There are certain things in life that you just know aren’t capable of living up to the hype they’ve received. Like video doorbells by Ring or the TV show Homeland.

Halcyon House in Cabarita Beach, Australia isn’t like that.

Images via Halcyon House

Despite its being plastered permanently across all the image-based social media platforms like instragram and Pinterest since its opening last year, Halcyon does not disappoint in real life. Speaking of, when I had the chance to visit the boutique hotel in December, I had the distinct sensation that perhaps I wasn’t existing in reality, but a fantasy-design realm.

Could a place in which every detail impresses be real? From the light fixtures (I mean the on and off switches) to the art (collected; an intentional mix of vintage and modern), to the patterns (abundant), to the tile floor, Halcyon House has been lovingly labored over to appear effortlessly eclectic.

A surf, beach motel at the time of their purchasing it, Elisha Bickle and her sister Siobhan recruited designer Anna Spiro and Sydney-based architect Virginia Kerridge to transform the locale into a true luxury hotel.

And that they did. With twenty-one rooms (each one completely unique, and–at least ours–featuring floor to ceiling fabric-upholstered walls), an on-site (stupidly well-designed) restaurant, and a gorgeously secluded beach steps away, Halcyon House has most deservedly become a most-covetable destination.

But you want to know the best part? Despite the exceptionally polished service one would expect to find at a most-possible stars hotel, there’s a palpably low-key air happening at Halcyon. It didn’t feel stiff or pretentious in the least. As if, underneath all its dressed-up instagrammableness, some of the mellow, surfer vibe remains intact. And what’s better than that.