Must-see hotels in Australia

  • Hamelin Outback Station Stay

    West Coast Australia

    Far and away the nicest place to stay along Shark Bay Rd, Hamelin Station is a former pastoral property transformed into a 202,000-hectare conservation…

  • Emporium Hotel

    Brisbane

    From the lipstick-red glass-shard panels to the Japanese-inspired spa and spectacular rooftop infinity pool, Brisbane's most decadent boutique hotel roars…

  • Mandelbaum House

    Newtown & the Inner West

    One of the University of Sydney's residential colleges, this sweet spot makes a great place to stay in summer. It's a small, genuinely friendly place with…

  • Boogie Woogie Beach House

    Mid-North Coast

    Six fabulous rooms take over this historic building that's been a holiday and entertainment hub for almost a century. Each room is decorated with a…

  • Home Valley Station

    Broome & The Kimberley

    The privations of the Gibb are left behind after pulling into amazing Home Valley Station, a hospitality training resort for local Indigenous men and…

  • Lorella Springs Wilderness Park

    Outback Northern Territory

    One of the best places to stay in the entire Gulf region, Lorella Springs has a marvellously isolated setting, a thermal spring and river frontage, and a…

  • Ridgemill Estate

    Brisbane & Around

    Slumber among the vines at one of Ridgemill Estate's eight contemporary cabins offering unobstructed vineyard and mountain views and compact timber decks…

  • Sydney Harbour YHA

    Circular Quay & The Rocks

    Any qualms about the unhostel-like prices will be shelved the moment you head up to the ample rooftop space of this sprawling, modern hostel and see the…

  • Paramount House Hotel

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    When reception has a rack of shirts for sale and a beer tap it's not a standard hotel. Rooms are striking, with distressed walls, quirky features and…

  • Ovolo Inchcolm

    Brisbane

    Built in the 1920s as doctors' suites, the Inchcolm excels in contrasting heritage features with bold, modern touches, from colour-saturated wallpaper and…

  • Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

    Sydney

    Often filled with wedding parties, or Watsons Bay locals who are renovating, this personable hotel is a great place to slip into the barefoot-millionaire…

  • Qualia

    Hamilton Island

    Hamilton's premier resort is serenity personified. Its 60 'pavilions' (timber-rich, luxuriously furnished villas) are divided into 'Leeward' (better for…

  • Bombah Point Eco Cottages

    Mid-North Coast

    In the heart of the national park, these architect-designed glass-fronted cottages sleep up to six guests. The 'eco' in the name is well deserved: sewage…

  • Lush Pastures

    Fleurieu Peninsula

    Esteemed South Australian architect Max Pritchard has done it again! This time he's concocted a neat sequence of three private, contemporary villas on a…

  • Anchorage

    Mid-North Coast

    Facing an expansive sweep of bay, this marina-fronted resort is Port Stephens' most stylish place to stay. Rooms have a crisp, coastal charm, with super…

  • Sea Shanties

    Brisbane & Around

    Dotted with upcycled sculptures and tropical plants, this waterfront oasis offers seven gorgeous, self-contained cabins. Lime-washed timber floors and…

  • ADGE Boutique Apartment Hotel

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Modern, catchy and bold, ADGE puts a clever, upbeat twist on the ubiquitous serviced apartment experience. The idiosyncratic but extremely comfortable two…

  • Ovolo Hotel Woolloomooloo

    Kings Cross & Potts Point

    Superbly set in Woolloomooloo Wharf, this excellent smart-casual hotel has extremely friendly young staff and very likeable features. 'Superoo' rooms are…

  • Platypus Bushcamp

    Whitsunday Coast

    Situated in gorgeous rainforest next to a platypus swimming hole, this bush retreat was hand-built 30 years ago by Wazza, the eccentric owner. Canvas-clad…

  • Cape York Camping

    Cape York Peninsula

    With a dazzling location on white-sand Punsand Bay and only 5km by rugged road from the Tip, this welcoming oasis is the place to be after the long drive…

