News & Brews

Standard Room

Our standard rooms offer the flexibility of a queen size bed and two single beds, the room caters to singles, couples or small families. The twin share rate is $150, three people $165 and four people $180.

Deluxe Room

Our Deluxe rooms are great for couples and offer a queen sized bed, double sofa bed and a set of table and chairs, They sleep up to four people and rates start at $160 for two people, $175 for three and $190 for four. One Deluxe Room is equiped with a disabled bathroom.

Family Room

Our family room offers a queen size bed, double sofa bed, set of bunk beds and a set of table and chairs. The room rate is $200 for up to six people.

Executive Room

The Executive Room is spacious and offers a queen size bed, double sofa, set of table & chairs and a double shower in the bathroom. There is a larger flat screen T.V, desk and microwave. The room is conveniently located near the swimming pool and is a good choice for those who appreciate the extra space.  The room rate is $200 for two people.

Unit

Our unit offers the convenience of two bedrooms with two King singles in one bedroom and three singles in the 2nd bedroom. King Singles can be joined together for a King Bed. Dining suite with kitchenette (oven, microwave cooktop, full sized fridge). Lounge room with flatscreen television, two bathrooms both with showers and an outdoor courtyard with table setting. The unit is popular for groups and those with children where multiple rooms are booked. The rate is $270 per night.

Pet Friendly

We are one of the only accomodations in the area that is pet friendly and we offer the service with a standard cleaning fee of $25.

If you have any questions please call reception and speak to our friendly staff, we are 100% committed to ensuring that you will have a pleasant and comfortable stay with us at the Bay Hotel motel. For the best room rates available book through the accomodation page here on our website.

Phone: (02) 4973 3177

Hi Paul, you have been at the Bay Hotel Motel for 22 years and in your time the botlleshop has won some big awards, can you tell us a little more about the most recent awards and what that means to you as the stores manager and your team?

Yeah, we have managed to pick up quite a few business awards over the years, last year (2018) we not only Won The Best Cellarbrations Bottleshop in NSW but we also took out the National Award. To top that though, we were the overall National Winner of the Best IBA Bottleshop Of The Year and personally I was humbled to be awarded National Manager Of The Year. This year we were again nominated and we were state finalist. Winning the National awards is an amazing achievement and the whole team here are super proud.

Being recognised as the best bottleshop nationally is fair dinkum, what separates you guys from all the other bottlshops across the country?

Variety surely plays a big role in that, we stock a huge selection and hold many rare and limited editions, I think that provides that level of separation when compared to your average bottleshop. We listen to our customers and the community and we go above and beyond to satisfy their needs and requests. Being able to track down that rare wine, vintage, spirit or beer is a welcomed challenge and totally rewarding when it gets in the customers hands. We specialise is case wine sales, have a specialty cellar called ‘The Red Room’  and hold wine tastings most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Leading with current trends and innovations is our passion and a part of our everyday. I think its those extra details that matter the most, the staff are all really switched on and ready to help, customers are getting a more informative and enjoyable experience than they would shopping elsewhere.

Try before you buy, sounds a little like visiting a cellar door, can you tell us a little more about the tastings that you mentioned?

Sure, so tastings are held 4-7pm most weeks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It is a great opportunity to sample from our range and also a time to learn a little more about vintages, cellaring options, brewing or the distilling of spirits, things like that. It provides an additional experience when we have the winemaker, distiller or brewer in store to share their knowledge, stories and how their product is created.

What about the Red Room, can you tell us a little more about that?

So the Red Room is a climate controlled room where we cellar a special selection of rare and specialty wines. There is also a collection of books and information that can help customers to build their knowledge about the wines on offer and also about wine in general. The red room is accessible through the bottleshop and yeah, it is one of those extra things that make the bottleshop extra special.

What’s trendy at the moment, anything new happening that is worth a mention?

