Justin Hemmes knows how to throw a party. He's spent thirty years proving it – curating the spaces where Sydney has celebrated, seduced, and stayed up far too late to ever admit. What Merivale had never done, however, was ask you to check in at reception and put an overnight stay in their hands, until now.
Sitting atop Narooma's Wagonga Inlet, with soft pastel walls that can be spotted from corners all over town, The Whale is an emphatic opening act. Over the last three years, Merivale has meticulously reimagined this former roadside motel into something deeply considered – eighteen rooms that deliver a touch of fun and playfulness in one of NSW’s rising coastal towns.
It doesn't take itself too seriously, either. Social sundowners are offered daily by the fireplace. Saunas are reserved by guests with a pencil and a clipboard. Cheeky adult toys are offered alongside playing cards or sunscreen in the self-serve vending machine.
Even in its opening days, The Whale has already debuted a hospitality experience that feels carefree and nonchalant to its guests, but refined behind the scenes. By chance, Boss Hunting was the first media to experience this sun-kissed haven on the NSW South Coast.
The hard product was difficult to fault. The hotel's warmth and personality were even harder to leave.
So, who's The Whale actually for?
The obvious answer is Merivale acolytes and Sydney’s entire Eastern Suburbs collective. They'll book simply because Hemmes' name is on the door. But after spending a couple of days here, it was immediately clear that this hotel will deservedly attract global attention.
The Whale is for people who genuinely enjoy staying in good hotels. Those who get a kick out of the little things. The sort of travellers who'd rather spend a little more on somewhere with identity than tussle for sunloungers at a soulless five-star chain. Couples escaping Sydney for a long weekend. Groups taking over a handful of rooms. Friends who'd happily spend the whole day around the heated magnesium pool before wandering next door for dinner without ever feeling the need to go back to the room to freshen up.
Just as importantly, it's for people who actually want to vibe with Narooma.
That sounds obvious, but plenty of destination hotels could be dropped into almost any coastal town and nothing would change. The Whale is anchored in Narooma. The staff, the majority of whom are local, recommend their favourite beaches before they recommend the hotel pool. They'll organise dinner at the pub across the road if that's where the footy’s on, shuttle you to Quarterdeck – a local institution that’s served the community for the last 20 years – for sunset drinks on the water, or point you towards swimming spots that don't appear on the usual travel guides.
Despite the impending wave of popularity for The Whale, with just 18 rooms, we expect you’ll feel seen throughout your entire stay, even in the height of summer. That's a difficult balance to strike.
What's the vibe?
Calling The Whale "the Balearics in the ‘70s" is fair at face value – it’s the crux of the hotel’s design ethos – but it would undersell the influence of its Aussie coastal-town roots.
The aesthetic intentionally draws on sun-faded Mediterranean hotels, earthy textures, vintage furniture, and soft pastel tones, but in the flesh, its personality feels more Australian than European. Less beach club, more the kind of place that collects stories over decades. That's largely because Merivale resisted the temptation to erase the building's history.
The original bones of the motel were retained rather than replaced. The 40-year-old carpet discovered during renovations inspired a new version. Historic photographs hang throughout the property. Even the retro swimming pool and its 40-year-old Frangipani tree remain (if you saw a picture of it before, you wouldn’t believe you were swimming in the same pool).
Nasim Koerting, Merivale's first Design Director and the powerhouse behind the hotel’s vision, describes the brief as preserving the motel's soul rather than disguising it, and you can see that philosophy everywhere, elevated with unique additions from all over the world. Handmade woven screens from Papua New Guinea sit alongside Italian terrazzo, Moroccan lighting, Indonesian furniture, and ceramics collected from markets around Europe. Impressively, none of it feels over-styled or tokenistic.
The best boutique hotels make you curious. You notice something different every time you walk back to your room. The Whale does exactly that.
And the rooms?
No two rooms are the same, which is a rarity in the Aussie hotel market. Rather than defaulting to an artwork swap between room categories, each space has its own flavour.
Some lean warmer and more textured, others brighter and more coastal. It gives guests a reason to return and book something different each time.
More importantly, they're incredibly easy rooms to live in. The robes, towels, and uniforms come courtesy of Alémais. The minibar is stocked with things you desperately want to devour after returning from dinner – that’ll make you feel good and not guilty. There's a proper garment steamer tucked away in the wardrobe, plenty of charging points, and bathrooms that are as functional as they are photogenic.
The best part? A sneaky turndown service. We weren't expecting it, which made it all the more delightful. It's one of those old-school hotel rituals that's become surprisingly uncommon in Australia – and exactly the kind of detail that separates a good stay from a memorable one (and a motel from a hotel).
One detail we particularly appreciated was the lighting. It sounds minor, but those who have stayed in enough hotels with baffling control panels and never did an engineering degree will appreciate it. Here, each room runs on three preset lighting moods, including one specifically calibrated for getting ready. It works exactly as intended, which is probably the highest compliment you can give hotel lighting. It's the sort of detail guests won't remember individually, but they'll remember how comfortable the room felt as the day turned to night.
