Overview
There's a reason Australian hotels are sweeping global awards and landing on "world's best" lists. From chic inner-city stays to coastal retreats, the country's hotel scene spans dramatically different landscapes, experiences, and design approaches. Some properties stand out for their architecture and interiors, others for their setting, dining, or connection to the surrounding environment.
Here are the Australian hotels to know about.
More in the mood for an Airbnb? Explore our definitive guide to Australia's most extraordinary ones.
Best hotels in New South Wales
Capella Sydney
Capella Sydney already has a spot on The World's 50 Best Hotels list. Housed inside a restored 1915 sandstone building in the CBD, the design pairs grand heritage bones with dark timber and custom Italian furniture. The rooms are massive, swapping sterile minimalism for deep-soaking tubs. Downstairs, the restaurant operates as a busy neighbourhood fixture, while the 20-metre indoor pool sits directly beneath a sunlit glass atrium like a Roman bathhouse.
Halcyon House
Inside a reimagined 1960s surf motel, designer Anna Spiro pairs bold, patterned textile wallpapers with salon-style antique art for a whimsical beach feel that never slips into a theme. On-site restaurant Paper Daisy leaks out toward the pandanus-fringed pool courtyard, while the surf break is just across the grass. It is small, tightly run, and entirely built around its beachfront position.
Ace Hotel Sydney
Holding a coveted Michelin Key, Ace Hotel Sydney anchors Surry Hills with cultural swagger. The former 19th-century brick factory completely skips corporate gloss, pairing its original raw patina with warm timber furnishings by Flack Studio. Rooms swap standard hotel amenities for vintage wool blankets, turntables, and acoustic guitars. Downstairs features all-day eatery Loam, while 18 storeys up, wood-fired rooftop restaurant Kiln keeps you plugged into the glittering city skyline.
The EVE Hotel
This characterful Surry Hills newcomer has already bagged a Michelin Key for its effortless neighbourhood charm. Built where a 1970s shopping mall once stood, the layout of The EVE Hotel centres around a gorgeous rooftop pool deck, while downstairs, European-style Bar Julius operates as a buzzy, morning-to-night local hangout. Expect fast and convenient service via QR codes throughout the hotel.
Best hotels in Victoria
The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne
An established favourite in the CBD, The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne relies on flawless execution rather than passing trends. After checking in at the 80th-floor sky lobby, you are surrounded by dark walnut furnishings, black marble, and local First Nations art. Rooms look straight across Melbourne's grid and out to Port Phillip Bay on a clear day. Everything here is built for unwinding, from the light-flooded wellness pool to the Atria restaurant, which feels like it is floating directly over the Melbourne skyline.
1 Hotel Melbourne
Positioned on the banks of the Yarra River, 1 Hotel Melbourne pairs premium luxury with strict biophilic design. The waterfront property incorporates the heritage structure of Goods Shed No. 5, using reclaimed industrial timbers, bluestone, and thousands of living plants to bring the outdoors inside. The zero-plastic filtration taps, organic linens, and field-to-table restaurant operate as a natural extension of the eco-conscious ethos of 1 Hotels.
Lake House Daylesford
Lake House sits on the edge of Lake Daylesford, where gardens, native bush, and still water frame the property on all sides. Rooms are spread across the grounds in lodges and suites, each with fireplaces, deep baths, and views that shift with the weather. The restaurant is the centre of it all, built around regional produce and a long-standing focus on seasonal cooking, while the spa sits just beyond the main buildings.
The Langham Melbourne
You don't stay at The Langham for raw concrete or avant-garde design; you stay here for its peerless geographical privilege and its commitment to classic hospitality. Sitting on the river's edge, this hotel is stately, dependable luxury that has anchored Melbourne's cultural precinct for decades. Inside, expect warm, amber lighting, deep armchairs, and plush, residential-style textiles. With the Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, and the city's premier dining laneways sitting literally at your front doorstep, it remains one of the most reliable, front-row bases for experiencing Melbourne's creative calendar.
Best hotels in Tasmania
The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel
Commonly referred to as The Tasman, this hotel on Hobart's waterfront is stitched together from heritage buildings and a sharp contemporary addition. Depending on which room you land in, you will either overlook the harbour or lean into the building's 1800s bones. Downstairs, speakeasy Mary Mary and Italian restaurant Peppina operate as proper neighbourhood fixtures, while the rest of the city's top dining spots are a short walk away.
Saffire Freycinet
When it comes to luxury, there is no more iconic name in Tasmania than Saffire. This property, part of Luxury Lodges of Australia, sets the absolute benchmark for barefoot luxury, matching all-inclusive estate dining with guided wilderness encounters, including an on-site Tasmanian devil sanctuary. It expands its footprint in late 2026 with Saffire Jewel, a three-bedroom private villa tailored for small groups and families seeking total isolation.
Stillwater Seven
While the name Stillwater is synonymous with Launceston's pioneering fine-dining scene, the seven boutique suites upstairs are an editorial triumph in their own right. Hidden within the eaves of a 19th-century flour mill on the Tamar River, this Cumulus Studio-designed stay completely skips traditional hotel layouts. The spaces lean into moody, residential warmth, contrasting the massive, rough-sawn original Oregon timber beams with locally crafted blackwood furniture, custom wool throws, and locally sourced, fully stocked larders.
Tourism Western Australia
Best hotels in Western Australia
The Ritz-Carlton Perth
Anchoring the edge of Elizabeth Quay, this tower pairs serious architectural intent with a layout that maximises the bending Swan River views. The interiors trade stale luxury for native jarrah timber and thousands of pieces of handpicked desert sandstone. Because the ground-floor dining spaces and the breezy rooftop cocktail bar open directly toward the water, the hotel feels entirely connected to the waterfront precinct.
