Best Luxury Hotels in Australia

Deep in the Derwent Valley of New Norfolk, lies this Georgian mansion turned boutique hotel. Its public rooms have a traditional country house feel, with the eight bedrooms decorated to fit a contemporary vibe. Guests can also use the library, sauna, a hot tub and access the river from the hotel’s own pontoon. Pretty gardens wind down to the water, breakfast is taken buffet style and a set dinner is served on request. Like the Islington, Woodbridge On The Derwent is exclusively for an adult clientele and is a great choice for those seeking an intimate, high-end home from home experience.

Elegant and timeless, The Langham Melbourne welcomes its guests via a grand lobby with high ceilings and chandeliers. If you plan on staying here, do partake of its famous signature afternoon tea, served in the elegant Tea Lounge. The in-house Chuan Spa offers a range of holistic treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. And there are two places to eat; Melba Restaurant for fine international cuisine (with river views through floor-to-ceiling windows and cookery views through a glass kitchen), and Aria Bar and Lounge for a more casual atmosphere with a focus on cocktails and light bites.

Hobart is the island’s capital and home to the Islington Hotel. A little out of the city, the 19th century, Regency-style boutique establishment affords guests tranquillity, with its own garden. Inside are antique furnishings and fine art works in what resembles an urban lodge. There are 11 characterful bedrooms with iPads, Islington Dream beds, a mini-bar and daily house-made treats; also a restaurant – the Islington kitchen – serving seasonal, organic food, a wine cellar, meeting rooms and excellent views of Mount Wellington. The Islington Hotel caters exclusively to adult guests.

Those preferring a self-catering option can book a one, two or three-bedroom suite sleeping up to seven, with optional water views and paired car hire. All have private terraces and require a minimum two-night stay (larger apartments have five and seven-day minimums). Right next to the Waterfront Precinct, many wining and dining establishments are found on the property’s doorstep, although the fully equipped kitchen and BBQ facilities ensure you can cook up at feast in-suite. The venue is ideal for families with a wave pool on the grounds, plus porta cots, high chairs and strollers available on request.

This 175-bedroom urban lifestyle resort may be every bit the modern hotel, but it contains plenty of nods to midcentury style. Book a cabana beside the 88-foot pool (which has a glitzy US feel) for dinner or daytime sunbathing, champagne in hand. And request one of the ‘pink’ rooms for a view of this terrace – all of the bedrooms come with Bluetooth speakers, minibars and blackout drapes, with interconnecting and accessible spaces available. Tuck into some moussaka or mezze at The Calile’s Greek eatery, Hellenika, then finish your night with cocktails in the Lobby Bar.

Named after the Greek Goddess of Dawn, this 120-bedroom boutique hotel stuns with a mirror-glass frontage that catches the abundant sunlight. It features interiors by local design team Hecker Guthrie and Walter Brooke, with suspended lighting, velvet chairs, marble coffee tables and gilded glass minibars. Some suites have birds’ eye river views through floor-to-ceiling windows and the two-bedroom Grace Villa offers butler service, on-demand mixologists and spa therapists, an office, a sauna and a gym. There’s a pool deck with a hot tub, a spa with products by IKOU, a family-friendly Italian eatery and a sleek restaurant serving plant-based and degustation menus.

This elegant hotel was established more than a hundred years ago and is the place in Perth where history meets luxury. The hotel occupies the former Treasury, Lands and Titles offices and General Post Office and many of the original tiles and other fixtures and fittings have been retained while guests are also treated to plenty of opulence. The hotel is perfectly positioned in the very heart of Perth and just a short stroll from a large number of prominent attractions, while there are 48 different spacious guest rooms to choose from. Those who want to swim laps will be treated to full use of the indoor pool and there is also a gym and sauna on the site.

The Darling at The Star Gold Coast has 56 luxurious suites from 70 to 328msq with stylish décor and incredible views from the Penthouse Suites. Guests can enjoy a selection of delicious dishes from the comfort of their own rooms thanks to the on-demand in-room dining. This hotel features a shimmering pool for guests to enjoy and the fully equipped Azure Spa & Fitness facilities which features six treatment rooms including an exclusive outdoor cabana and 24-hour gymnasium access. There is a wide range of eateries on site which serve flavours from all over the world from Japanese specialities at Kiyomi to Italian delicacies at Cucina Vivo. The Darling at The Star is also home to an exciting casino which is open all day every day and has a whole host of games to play and win. The hotel makes for the perfect location to host any occasion in one of its chic event spaces which can hold up to 2,300 persons.

Hidden in the Hinterland of Mullumbimby Creek, beside Mount Koonyum, this adults-only estate is made up of low rise pavilions. The site was originally a banana plantation and many of the original materials have been salvaged and reused in the build of Blackbird. Its resulting aesthetic is earthy and simple, yet stylish. Accommodations come with Egyptian cotton linen, burnished concrete floors, reclaimed timber joinery and Moroccan tiled bathrooms A magnesium lap pool was built into the mountainside and provides enviable ocean vistas, Named in Tatler’s 2020 annual travel guide as one of the ‘Top 101 Hotels in the World’, Blackbird is one not to miss.

Laidback luxury is the philosophy at this guest house in the centre of Byron Bay. It offers TV-free accommodation for over 21s only, with the option of a private plunge pool, lighthouse view, outdoor showers and claw-footed tubs. Owner and interior designer Deb Garske has created a slow living feel, incorporating wellness touches like local beeswax candles, Hunter lab skincare and an immune-strengthening Grander water system, as well as a personally curated local guidebook. Breakfast here is typical of Byron, with paleo granola, organic yoghurt and moonshine coffee appearing on the menu. Guests at 28 Degrees have shared access to a gourmet kitchen, a pool area and a reading room.

The award-winning Capella Sydney is housed in the historic, heritage-listed Department of Education building. This eight-story, five-star hotel boasts 192 guestrooms and suites – each decorated with a harmonious blend of historical and contemporary. The hotel offers four opulent prestige suites – the Capella, Farrer, Liberty, and MacQuarie Suite – each uniquely designed to provide a spacious, serene haven and panoramic views. This hotel never sleeps and offers 24-hour hotel service, in-room dining, and access to the world-class Wellness centre which includes heated indoor swimming pool and vitality pool as well as a fully equipped fitness centre. Guests can savour exquisite gastronomy in Brasserie 1930 and Aperture or opt to indulge in a signature cocktail in McRae Bar. Capella Sydney is home to sophisticated event spaces that are perfect for catered business events for up to 80 persons, and even lavish weddings, in any of their high-tech, classic function rooms.

Immaculate landscaping (the topiary is quite the work of art) and a country club feel await travellers checking into the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. The interiors of this low-rise Heritage Listed Hotel (which dates back to 1924) feature many of its original Art Deco design elements, along with a refined selection of classic furnishings that bring the property into this century. There’s a courtyard for drinks, two restaurants, a tennis court, a health club and a heated pool. A ten-minute walk brings you to attractions including an art gallery, library, Japanese garden and the lake.