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Written by Cheyenne Bradley
From the red-dusted heart of the outback to mist-covered Tasmanian wilderness, sun-scorched coral coastlines and the rolling hills of the wine country, Australia does diversity like nowhere else.
In 2026, your backyard is calling. Here is where to travel.
Victoria
The Mitchelton Hotel, Nagambie
90 minutes from Melbourne on 280 acres of vineyards and native bushland in the Goulburn Valley, Mitchelton takes the countryside weekend next level. Stay in a cabin overlooking the vines or in the architectural hotel block beside the 20-metre infinity-edge pool, indulge at a spectacular cellar door with a 50-year-plus wine making history, browse The Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art, home to some of the largest works by Australia’s Indigenous artists, and forget city life entirely at the botanical-inspired day spa.
InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto
This Collins Street hotel is right in the beating heart of the CBD, a Victorian-era, Neo-Gothic Melbourne landmark. Get a taste of the city’s melting pot of cultures as you dine at the onsite Ronnie’s Italian diner, gold-rush-inspired Alluvial in the glass atrium, and Bluestone Wine Bar, named after the historic laneway that lies beneath the floorboards. The Vogue-featured Botanica spa and rooftop pool are on hand for relaxing after exploring the city.
Jackalope
One of Australia’s most talked about hotels, Jackalope doesn’t blend into the landscape: it’s jet black and achingly arty, with subversive outdoor sculptures the first hint to the surreal experience on offer. Set on the Mornington Peninsula in Merricks North, where rolling vineyards meet farm-to-table dining, wine and art, Jackalope sets the standard in luxury. A 30-metre infinity pool looks out over seemingly endless rows of vines, an infrared sauna encourages meditative solace, and spacious signature suites feature a relaxing fireplace and deep-soaking Japanese stone bath.
Lanson Place, Parliament Gardens Melbourne
Opposite Parliament Gardens on the city’s edge, and within the free tram zone but at the quieter end of town, this is where you get genuine urban calm without sacrificing access. Rich with heritage character, the elegantly restored 1901 Salvation Army Printing Works building offers a broad range of modern rooms and apartments. A serene 20-metre indoor pool, more 450 works of art from Melbourne and beyond and a dining menu celebrating Australia’s finest seasonal flavours give a taste of what Melbourne is famous for.
New South Wales
Manly Pacific Hotel, Sydney – MGallery Collection
On the shores of the famous Manly Beach, this beachfront hotel delivers sun, surf and laid-back luxury. The rooftop magnesium pool is the jewel in the crown of this MGallery hotel, surpassed only by the surrounding ocean views. The dining here is exceptional: Bistro Manly draws on a French coastal feel with a menu of local seafood and fresh seasonal produce, while Cibaria Trattoria is inspired by an Italian piazza, with an accompanying cafeteria and gelateria.
25hours Sydney The Olympia
One of 2025’s most talked-about openings and the first offering from the 25hours Hotel group in Australia, this Paddington hotel is a new Sydney go-to. In the heart of buzzy Paddington, housed in a heritage-listed art house cinema building dating back to 1915, it’s moments from Oxford Street’s galleries and fashion houses. The Palomar, a celebrated London restaurant, opened its first international outpost at this hotel, and it delights with exceptional Mediterranean-centric cuisine (think Coppertree Farm ribeye with burnt chilli salsa and grilled Abrolhos Island scallop with zhoug butter).
Bannisters Pavilion
A go-to for lovers of seafood and breezy coastal serenity, Bannisters Pavilion in Mollymook promises ocean-to-plate Rick Stein dining, a seriously Instagrammable cantilevered pool, and cliffside views over the ocean. An easy weekend drive for Sydney or Canberra residents in under three hours, it’s located steps from Mollymook Beach, one of the South Coast’s most beautiful stretches of sand. Spend days unwinding at the day spa, sipping at the beach-club-style Rooftop Bar & Grill, and taking waterside walks with wildlife encounters.
The Star Grand Sydney
Harbour and skyline views, resort-style facilities and access to the casino and restaurants of the Star Entertainment Complex: this is a hotel for those looking to stay and play in glamour. Lavish rooms with marble bathrooms, an indoor–outdoor pool and fitness centre are all complemented by The Star’s exceptional dining, vibrant nightlife, entertainment and premium retail just steps away. Access to The Darling Spa next door adds eleven treatment rooms, a steam room, jacuzzi and rare Moroccan Hammam to the offering.
Queensland
Alamanda Palm Cove
The only beachfront resort in Palm Cove, Alamanda Palm Cove offers apartment living encased in coconut palms, just steps from the white sands of the Coral Sea. This is the ideal base to discover the nearby Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, especially for families and groups, as apartment options offer up to four bedrooms. Round off sun-drenched days beside the resort’s three pools at the award-winning onsite restaurant NuNu for cocktails and tropical dining.