There is always something new and exciting hitting the shelves, craft Gins, flavoured and unique along with premium vodka and bourbons are selling well. There are loads of new developments in the craft beer scene and there is a constant evolution with new styles and brands appearing weekly, the latest a splice flavoured pale. Easy drinking lagers are still the contemporary tipple. Sauv Blanc and Pinot Grigio's from Australia and overseas are leading the whites with Australian Cabernet and Spanish Rioja the reds.

The Three
The 3 put a unique three-piece spin to the hits of the past thirty years, plus a few favourite knockout rockers – just for fun. It’s fair to say you’ll know all the words, you’ll rock, and roll… and rock all over again. These guys played through the 80’s, survived the 90’s and are now bringing their energy to the stage again.

Shivoo
“Shivoo” (meaning to party and celebrate), is a 4 piece rock/pop act that is one of the most popular bands on the circuit around Newcastle and the Central Coast. They have a strong following and cover hits from the 80’s, 90’s and beyond from big names like  ACDC, Bon Jovi, Dragon, INXS & Cold Chisel.

Viper Creek Band
The Viper Creek Band deliver an exciting new sound and high energy to Australian country music.The 2014 release of their debut Album ‘Kickin’ Up Dust’ claimed the Number 2 spot on the ARIA Australian Country Albums chart. Since then, The Viper Creek Band have toured extensively, playing major festivals including Gympie Muster, Broadbeach Country Music Festival, Deni Ute Muster, CMC Rocks & SOLD OUT shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.Their nominations for ‘Group or Duo of the Year’ in 2015, 2016, 2017 and the coveted ‘Oz Artist of the Year’ in 2016 through the fan-voted CMC Awards, leaves little doubt The Viper Creek Band are the real deal.

Grant Walmsley
Grant Walmsley is a founding member, lead guitarist and key songwriter of the iconic rock band The Screaming Jets. His hit song 'Better' has become a certified classic recently polling as the most played Australian song in the history of the Triple M rock radio network.

Gen-X
Great 4 piece band featuring female vocals. They approach and perform every gig as if it was their last and this helped them build a strong fan base around the Hunter. Lead Vocalist Shae Tuckerman has a massive vocal range and her versatility at the forefront helps the band deliver a wide range from multiple genres.

Kempy
With 20 years of live performance under his belt and a music career that has seen him travel the globe and back, it is no wonder that Kempy is a man that pulls a crowd. A Kempy show is one guy, one guitar, one audience and one BIG set-list that will take you back to the 60’s and then bring you back through the decades to land you smack bang in the hits of the present day. Covering songs from Elvis, The Beatles, Van Morrison and Johnny Cash through to Jason Mraz, Train, The Foo Fighters and Keith Urban there’s a little bit of something for everybody. It’s a live show that will cater to almost any venue, event or occasion.

For many of us, pets are part of the family, so of course we love to include our favourite four legged companions when planning for a family holiday. The very thought of booking our fury friends into the kennel or cattery can be quite upsetting, even more so when the time comes to drop them off and try to say goodbye. Best to avoid any distress and bring your pets along with you for a holiday at the Bay Hotel Motel.

The Motel offers pet friendly accomodation in beautiful Lake Macquarie. Situated in Bonnells Bay, the motel has a large grassed area that can be enjoyed by everyone, including dogs on leashes. There are also plenty of parklands and walking trails in the region which makes it a great destination for those with active pets that love to walk, run or fetch.

Bringing the whole family along, including the pet, means that everyone, and every-animal, can genuinely enjoy their holiday. A holiday without any of the distress caused by separating and leaving somebody behind. Not to mention the high cost of boarding for the animals.

Over the years, we have found that most people travelling with their pets have been very much respectful and courteous. To organise to bring your pet along for your holiday, you simply need to notify motel reception before you arrive and pay a $25 cleaning fee, which is payable directly to reception on your arrival.

When the time comes to take that trip along the M1 remember that spending too much time travelling without breaks may cause your animals to become agitated or stressed. When traveling by road, plenty of water and sufficient breaks for relief and reprieve are a must.

