Are you heading to the Newcastle region and looking for family-friendly accommodation? Here is a list for you. Whether you want to stay near the harbour and beach of Newcastle or prefer being closer to the views and watersports of Lake Macquarie we’ve got you covered.
We’ve also selected kid-friendly accommodation in the always popular Hunter Valley as well as the beautiful surrounds of Port Stephens.
NEWCASTLE
The Executive Inn
Location: New Lambton
Reservations: The Executive Inn
At The Executive, kids stay free* anytime! Keep the whole family happy with heated pools, delicious restaurants, Wi-Fi, free parking and more. This boutique hotel is conveniently located 12 minutes from the beach, 5 minutes from McDonald Jones Stadium and is a 2-minute walk to local shops and bars (for happy hours, of course!)
Novotel Newcastle Beach
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Reservations: Novotel Newcastle Beach website
The location of this hotel can’t be beaten if you want to be near to Newcastle Beach. It’s literally on the doorstep of this hotel. Choose a family room to accommodate the whole family as it has a Queen Bed and two single beds with room to add a cot or extra rollaway bed. Interconnecting rooms are available upon request.
Noahs on the Beach
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Reservations: Noah’s on the Beach website
Situated opposite beautiful Newcastle Beach, Noah’s on the Beach lives up to its name. It’s right on the beach and close to Newcastle Beach, the Canoe Pool and Newcastle Ocean Baths. Choose the Family Rooms to fit the whole family. You won’t get beach views though but you will get 1 Queen bed and 2 Single beds and a view of the city. You can also get an Ocean View room with 1 Queen bed and 1 single bed.
NRMA Stockton Beach Holiday Park
Location: Stockton, NSW
Reservations: NRMA Stockton Beach Holiday Park website
Located a short ferry ride to Newcastle CBD, Stockton Beach Holiday Park provides a relaxed beach family holiday. Metres from patrolled Stockton Beach, the park includes children’s playground and a large recreation room with pool table and arcade games. Ideal for a staycation. From here, stroll along the Shipwreck Walk out to the breakwater or walk around to the harbour. Accommodation includes tent sites, van sites and a variety of villas
QT Newcastle
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Reservations: QT Newcastle website
Newcastle’s newest hotel features a connecting two-bedroom room, if you’re travelling with kids. Located in Newcastle’s CBD, there’s a Woolworths Metro conveniently located adjacent to the hotel. From here, you’re a short walk to Newcastle Beach, the harbour and light rail.
Rydges Newcastle
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Reservations: Rydges Newcastle website
Located on Newcastle Harbour, Rydges Newcastle is a popular choice for families. It’s proximity to Newcastle Museum, Stockton ferry and a large swimming pool make it great for those with kids. The rooms feature separate bedroom and living areas so it’s great for naptime.
There’s new family-friendly features at Rydges Newcastle including a train station for the onsite family-friendly train, a water slide and children’s playground.
Terminus Hotel
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Website: Terminus Hotel website
Terminus Hotel offers water views out your window and the best of Newcastle on your doorstep. Steeped in history, the apartments are a seamless mix of heritage and new. Each with a unique style, a spacious contemporary design and service that makes you feel like old friends. The Station, a former railway platform located across the road, is now a bustling outdoor precinct with a steady lineup of markets and events. Beaches are a short stroll away, as are art galleries, museums, coffee, shopping, cocktails – you name it, it’s here.
LAKE MACQUARIE
Best Western Plus Apollo Hotel
Location: Charlestown, NSW
Reservations: Apollo Hotel website
Take advantage of spacious, newly renovated rooms that make for a perfect family getaway to Newcastle with easy access to Charlestown Square, the CBD and local beaches. The Apollo International is a family-friendly hotel featuring an outdoor pool, a restaurant with a great kids menu and a beautiful bushland reserve. Apollo Hotel features a Family Suite consisting of a bedroom with standard King bed and a lounge area with two Single Beds.
Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park
Location: Belmont South NSW
Reservations: Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park website
Enjoy views of the lake from almost every site at this holiday park. If your family are water-lovers, this is the place for you with direct access to the lake for fishing, swimming and windsurfing. Blacksmiths Beach is a 5-minute drive. There is a swimming pool, children’s playground and recreation room as well as free Wi-Fi and boat-launching facilities. Accommodation includes powered and unpowered tent sites, van sites, ensuite cabins, 2-bedroom cabins and 2-bedroom villas. Bring your dog as there is pet-friendly camping all year long
Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park
Location: Blacksmiths NSW
Reservations: Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park website
A 200 metre walk to Blacksmiths Beach, this caravan park is for families who love the beach. Whether you’re swimming or surfing at Nine Mile Beach or hanging out with little ones at Grannie’s Pool, this is a great spot for a relaxed family beach holiday.
