Manly Pacific Hotel

For many, their dog is like a favourite member of the family and the idea of travelling without their treasured pooch is untenable. Lately, more and more Sydney hotels are becoming dog friendly and one of the latest dog friendly hotels is the Manly Pacific located on North Steyne along Manly Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Gone is the Novotel that stood here for years - it is now the MGallery Manly Pacific. Come along with Mr NQN, Teddy, Milo and I as we have a doggy staycation at the Manly Pacific Hotel!

It's during our Elliott family picnic at nearby Shelley Beach that the text comes through. Our room at the Manly Pacific is ready just after midday and waiting for our dogcation. We are so excited for our stay with the dogs so after lunch we make the drive to the hotel and check in. The Manly Pacific lobby is spacious and contemporary after the $30 million makeover with 213 redesigned rooms and all 8 floors designed by Coco Republic. Breathe in - the hotel's signature scent throughout all public areas is made with Australian botanicals.

MGallery hotels are part of the Accor family and are designed to be unique to the location. For this hotel, it means having the Manly Pacific Beach Club, a helpdesk that will assist you to book activities like sailing, kayaking, cryotherapy, sauna and surfing lessons. When you check in they also give you a helpful list of places to try divided by best coffee, sandwiches, cafes vegan, pubs, sweets as well as restaurants by cuisine. There's also a list of things to do in Manly from walking tracks, pools, shopping areas, arts and culture and children's activities.

As we walk through the hotel we pass many dogs in residence. There's one couple with a cavoodle - they got married yesterday and their cavoodle was the ring bearer playing the part perfectly in a blue dress. All of the dog friendly rooms are on the 2nd floor - the added benefit is that all of these rooms have oversized terraces so ideal for your dog. We also dropped off the food for the dogs earlier that day and they put it in the fridge for us.

The Superior Ocean View room is spacious and designed in the style of a contemporary beach house with neutral colours and travertine stone accents chosen to mirror the beach sand outside. When you walk in, the eye is drawn to the large terrace and the view outside. The Manly Pacific sits right on North Steyne so Manly Beach is literally across the road. The sun-warmed terrace has two lounge chairs and a table for four overlooking the Norfolk pine trees. Teddy and Milo bound in and start sniffing running outside to investigate.

But back to the room. There's a comfortable king sized bed with shiplap cladding behind it. An open wardrobe holds soft robes and the mini bar is comprehensive with a good selection of drinks from Lark Tasmanian whisky, Four Pillars gin, bottled cocktails, beers and mixers as well as Berocca. Teas by Love Tea and coffee pods are also provided.

There is also a work desk, 55 inch flatscreen tv and plenty of space for luggage (often a bugbear in some hotel rooms). The bathroom is simple and sleek with Leif toiletries, single sink and a shower with two heads.

For the dogs there is a bed as well as a food and water bowl. There's also a glass cloche holding dog biscuits that the dogs nibble happily on in exchange for their co-operation while we take photos. Because check in was very quick we didn't get the full run down of everything available and we miss out on a few things. There is a doggy menu available that includes a complimentary puppacino and treats. Also the amenities are housed in a bag on a hook behind the door which I just assumed was the hairdryer so you do have to look for these things or ask for them.

After settling in, it's a dip in the gorgeous rooftop pool with sweeping views of Manly before Mr NQN heads to the infrared sauna while I go to the spa. The Manly Pacific doesn't have a spa on-site but has partnered with Cryo Northern Beaches at Harbord Diggers club, around 10 minutes drive away. They have a range of treatments there from the full body capsule where you step into a booth for 3 minutes. There's also cryo facials and targeted treatments for specific parts of the body. What is also a nice surprise is that Cryo is also dog friendly with tiny Waffles the toy cavoodle being the mascot for the spa!

Although I get facials regularly, this is my first time having a cryo facial. The benefits are said to boost collagen and the vasoconstriction as a result of the -162°C/-259°F dry air helps to reduce pain and inflammation. It's popular with jetlagged hotel guests as well as those living with menopausal symptoms and auto immune issues. They've also had a celebrity guest Melanie C from the Spice Girls visit. Her first stop when she arrived was here to have both the facial and full body treatment. This is where you stand in the cryo booth wearing ear muffs, gloves, slippers, shorts and a top provided in temperatures of -110°C/-166°F to -140°C/-220°F.