Wishing you all safe travels, see you in Beautiful Lake Macquarie on your next pet friendly family holiday.

The cooler months are quieter around Lake Macquarie, however any time is a good time to get away and have a short break holiday.

There are so many great activities on offer both locally and in the surrounding region, and all easily accessible from the Bay Hotel Motel.

Out on the Lake the fishing is sensational at this time of year, the bream turn up in great numbers and can be taken in the shallows from around the rocks and jetties. Luderick can also be found in good numbers and can be great fun to catch on light tackle. There is always lots of bird life and sometimes just being near the water and having a walk around the Lake can be a relaxing and rewarding experience.

This is also the perfect time of year for bushwalking, the snakes disappear and the cooler days make for comfortable trekking. The stunning wilderness of the Watagans National Park is located right on our doorstep and is perfect for hiking or biking. The park is rich in cultural heritage and there is more than 40 Aboriginal sites. Visit water falls and expect extraordinary views from Monkey Face and the Gap Creek lookouts.

There is always plenty happening at the hotel, the winter menu is running in the Boatshed Restaurant and is open seven days for lunch and dinner. There is entertainment with a DJ every Friday night and a live band on Saturdays. There is free pool on Wednesdays and huge raffles with great prizes Thursdays. Plenty of footy on too with all the NRL matches and State Of Origin on the big screen.

If a winter getaway to beautiful Lake Macquarie is sounding good to you then you should head to our facebook page, share our promo video that is pinned to the top of our feed and you will be in the running to win a 2 nights accommodation package with dinner for 2 adults in the Boatshed Restaurant and a bottle of Shut The Gate Wine. The winner will be drawn and announced on June 30th.
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Click here to visit the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bayhotelmotel/

Many of the restaurants in Lake Macquarie, including our own, have long based menus off the abundance of fresh seafood available, but many it seems have overlooked our access to premium pastures and high end Australian Beef, which is of course some of the best in the whole world.

Here at the Boatshed Restaurant we are diversifying our menu with a great selection of quality beef, but what makes it the best?

Our beef has passed quality control testing by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA), MSA is a ‘tenderness guaranteed’ grading program that grades beef and takes into account all the factors that affect eating quality from paddock to plate. The maturity of the animal, breed content, colour and pH levels of the meat, marbling and distribution of fat are all traits that affect eating quality and are tested during processing.

“Seeing the MSA symbol will give you the confidence that you’re buying consistent quality beef every time. The MSA grading system takes into account all aspects that affect eating quality along the supply chain. It is widely recognised as the world’s leading eating quality program for beef.”

Sam Gunn, cattle producer from Condobolin, NSW, Australia

All beef is aged for at least a few days and up to several weeks before consumption, this allow the enzymes naturally present in the meat to break down the muscle tissue. These days, most beef is wet aged in plastic wrap but for us the exception is our 600g Hunter Valley Dry-aged T-Bone, this cut has been locally sourced and dry aged for a minimum of 28 days.

So what is dry-ageing and why is this hands down Lakemac’s best value steak at only $50?

Dry-aging is the traditional way of maturing meat to produce an extraordinarily tender and intensive flavour. Inside the microclimate of a dry-aging fridge the beef is exposed to sterilised air so dehydration can further concentrate the meat’s flavour and break down the connective tissues. It is also a more expensive process than wet-aging because the meat loses weight from dehydration, and the dried exterior or ‘crust’ must be trimmed away before cooking. You know this beef is of the uttermost quality as the process requires meat specially selected with a large, evenly distributed fat content.

Don’t just take our word for it, come in and select your ideal steak from our range, taste the difference of our dry-aged t-bone or share our 1kg tomahawk cutlet with that special someone.

The Boatshed Restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner at the Bay Hotel Motel in Bonnells Bay.