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Hotel
This isn't a hotel in the traditional sense. As the only fixed accommodation allowed inside Cape Range National Park, Sal Salis operates as an exclusive eco-camp. The layout swaps typical hotel corridors for 15 off-grid eco-tents, while the nightly rate covers all-inclusive, chef-led dining. Meals are a communal affair, highlighting local fish and seasonal produce over sunset canapés. This is Australia's premier base for swimming with whale sharks, where the outback red dirt meets coral reef just steps from your private deck.
Sean Fennessy
Best hotels in Queensland
The Calile Hotel
The Calile Hotel treats Fortitude Valley like a Mediterranean resort. The layout centres around an outdoor pool courtyard with striped umbrellas and private cabanas. Rooms swap typical hotel carpeting for cork floors, raw concrete, and custom brass details that open onto breezy balconies. Downstairs, the precinct's restaurants, including Greek restaurant Hellenika, and boutiques spill directly onto James Street, keeping the property plugged into the neighbourhood.
Mondrian Gold Coast
If you've picked up a design or lifestyle publication lately, you've already seen the buzz surrounding Mondrian's grand Australian debut. Snagging a global brand footprint and dropping it directly onto the Burleigh esplanade was a bold play, but the execution succeeds by grounding its international identity in highly localised, sculptural architecture. Guest suites maximise panoramic headland views alongside oversized configurations that double the standard footprint of an inner-city stay. Between the bio-wellness therapies at CIEL Spa and the wood-fired menus on the third floor, it introduces a European-reminiscent energy that is shifting luxury on the coast.
Qualia
Even with a wave of flashy new ultra-luxury island openings across the country, Qualia holds its position at the peak of the Whitsundays by relying on timeless, site-specific architecture. Occupying a private 30-acre peninsula on Hamilton Island's quiet northern tip, the layout splits its focus between the southwest-facing Leeward Pavilions, which harness the theatrical Whitsunday sunsets, and the north-facing Windward Pavilions, boasting private infinity plunge pools that look directly out to sea.
Best hotels in South Australia
The Louise, Barossa Valley
The Louise pairs a world-class wine country silhouette with a sharp, contemporary design pedigree. Freshly reimagined by Baillie Lodges, the property trades standard vineyard accommodation for private, gated suites featuring private courtyards, outdoor rain showers, and original local artwork. It also operates as South Australia's ultimate destination-dining pilgrimage, with the on-site Appellation restaurant, pairing hyper-local, estate-grown menus with the region's absolute finest vintage pours.
Southern Ocean Lodge
The undisputed icon of Australian coastal luxury, triumphantly rebuilt with an even sharper architectural eye. Rising from the limestone cliffs of Kangaroo Island, the lodge features a dramatic, sweeping design that maximises cinematic views of the wild Southern Ocean. The rooms feature premium native timbers, sandblasted stone, and bespoke furniture crafted by local artisans. The all-inclusive stay connects you completely to the island's raw wildlife, paired with a sea-to-plate culinary menu.
Eos by SkyCity
Adelaide's riverfront gets an injection of pure, unapologetic glamour here. This tower is a glossy, multi-sensory playground, layering golden-hued glass, Italian marble, and rich velvet tones. The suites are smart-controlled sanctuaries featuring private balconies tailored for sunset champagne. From the sun-drenched wellness deck to the signature restaurants pulsing downstairs, it's a high-energy stay engineered for indulgence right in the city's revamped entertainment heart.
Visit Canberra
Best hotels in the ACT
Ovolo Nishi
Ovolo Nishi treats Canberra's cultural precinct like a canvas for radical design. The iconic, geometric timber grand staircase sets a moody, sustainable tone, swapping corporate marble for reclaimed materials and brutalist concrete. Inside, the hotel rooms are designed around curved textures, vintage furnishings, and original contemporary artwork. Downstairs, Monster Kitchen and Bar is for guests and locals, while the shores of Lake Burley Griffin sit just a short walk or bike ride away.
Jamala Wildlife Lodge
Even for Australians familiar with Canberra's famous animal encounter, the sheer architectural cleverness of Jamala deserves a re-evaluation. Rather than a singular lodge, the property is split across three distinct zones: the African-inspired uShaka Lodge, the glass-fronted Jungle Bungalows, and the elevated Giraffe Treehouses. It trades kitsch for genuine luxury, integrating massive viewing panels directly into lounge walls and bedrooms for prime wildlife viewing. Add in private, expert-led twilight tours and sundowners on the jetty for the ultimate experience.
George Apostolidis for Tourism NT
Best hotels in the Northern Territory
Longitude 131
This is arguably Australia's ultimate splurge, and that legendary price tag means expectations are sky-high before you even arrive at Yulara. Longitude 131° justifies the premium by acting less like a hotel and more like a private, curated expedition. The canvas-topped tents are insulated sanctuaries, trading basic glamping vibes for custom brass fixtures, local ceramics, and automated blinds that reveal Uluru from your pillow. Because every bespoke tour, fine-dining menu, and open-bar pour is entirely wrapped into the stay, the logistics vanish, leaving you to experience the desert with absolute clarity.
Sails in the Desert
This multi-winged resort wraps itself around a massive, gum-shaded swimming pool that provides an essential oasis after a morning spent exploring the base of Uluru. The rooms trade standard outback minimalism for spacious, balcony-fronted sanctuaries decorated with authentic Indigenous design elements. With multiple on-site dining venues, an impressive gallery showcasing regional dot paintings, and easy access to the resort's sunset viewing platforms, it remains a thoroughly reliable, upscale gateway to the Red Centre.
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Images: Saffire Freycinet, The Eve, 1 Hotel Melbourne, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Hotel, The Calile Hotel, Southern Ocean Lodge, Ovolo Nishi, Longitude 131; supplied.