers). Maybe it’s the sun and sea, but all food and drink just tastes better here. We stocked up on craft beers from the ‘bottle-o’ and sat out on my balcony at sunset, watching the huge fruit-bats fly overhead – a quintessential Sydney experience. 

Quibbles? Despite being right on the beach, there are somehow no ocean views – certainly not the end of the world, though. And slightly noisy air conditioning. That said, I was surprised how quiet the room was otherwise, even being in the middle of party central on a Saturday night. 

Given the odd lack of quality accommodation options in the area (which tend to gravitate towards budget backpacker or bland and business-y), QT has quickly become my favourite place to stay on my favourite beach in the world.