We have carefully considered our guests during every step of the process, we have minimised disruptions while the rooms have been transformed and have taken on their new look and feel. Now that the renovations are complete, we are back to booking at full capacity and are pleased to offer that fresh new feel that you get when you enter your room and during your stay with us.

The feedback from our guests has been great with some people taking to review sites and expressing their delight:

“It has been three years since we last stayed here and while we stayed in the same motel room it was quite different, I was really impressed with the upgrade to the room, completely new bathroom, carpet, fresh paint smell, all brand new, and the best thing is that the atmosphere in the pub remains the same.”

Jonathon Rossi - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Google Review

“Staff were great. Room was big enough for 5. Food was amazing. Best snitty I have ever had. Kids had fun in the pool and tennis courts. Will definitely come back”

Dannielle - 7.9 Booking.com

So weather you are travelling for an annual family getaway or you are a regular to the region for work, we are perfectly located near the shores of Lake Macquarie, we are just a short drive off the M1 motorway and we are a real gateway for all that the region has to offer. We are newly renovated, clean, comfy and coastal, come stay with us at the Bay Hotel Motel in Bonnells Bay.

For the best room rates available, book your accomodation through our website.

Q - Hi Ben, How long have you been at the boatshed restaurant?
A - I have been here for about two years now and im really enjoying it, I have been in the industry 22 years and I have been to a lot of nice places in that time, this region really is something special though and it's great to be back here working locally.

Q - It's pretty trendy to talk about 'farm to fork' and 'local produce', do you draw much inspiration from the region?
A - Yes for sure, being situated on the coast and so close to the waters of Lake Macqaurie, we always have an assortment of fresh local seafood on the menu and although we are not a steak house we do offer quite an extensive range of steaks on our current menu. A lot of the really high end beef that we are working with is being sourced locally from the hunter valley, we have a really close relationship with our suppliers and we know where our product is coming from, we know the quality is consistent and we know the quality we have access to is the best available.

Q - What should people expect when dining at the venue?
A - We ensure that we deliver a menu that can satisfy all our patrons, we cater to couples, groups and families equally as well, we offer everything from the classic chicken schnitzel through to a 600 gram dry aged T-bone steak. It's modern Australian, there really is something for everyone, it's a good blend with a variety of flavours, we are serving up pizzas, salads, burgers and everyones favourite mains as well as kids meals for the young ones. There is plenty of seating in both the restaurant and the beer garden and for those who prefer the bar and lounge we also have casual bites available.

Q - Can you tell me a little about the upcoming wine luncheon?
A - We have regular wine luncheons where we showcase some of the best local and interstate wine makers, it gives us an opportunity to serve up exciting menus that are paired to the wines being tasted on the day. These luncheons are great for those looking for something a little more special and are also great socially, they are really popular with the ladies and the long lunch in our Glass House is always a hit. We also cater for functions and events and we encourage people to enquire so we can tailor a package to suit their individual needs.

The collection includes signed Rugby League and Union jerseys, signed surfboards, special edition pictures, Golf memorabilia, a framed Olympic Torch, various Cricket memorabilia, and a variety of other sporting paraphernalia. We also display a range of historic wine-making equipment. Our facilities place strong emphasis on sporting entertainment, not only in respect to televising sporting events, but also by providing a venue for many local sporting clubs and activities. The Bay Hotel Motel has a strong commitment to the local sporting community and sponsors many local organisations and events.

Local Sporting Community Clubs that we support include The Sunshine Amateur Sailing Club, Southern Lakes Rugby Club – Hammerheads, Dora Creek ‘Swampies’ Rugby League Club, Morisset United Football Club – Morisset Strikers, Morisset Netball Club, Morisset Swimming Club – Morisset Meteors, Morisset Rugby League Club – Morisset Bulls, Bay Tennis Academy, Bay Hotel Social Golf Club, Bay Hotel Social Fishing Club, The Variety Club Bash & Splash Events, Bonnells Bay Youth & Community Centre…. and many more!