Morpeth's Bronte Boutique Hotel has been named number eight in the KAYAK Travel Awards Australia's Best Hotels of 2021 list.
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Owner of the Bronte, Clint Marquet, said the title is thanks to the hard work of his staff.
"The award is a real credit to the team who are here on the ground, I'm very proud of them," he said.
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To qualify for consideration on the list, a hotel must have an overall rating of at least 8.0 and at least 50 reviews published within the last year.
"The concept of the hotel is dark and mysterious corridors, and when you open up the door to the room it's all fresh," Mr Marquet said.
Mr Marquet, who owns the Hunter Valley Boutique Escapes group of hotels, said there is an eclectic vibe that people keep coming back for.
"If you get away somewhere and it feels like your house, you haven't really gotten away," he said.
"Here, there's that feel of being transported back in time but still with that contemporary aspect."
The hotel has an Asian style influence, which Mr Marquet said keeps in line with the Victorian style.
"In Victorian times it was very chic if you had oriental things, so I've tried to do a contemporary take on what they would have called Chinoiserie," Mr Marquet said.
The Bronte was named after Admiral Nelson, the Earl of Bronte, and was built in 1832 for Caleb Soul, founder of Soul Pattinson Pharmacy.
The hotel has been through turbulent times, as has the rest of the travel industry, due to government restrictions and lockdowns.
Mr Marquet said he and his team all had to rely on government support, which they saw as a blessing, and are now excited to be back and open.
The iconic Morpeth bridge can be seen from the Bronte's alfresco breakfast dining room, as can the Hunter River.
"Because it's private here it's a good spot to sit and take it all in," Mr Marquet said.
The full Best Hotels of 2021 list includes:
- Maylands Lodge, Hobart TAS
- The Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange NSW
- MACq 01 Hotel, Hobart TAS
- The Inchcolm By Ovolo, Brisbane QLD
- Como The Treasury, Perth WA
- The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, Sydney NSW
- Hadley's Orient Hotel, Hobart TAS
- The Bronte Boutique Hotel, Morpeth NSW
- The Darling At The Star, Gold Coast QLD
- Wildlife Retreat at Taronga, Sydney NSW
- Zagame's House, Melbourne VIC
- Regal, Port Douglas QLD
- Radisson on Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne VIC
- Ballina Manor Boutique Motel, Ballina NSW
- Highland Cabins and Cottages at Bronte Park, Tarraleah TAS
- Tattersalls Hotel, Armidale NSW
- Spicers, Potts Point NSW
- The Bower, Byron Bay NSW
- Grand Mercure The Hills Lodge, Castle Hill NSW
- The Langham, Sydney NSW
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