As for the cryo facial, I lie down with a blanket on top and Dimple the therapist and owner makes sure that I'm comfortable. The temperature is set to -162°C/-259°F and I lie back as she passes the cold air across my face. This goes for 9 minutes and then she asks me to sit up where she will target the vagus nerve at the back of the head for a couple of minutes. It's not painful at all and quite relaxing but I do like that it only takes 12 minutes (although towards the end it did starts to trigger some claustrophobia and Dimple stopped a minute early). Another benefit is that you don't have to remove your makeup when you get it done. Over the next 3 days I see the effect with my skin and I can see why celebs like it.

Mr NQN manages to sneak in a little nap before it's time for dinner. With the new hotel are three new restaurant venues: 55 North, Tokyo Joe and Bistro Manly. 55 North (the address of the hotel) is the restaurant's bar decked out in warm pinks, corals and copper. And a little tip: between 5-7pm all cocktails are $15.

We try their signature Lilly Pilly Pop with Lilly Pilly Pink Gin mixed with hibiscus syrup and a splash of lemon juice. I think it is supposed to be finished with a smoke bubble but ours isn't and I only realise this later. My choice is the Peachy Princess that has everything that I like in a cocktail from peach and pear infused Manly Spirits Lilly Pilly Pink Gin, crème de peach, Marie Brizard elderflower, rose syrup, aquafaba and edible flowers on top. They are perfect on this unseasonably warm Autumn evening and the friendly staff bring out a bowl of water for the dogs.

For dinner we head to Bistro Manly also on the ground floor of the hotel. The Le Jardin outdoor area of the restaurant is the dog friendly area. We start with drinks and bread. The bread is fantastic and comes as a thick, soft and fresh wedge with truffle butter. I don't drink much alcohol so I order a mocktail called the Mint To Be Free ($15) made with Seadrift classic, elderflower syrup, non alcoholic prosecco and fresh mint which is fantastic (so good that Mr NQN tries to steal this from me). He opts for the A Perfect Day ($23) with Manly Coastal gin muddled with pear, elderflower syrup and a dash of angostura bitters.

Freshly Shucked Regional Oysters: Natural with Mignonette dressing $6 each and Mimosa granita and salmon caviar $7 each

We start with a dozen oysters, half with a classic mignonette and half with a mimosa granita and salmon caviar. The mignonette is the pick and all the oysters need are a splash of this.

The Moreton bay figs have a slice of fresh fig topped with blue swimmer crab, a squiggle of lemon myrtle labneh and fresh blackberries. The idea is interesting although this does need a crunchy element added to it like thin, lacey sourdough croutons because everything is soft in this dish. Also the fresh blackberries aren't really necessary as they're quite a strong flavour compared to the rest of the dish.

The steak is cooked perfectly medium rare with red wine jus, horseradish butter and a side of rocket dressing with roquefort cheese. I enjoy the steak with the red wine jus. There are also French fries on the side - I have this thing where I always ask for my fries to be hot. Sometimes restaurants will wait til everything is ready to bring out the fries but I ask for them to come out whenever they are ready because life is too short for lukewarm fries. Alas the fries are lukewarm despite the request.

For dessert we share the limoncello tiramisu as we both love limoncello. This tiramisu is made with a lemon verbena cremeux with the sponge fingers dipped in limoncello (dipped a bit too long so that the tiramisu is quite wet). It is served with a scoop of passion fruit sorbet and a quennelle of pistachio diplomat cream which is unsweetened and really not necessary to the dish at all.

After dinner, we take the boys for a quick walk around Manly. The evening is still warm and on a Sunday nights the streets are peaceful and quiet with nothing but the sound of the waves. And of course Milo "chatting" to us excitedly. He's just thrilled to be included.

The next morning has an early start thanks to Milo "replying" to the dogs walking past our room. Breakfast is back at Bistro Manly downstairs and is served between 6:30-10:30am. We decide to stay here until check out to miss any peak hour traffic and enjoy breakfast at a leisurely pace. You can leave the dogs in the room to sleep for short amounts of time provided that you leave the balcony doors closed.

Around 9:45am we head downstairs for breakfast. The spread is comprehensive with large sections for bakery items, muesli, charcuterie, cheese, yogurt, fruit and jams. There's also a hot selection of items from scrambled eggs, sausages, tomato, hash browns and mushrooms. There's pancakes where you can add your own toppings or a freshly made omelette station where you select what you would like.

I order a bacon, cheese and chilli omelette from the chef which is perfectly made and delicious. I also add a hash brown topped with half an avocado (tip: you have to ask the chef for avocado) and balsamic mushrooms. The fruit is sweet and I help myself to a wellness green juice drink and enjoy the relaxed vibe. After this we take Teddy and Milo for a walk along Manly Beach to meet the local dogs and to sniff to their heart's content.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you try and take your pets along on vacation? Have you ever had cryo therapy and if so, what did you think of it?