Our only gripe with the rooms was the absence of blackout curtains. A sheer light filter can be drawn across the window for privacy and shade, but it’s futile against a belting sunrise. In winter, a natural 7 AM wakeup was an enjoyable treat. In summer, an unwanted 5 o’clock sunrise alarm wouldn’t be as palatable. Preserving the guest’s natural circadian rhythm was the excuse, and supplied eye masks were the solution.
A quick moment for the Penthouse
If you're celebrating something, this is the room to book. Commanding the prized real estate above the rest of the hotel, the Oceanview Penthouse feels like the fullest expression of everything Merivale was trying to achieve at The Whale.
A private rooftop garden, vintage Featherston furniture, commissioned artwork, a spectacular open-plan bathroom, and a custom lava-stone basin sitting beneath a circular skylight all take your breath away when you walk in the door on a sunlit afternoon.
The penthouse also embraces uninterrupted views across Wagonga Inlet, as well as a side suite for an additional two guests included in the room rate. It's expensive compared to the other 17 rooms, yes, but it’s compelling when compared to its like-for-like peers in this calibre of hotels. It’s special, and you can actually see where the money went.
How's the food?
This was always going to be Merivale's comfort zone. Predicting Queen Chow would safely anchor Merivale's first hotel is a bit like predicting Porsche would make a fast car. No points awarded to anyone who guessed otherwise. It delivers exactly to brief. Fresh local seafood naturally dominates the menu, from oysters harvested nearby to sashimi and dumplings that let the produce do most of the work (well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). The only disappointment for us was the absence of Queen Chow's famous deep-fried ice cream.
Breakfast, served until 10:30 AM, deserves its own praise. Rather than leaning on the standard coastal café formula of sourdough, smashed avocado, and poached eggs, the menu has enough character to make you actually look forward to getting downstairs each morning. Excellent coffee, pastries sourced from the bakery down the road, and breakfast dishes that feel like unique takes on your expectations, rather than obligatory. By morning two, breakfast is less déjà vu and more like the café you'd intentionally become a regular at.
The concierge team will also happily book you into Quarterdeck, where the banana daiquiri has every chance of becoming the best drink of your weekend.
Notes on getting there and getting around
The drive from Sydney takes around five hours, and that's assuming you don't stop or hit long weekend traffic. The reservations team sends through a playlist before arrival, and once you cross the bridge at Narooma and your eyes get their first taste of that sparkling turquoise water, you can basically put the car away for good.
The hotel shuttle runs guests between The Whale and Quarterdeck, and the staff are quick to arrange e-Bikes (available for exclusive use by the guests). Though most of Narooma is only a short walk away and, for us, the best way to see everything on your first visit.
The local seal hangout, the golf course, and, of course, the all-Australian watering hole Lynch’s are just an easy stroll away.
For anyone travelling from interstate, flying into Moruya before hiring a car is probably the easiest option. Seaplanes or choppers can naturally be arranged if you’re so vertically inclined.
Any tips or need-to-knows?
Book Queen Chow before you arrive. The concierge will usually sort it for you, but dinner reservations are likely to become increasingly difficult as word spreads, especially on weekends.
A two-night stay feels like the minimum for those travelling just to enjoy The Whale. If the budget can stretch, make it three. Interestingly, there’s no two-night minimum (yet), which is often a thorn in the side of spontaneous customers or overnight road-trippers.
Ask the staff where they spend their days off. Every recommendation we received was worth following. The e-bikes were available. Our intentions were good. The heated pool proved more persuasive. A pickleball court with a post-match bar for refreshments is under construction for the summer, as is a handful of outdoor jacuzzis – both of which will be heaving when they open.
And if you're deciding between room categories, it's worth spending the extra money if your budget allows. Because no two rooms are identical, upgrading evolves the experience. We basically had to be escorted from the Premium Inlet Suite at check-out (number 16, if you’re one to request ahead of time); it was that enjoyable to exist in.
The bottom line – is The Whale worth it?
Absolutely. The Whale feels less like an experiment and more like a company that's spent three decades understanding hospitality, finally applying those lessons to somewhere guests can properly settle in to.
The design has personality without becoming theatrical. The service is serious, but delivered by authentic, unserious people. And while the hotel is undoubtedly the headline, Narooma isn’t an afterthought. In fact, The Whale makes you appreciate the town even more. And that's the biggest compliment we can give it. We left thinking about when we'd next be back in Narooma – already knowing exactly where we'd stay.
If Hemmes built his empire on creating places people didn't want to leave after midnight, The Whale proves what can happen when that hospitality philosophy is paired with exceptional design in a very unique part of the world. Together, they've created somewhere special guests will never want to check out of.