As well as a children’s playground with slide, swings and climbing structure, there is a solar-heated swimming pool with shallow area for little ones. The holiday park offers school holiday activities for kids including discos, arts and craft and there is free Wi-Fi and Foxtel.
Accommodation includes powered and unpowered tent sites, van sites, ensuite sites, 1& 2-bedroom cabins and 2-bedroom villas. Bring your dog as there is pet-friendly camping available outside peak season.
Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park
Location: Swansea NSW
Reservations: Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park website
This holiday park feels more like a resort with loads of family-friendly facilities. Located lakeside on Lake Macquarie, you’ll enjoy great views of the lake from waterfront villas and camping sites. If you enjoy the beach, Blacksmiths Beach and Caves Beach are only a 5-minute drive. The larger 3 bedroom villas are great for large families or those holidaying with friends.
There’s plenty to keep kids happy including a large resort-style swimming pool, aquatic water park, 18 hole mini-golf course, basketball court and tennis court, children’s playground with slide, swings and climbing structure and school holiday activities for kids including discos, arts and craft.
Accommodation includes powered and unpowered tent sites, van sites, ensuite sites, budget and non-ensuite cabins and 2 & 3 bedroom villas
Wangi Point Holiday Park
Location: Wangi Wangi NSW
Reservations: https://lakemacholidayparks.com.au
If you want a more relaxing, back to nature camping experience, stay at Wangi Point Holiday Park. It’s ideal for those who want to go fishing, boating or bushwalking. There’s a fenced children’s playground with slide, swings and climbing structure as well as Foxtel and free Wi-Fi.
If you like camping in the cooler weather, you can toast marshmallows on community fire pits for use in winter. Accommodation includes powered and unpowered tent sites, van sites, ensuite sites, ensuite cabins and 2 bedroom villas.
HUNTER VALLEY
Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
Location: Lovedale NSW
Reservations: Rydges Resort Hunter Valley website
If you’re looking for a kid-friendly hotel in the Hunter Valley, book into the Rydges Resort Hunter Valley. Nestled in the heart of Wine Country, this family-friendly resort offers activities for every member of the family such as the Water Dragons Kids Club, swimming pool, 18-hole golf course, on-site Lovedale Brewery and Ubika Spa.
You can choose from hotel rooms or self-contained villas. Newly added in recent years is the Water Park. It’s over two storeys high with heated water for all-year round use and complete with an assortment of slides, water cannons, flumes and jets designed to entertain the whole family in hours of aquatic fun. Best part is the berry bucket which fills with 600 litres of water before emptying every few minutes over you in one enormous splash!
Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort
Location: Pokolbin NSW
Reservations: Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort website
Enjoy a self-contained stay at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort. It features a range of one, two and three bedroom villas featuring kitchen / kitchenette facilities. There is plenty for the family to enjoy including two pools, tennis courts, a bocce sand pit and basketball hoops. For golfers, there is an 18-hole golf course
voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley
Location: Lovedale NSW
Reservations: Kirkton Park Hunter Valley website
Also good for families is the Kirkton Park Hunter Valley located on 70 acres of countryside. With a pool, tennis court, lawn games and basketball court, there’s plenty to keep kids happy. Plus, kids can feed the onsite pigs and chickens. Choose from a room or suite.
Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley
Location: Cessnock NSW
Reservations: Ingenia Holidays Hunter Valley website
Enjoy the best of the Hunter Valley by staying in this central location. Close to the wineries, this campground offers fun for the whole family. Kids will love the swimming pool, jumping cushion & giant chess set. Accommodation includes powered tent sites, cabins and 2 and 3 bedroom villas. Pet-friendly camping available but check with park prior to booking
PORT STEPHENS
Oaks Port Stephens Pacific Blue Resort
Location: Salamander Bay NSW
Reservations: Oaks Port Stephens Pacific Blue Resort
If you’re looking for one of the largest swimming pools in Australia, head to Oaks Port Stephens Pacific Blue Resort. It offers a variety of accommodation around a lagoon pool. Choose from deluxe studios and thoughtfully-appointed one, two and three-bedroom apartments – some with swim-out facilities, spas and private plunge pools.
