Local heroes: 12 luxury hotels you’ll want to stay in Australia for.

These unique luxury offerings across the country are reason enough to put away the passport this holiday season.

After a devastating fire destroyed the property in 2012 Pretty Beach House was brought back to life, with no expense spared. Interior designer Michelle Leslie has brought a serene environment to three private suites with wood fires, double-sized bathrooms complete with claw foot baths. The suites surround a central pavilion where guests take their meals in the Stefani Manfredi restaurant using nothing but the best silver, crockery and Italian table linens surrounded by owner John Singleton’s impressive art collection that includes two large scale works by John Olsen and Sidney Nolan. The main guesthouse also features a library area fully stocked with a special music and DVD collection curated by Manfredi, a self-confessed movie buff (and father to The Preatures front woman Isabella). The setting, within the spectacular Bouddi National Park affords views over Pretty Beach and surrounding bushland, feels a million miles from anywhere, though it’s just 90 minutes back to Sydney. The idea here is to do very little (bathe or swim overlooking the view, relax with a treatment at the spa, eat, drink, repeat…)but if you do decide to venture out there are lovely bushtrails with breathtaking vistas or head to Manfredi’s nearby Belle’s at Killcare for a change of scenery and dining.