Little National Hotel by Bates Smart

Words by Aimee O’Keefe
Photography by Pablo Veiga
Video by Emble
Edited by Emble
In Partnership with DOMA Group

Innovatively merging residential spaces and hospitality, Little National Hotel in Newcastle is a sophisticated yet comfortable place to stay in the thriving beachside locale.

Architect Bates Smart, interior designer Luchetti Krelle and DOMA Group have come together to craft an inviting place that offers amenity and luxury in equal measure. Located two and a half hours north of Sydney, in the Honeysuckle precinct in Newcastle, Little National is the latest development by DOMA group. The hotel sits within a foreshore area just one block from the waterfront. “I hope that this project contributes positively to the success of what is fast emerging as an amazing waterfront and an amazing place for tourism and people visiting this area,” says Guy Lake, director at Bates Smart and lead designer and project director for Little National.

The design approach is thoughtful, pragmatic and focused on classic design and refinement.

The brief for the hotel was to create a space that feels like a luxurious home away from home. “Guests should feel very comfortable but also excited that it’s a premium space to be in,” says Rachel Luchetti, principal at Luchetti Krelle. “It’s tapping into, I guess in an aspirational sense, what residential living would be like in a very large penthouse apartment.” As well as guestrooms, the hotel features a public bar, a lounge and a library. Entering the building from the street, a lift takes one to the first level towards the bar area. This space is filled with natural light and features a two-storey glazed facade that leads your eye up a beautiful steel, white staircase to a mezzanine level. Upstairs is the library, a collegial space with communal tables and intimate workstations.

The design approach is thoughtful, pragmatic and focused. “It is classically designed so that it will appeal to a broad demographic who like luxury and like to see nice touches which don’t speak of the time,” says Jure Domazet, managing director at DOMA Group. Similarly, the design is efficient and precise, providing everything one may need. “Everything is very carefully thought through to make sure there’s a place for everything … but it’s about refinement and efficiency, it’s not about filling and cluttering the space,” says Lake.

Given its pristine location by the water, key to the experience of Little National is a constant connection to the outdoors.

Key to the experience of Little National is a constant connection to the outdoors, given its pristine location close to the water. “The lift lobbies are naturally lit, the corridors are naturally lit at the end, and as you go to your room and open the door, the blinds go up, which is a signature of the Little National brand,” says Lake. Similarly, the framed king-sized beds in each room sit up against the window so that when one is lying down, there is a sense of immersion and connection with the nearby park and harbour.

Part of the success of Little National is born from a seamless collaboration between the architect, designer and developer. “DOMA group has enjoyed a very strong working relationship with Bates Smart across a number of projects in Canberra and our first Little National in Sydney,” says Domazet. “With Luchetti Krelle, we have had a great experience with restaurants and bars in Canberra and also Little National in Adelaide. We’ve opened about six venues with them and have always appreciated the design process, where it’s very iterative. They respond very well to operational items and there’s a layer of reality.”

Injecting a sense of luxury and refinement into the heart of Newcastle, Little National by Bates Smart, Luchetti Krelle and DOMA Group redefines the hotel experience by offering a unique and seamless combination of home and leisure.

Architecture by Bates Smart. Interior design by Luchetti Krelle. Development by DOMA Group.