Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
Location and service lift the Surfside to the top of the tree in Yeppoon. This retro strip of lime-green motel units, built in 1962 (but thoroughly…
Must-see hotels in Queensland
Cairns & Far North Queensland
You won't find dozens of motorhomes cheek-by-jowl here. Home Rule Rainforest Lodge is a luxuriantly spacious rural property at the end of a rugged 3km…
The Whitsundays
Accessible only by foot, or with a small boat at mid to high tide, this secluded beach site is fringed with mangroves and rainforest. Buy permits online…
Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
This perennially popular B&B has good-sized, immaculately clean rooms (one with wheelchair access) and a quiet location 100m back from the beach. The…
Byfield National Park Camping Grounds
Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
There are six camping grounds in the Byfield National Park: beach sites at Nine Mile Beach, Waterpark Headland and Five Mile Rocks (which has facilities,…
Townsville & Mission Beach
Staying at this atmospheric and friendly old hotel feels like something between time travel and visiting a museum. The creaky wooden beds and black-and…
Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
When the dust and dirt are too much to handle, it's worth upgrading to one of the huge, modern suites out the back of the flash Rubyvale Gem Gallery. Each…
Hamilton Island
Aptly named, this hilltop resort has spectacular views of Hamilton's forested hills on one side, and the beach and fringing reef on the other (if you opt…
Port Douglas
Balinese influences such as teak furnishing and fixtures and plantation shutters – plus the occasional Buddha and the leafy garden pools – give this…
Townsville & Mission Beach
More than a road-trip stopover, the Barrier Reef Motel is almost reason enough to hang out an extra day or so in Innisfail. The Barrier Reef has above…
Fraser Island & the Fraser Coast
One en-suite bedroom in a lovingly-restored 1940s Queenslander, 'Le Piaf' is run by Cecile, the French-Australian language teacher who also owns Eco…
Cairns & Far North Queensland
Peppers turns it on inside and out with luxury spa rooms, an enormous sand-edged lagoon pool (with swim-up bar), waterfall pool or the secluded leafy…
Whitsunday Coast
This light, stylish property, architecturally inspired by Palm Springs, presents you with well-appointed apartments in a monochrome palette cut by slashes…
Rockhampton
This smartly run caravan park offers neat, self-contained cabins and villas, and large grassy campsites with access to a good kitchen. There's also a fish…
Whitsunday Coast
Overlooking the marina and the Coral Sea, this slick multi-storey hotel 6.5km northeast of central Mackay is the pick for most corporate folk. Facilities…
Townsville
Built in 1884, this lovely historic building with gingerbread-house-style balustrades is but a short stroll from the Strand and city centre. The rooms and…
Brisbane
In a good location near the Story Bridge, this seven-storey hotel has smart, functional rooms and apartments with minimalist design. While entry-level …
Gold Coast
Attaining some sort of salty nirvana across from Kirra Beach, this sleek apartment tower comes with all the whistles and bells: a lap pool, a gym, a…
Brisbane
The seven-storey Mantra Terrace delivers compact, contemporary rooms with bold wallpaper and tech specs like iPod docking stations and Plasma TVs. The…
Rainbow Beach
This party hostel with a busy public bar is not for those in need of a good rest. It has loud music (live or otherwise) and events such as karaoke, trivia…
Capricorn Coast & the Southern Reef Islands
This aptly named eco-retreat and outdoor gallery epitomises casual Queensland bush chic. Four colourful two-bedroom cottages (one equipped for disabled…
Townsville
In a quiet hillside location within walking distance of town, this old suburban inner-city home is now wonderfully kept in that quaint Queensland fashion,…
Outback Queensland
The stylish modern rooms here are excellent value, ranking among the best in town for this price. There's no reception – it's all automated, and there are…
Cairns
You'll find some of Cairns' finest rooms and best service in this five-star hotel atop the casino complex in the heart of the city. It offers a variety of…
Rainbow Beach
A classically gregarious and youthful hostel, Freedom Rainbow Beach accommodation is decent and clean, with dorms, twins and doubles. There's a pool, bar,…
Sunshine Coast
These smart, modern cabins are located on the banks of the Obi Obi River (look out for platypuses), yet are a stone's throw from the main street…
Brisbane & Around
A cluster of modern three- and four-bedroom apartments set into the bushy, tropical slopes overlooking popular Cylinder Beach. Check the surf from your…
Cairns
Castaway's, operating here for more than 25 years, is an intimate and very friendly hostel with a sociable pool and barbecue area, no-bunk dorms and a…
Scarness Beachfront Tourist Park
Hervey Bay
This is one of three caravan parks fronting Hervey Bay's exquisitely long sandy beach. It's equipped with a camp kitchen, BBQs and picnic areas, and is…
Fraser Island
Managed by the University of the Sunshine Coast, which uses this precinct as a base for environmental education and research purposes, Dilli Village…
Noosa
The stylish Emerald offers spacious, sophisticated rooms bathed in ethereal white and sunlight – expect clean, crisp edges and tasteful furnishings. All…
Rainbow Beach Ultimate Camping
Sunshine Coast
This outfit takes all the hard work out of camping by providing most of the equipment and setting it up for you, from the tent, mattresses, stretchers and…
Best Western Plus Quarterdecks Retreat
Hervey Bay
These excellent villas are stylishly furnished and have a private courtyard, all the mod cons and little luxuries such as fluffy bathrobes, spa and sauna…
Sunshine Coast
In this popular area of Maroochydore, Cotton Tree Holiday Park enjoys direct access to the beach and Maroochy River.
Cairns
Towering over the marina, this is one of Cairns' swishest hotels. All stylishly appointed rooms and suites have private balcony; if you have cash to…
Gold Coast
A glitzy Roman pastiche, the Palazzo Versace is the Gold Coast all over, from its opulent rooms (205 in total) to its sprawling restaurants and bars…
Cairns
If you're travelling with kids and don't mind being a bit out of town (8km), this holiday park is a destination unto itself. It has a massive water park,…
Magnetic Island
With a terrific little swimming pool right outside your front door and superbly friendly hosts, the simple, self-contained motel units here are bright and…
Cape York Peninsula
This waterfront resort is regarded as Weipa's top address and has the popular Bauxite Bill's restaurant and bar, where sunset drinks on the expansive deck…
Townsville & Mission Beach
With its own banana and lime trees scattered around the tropical gardens, and a direct path through the rainforest to the beach, this 'ecovillage' makes…