  • Thousand Lakes Lodge

    Midlands & Central Highlands

    Truly in the wilderness, this wooden, barn-like lodge was once a training facility for Antarctic expeditions. The nine rooms are simple, but the fire…

  • Bimbi Park

    Great Ocean Road

    Down a dirt road 3km from the lighthouse is this character-filled caravan park with bush sites, cabins, bunkhouses, pods and old-school caravans. It's…

  • Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village

    Cradle Country & The West

    Cleverly camouflaged in the bush, the 45 cabins here are clean, comfortable and well equipped. All have TV with DVD player and the top-of-the-line cabins…

  • Sydney Central YHA

    City Centre & Haymarket

    By Central Station, this 565-bed mega-hostel has brilliant facilities, including a travel agent, help with organising working holidays, workspaces for…

  • Beachhaven

    Sydney Region

    Right on gorgeous Hordens Beach, this classy B&B is run by a welcoming couple who offer two fabulous rooms. Both have kitchenettes, king beds with plush…

  • Bannisters Pavilion

    South Coast NSW

    Set back from Mollymook Beach, this visually striking hotel operates with breezy style. There's space to spare, with wide hallways, plush, light rooms…

  • Cicada Lodge

    Outback Northern Territory

    This luxury lodge has been architecturally designed to meld modern sophistication and traditional Jawoyn themes. It has 18 luxury rooms overlooking the…

  • Ratho Farm

    Midlands & Central Highlands

    The rambling old homestead at Ratho Farm golf course has been transformed into fabulous boutique accommodation. The same family has owned this place for…

  • Drift House

    Port Fairy

    An intriguing mix of 19th-century grandeur and 21st-century design, Drift House is a must for architecture-lovers. Its grand frontage is that of the…

  • Undara Experience Resort

    Gulf Savannah

    In rustic bushland just outside the national park, Undara Experience has a super range of accommodation, from a shady campground to nifty little swag…

  • Desert Gardens Hotel

    Yulara

    One of Yulara's original hotels, four-and-a-half-star Desert Gardens has supremely comfortable rooms with a lovely Scandinavian minimalist look. Some have…

  • Barkly Homestead Roadhouse

    Outback Northern Territory

    You're a long way from anywhere out here; to Cape Crawford it's a desolate 377km north across the Barkly Tablelands along the Tablelands Hwy (Rte 11),…

  • QT Bondi

    Sydney

    Colourful, chic and appropriately beachy, this apartment hotel is steps from the sand and offers a very appealing combination of facilities, location and…

  • Adventure Bay Retreat

    Bruny Island

    Four discreet and very individual houses are sprinkled around a rural setting at Adventure Bay's edge. The spa Cottage is all cuteness, while the flash…

  • Clifftop at Hepburn

    Melbourne Region

    Three villas with kitchens, laundries and fireplaces have been joined by four chalets converted from shipping containers, with kitchenettes and fireplaces…

  • Ingelden Park

    Southern NSW & The Murray

    Around 18km from Griffith, Ingelden Park features two cosy cottages, both with a relaxed, rural outlook. Rose Cottage – complete with its own rose garden …

  • MACq 01

    Hobart

    Old Macquarie Wharf No 1 is now MACq 01, a sassy waterfront hotel with 114 rooms that are all wood panelling, concrete and jaunty angles. The waterfront…

  • Promised Land Retreat

    Mid-North Coast

    A 10-minute drive from town over the evocatively named Never Never River, these three stylish and private cottages feature spa baths and open-plan living…

  • Jackalope

    Victoria

    This hotel for the Instagram generation offers a heavily curated and visually arresting accommodation experience. Rooms are as luxe as their hefty price…

  • Backpackers @ 1770

    Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands

    Actually in Agnes Water, this gregarious, great-value hostel is a model of the genre. Run by divemaster Oscar, it offers spotless dorms, three smart…