Merivale has confirmed June 19 as the official reopening date for The Whale, the 18-key boutique hotel it acquired on the NSW South Coast in 2023. The full-property renovation, led by the in-house Merivale Design Studio, leans into the building's original 1970s-coastal frame: terracotta tiling, raw oak, deep-set windows facing Wagonga Inlet.

Top of the building is an Oceanview Penthouse with a private rooftop garden, a six-seat dining table and the same hi-fi kit Merivale recently installed at the Hotel Centennial. Off the lobby, a new restaurant from group executive chef Dan Hong will trade as a coastal Australian dining room with daily produce from the Eurobodalla.

Rates open from $495 a night midweek, with full booking opened this week.