All of the apartments feature full kitchens, which is great for families who love to self cater. There’s also an onsite gymnasium, heated spa, Japanese steam room and tennis courts.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
Location: One Mile NSW
Reservations: Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary
If your family loves koalas, stay at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary nestled among 8 hectares of bushland near One Mile Beach and Worimi Conservation Lands and dunes. You can stay in one of the Deluxe 4 Star Glamping tents or in more standard accommodation from Deluxe Studio Rooms to One Bedroom Deluxe Suites.
Guests receive a Sanctuary Tour and early morning Koala Feeding encounter as well as unlimited access to the Koala Sanctuary. You can also peek at the Koala Hospital. It’s a facility where visitors can look through a purpose-built viewing window as veterinary staff care for sick and injured koalas (depending on treatment times).
Big 4 Ingenia Holidays Soldiers Point
Location: Soldiers Point NSW
Reservations: Big 4 Ingenia Holidays Soldiers Point website
There’s tons of family fun to be had at Big 4 Ingenia Holidays Soldiers Point with pools, playground and indoor toddler area. You’ll have to convince your kids to leave to explore Soldiers Point and its beautiful beach.
The holiday park features a kids playground, jumping pillow and giant chess board, games room and indoor toddler playground, outdoor pool and waterpark, indoor heated swimming pool and TV & video room. Accommodation includes powered tent and slab sites, ensuite camping and tent sites and 2 bedroom cabins
Big 4 Koala Shores Port Stephens Holiday Park
Location: Lemon Tree Passage NSW
Reservations: Big 4 Koala Shores Port Stephens Holiday Park website
Located waterfront at Lemon Tree Passage, BIG4 Koala Shores Holiday Park offers lots for families to do. Named because of its resident koala population, look out for koalas nearby in this bush setting.
As well as the resort-style swimming pool, there is a kids playground, jumping pillow and putt putt golf course and volleyball and half-court tennis courts. Accommodation includes powered tent and slab sites, ensuite camping and 2 bedroom cabins, 2 bedroom villas and spa suites.
Fingal Bay Holiday Park
Location: Fingal Bay NSW
Reservations: Fingal Bay Holiday Park website
Located directly opposite to beautiful Fingal Bay Beach, you’ll be sure to have a great holiday. For kids, there is a playground, resort-style pool and recreation room. Accommodation includes tent and van sites, ensuite sites, 2 bedroom cabins, 2 & 3 bedroom villas and 3 bedroom cottage.
Halifax Holiday Park
Location: Nelson Bay NSW
Reservations: Halifax Holiday Park website
If you want to be close to calm waters in Port Stephens, stay at Halifax Holiday Park. It’s between Little Beach and Shoal Bay Beach. It’s also just a 15-minute walk to the shops and restaurants of Nelson Bay.
It has a kids playground and is pet-friendly at certain times of year. Accommodation includes powered tent sites, motorhome sites and 2 & 3 bedroom beach villas.
Ingenia Holidays One Mile Beach
Location: One Mile, NSW
Reservations: Ingenia Holidays One Mile Beach website
Located right on the beach at beautiful One Mile Beach in Port Stephens, this holiday park over 15 acres offers a range of accommodation for different budgets. There are lots of things to keep kids busy such as a swimming pool, kids playground, jumping cushion, tennis court, mini-golf and games room and kids club in addition to the nearby beach.
From here, it’s a 5 minute drive to Anna Bay and a 10 minute drive to Nelson Bay. Accommodation includes powered tent, van and motorhome sites and 1, 2 & 3 bedroom cabins and villas. The Holiday House, a 4 bedroom house for those who need more space.
Middle Rock Holiday Resort
Location: One Mile NSW
Reservations: Middle Rock Holiday Resort website
Located on One Mile Beach, there’s a range of accommodation options at Middle Rock Holiday resort ranging from camping sites to 3 bedroom townhouses. This holiday park caters to the needs of parents and kids alike.
For kids, there’s a resort-style swimming pool with water slides, undercover jumping pillow, playground and children’s activities during school holidays while for parents, there’s a cafe and bar.
If you don’t feel like cooking, you can order breakfast, lunch or dinner at Rockpools. Accommodation includes powered and unpowered camping sites, motel rooms, studios, bungalows, 2 bedroom villas and three bedroom townhouses.
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Started in late 2012 by a local mum, Newy with Kids has grown into a thriving go-to family guide for the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter region. Parents visit the Newy with Kids website to find things to do with babies, kids and teens. Whether it’s local attractions, upcoming events, kids eat free, school holiday activities or birthday party ideas, Newy with Kids is the best website for local parents to find local kid-friendly activities and information 24/7.