Daintree Ecolodge
Deep in the heart of the world’s oldest rainforest, this intimate eco-retreat offers the rare chance to sleep among the canopy of the Wet Tropics World Heritage wilderness. Just 15 treehouse-style villas perch above an ancient lilypad-dotted creek, where birdsong replace alarm clocks. Rejuvenate at the spa, inspired by Indigenous wisdom and healing Australian native botanicals, and savour organic and seasonal cuisine in the rainforest.
Essence Peregian Beach
The only luxury resort in the unspoilt coastal village of Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast, this best-kept secret sits between the ocean and the ancient Noosa UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with Noosa a half-hour away. It’s well suited to groups and families, with accommodation options ranging from sunset-facing hotel suites to sizable five-bedroom homes. Book an in-room spa treatment, dip in two mineral-infused pools and sip poolside cocktails.
Toogunna Plains Farmstay
Whether you’re arriving on a road trip or by quick flight from Brisbane to nearby Quilpie, the reward is well worth the journey at this raw, authentic Outback stay. Deep in Queensland’s Channel Country, this fifth-generation sheep and cattle station boast soul-stirring sunsets over sandhills. Bespoke station tours and a dark sky thick with stars make this feel like a real insider experience. Sprawling across 130,000 acres of wide-open outback, this is the true spirit of Australia’s backyard.
South Australia & Northern Territory
Monarto Safari Resort
Just an hour from Adelaide, Monarto Safari Resort makes you feel like you’re on an African Safari, without even leaving the country. From your hotel room or safari suite, watch over the 1,500-hectare reserve as the waterhole attracts giraffes, zebras and ostriches. One of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest open-range zoos, here you’ll wake to lion calls drifting through your luxury savannah lodge, then join a guided safari at sunrise before indulging at the day spa, swimming pools and Kutjera Restaurant (try the Rooibos-smoked duck breast with pickled plum).
Sequoia Lodge
Among Australia’s most sought-after luxury lodges, this boutique, adults-only stay sits in 30 leafy acres atop Adelaide’s Mount Lofty. It’s a dreamy retreat of spa suites, cellar-door indulgence and eucalyptus-scented air, with a three-hatted farm-to-table restaurant, Hardy’s Verandah, and three artesian, spring-fed hot pools for admiring the sunrise or sunset over the hills. Each suite has a stone-clad gas fireplace, so sip a cosy local Shiraz, then lose yourself in a deep-soak bath with treetop views.
Longitude 131
Few places on earth stop you in your tracks quite like Uluru, and Longitude 131° ensures you experience every awe-inspiring moment in style. Rarely does a resort place you this close to an iconic site while still delivering genuine luxury. Nestled among the rich red dunes of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 16 tented pavilions face the monolith directly, delivering front-row seats to sunrises and outback scenery like no other. From sleeping beneath the stars on your balcony to hearing Indigenous stories around the campfire and indulging in bush-inspired, contemporary Australian dining, this is a bucket-list worthy experience, right at home.
Western Australia
Sal Salis, Cape Range National Park
Perched on the dunes above Ningaloo Reef, in the shadow of ancient ranges, Sal Salis is as remote as it gets, offering the privilege of sleeping just steps from the largest fringing World Heritage-listed coral reef in the world. Unzip your luxury safari tent and walk straight into the ocean for a morning swim with whale sharks, snorkel alongside turtles, spot humpback whales, try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding and stargaze beneath ultra-dark skies. Off-grid and unspoiled, this is why Western Australia rules the world of eco-luxury.
Tribe Perth Kings Park
If you’re looking for a good-value city hotel packed with personality, the design-led Tribe Perth with its gallery-like lobby and fuss-free, collaboration-focused common areas could be your ideal boutique stay. Its location, just west of the CBD on the fringe of Kings Park and Botanic Garden, places you within easy reach of the city centre, and its trendy mix of eateries and boutiques. A 24-hour Grab & Go bar is stocked with healthy options and local artisanal produce, while Tribe Table serves up barista coffee breakfasts by day and American diner-style burgers and loaded fries by night.
Pullman Bunker Bay, Margaret River
Setting the benchmark in Margaret River luxury, this beachfront escape sits alongside the crystal-clear waters of Bunker Bay, amid 35 acres of native greenery. One, two and three-bedroom private villas feature timber floorboards, limestone walls and deep-soaking tubs, with a heated infinity-edge pool, tennis court, seven-suite day spa and boardwalk beach access nearby. Explore world-class wineries, gourmet restaurants and surf breaks just minutes away.
Joondalup Resort
25 minutes north of Perth and five minutes from the white sands of the Sunset Coast, Joondalup Resort offers a sun-kissed country-club atmosphere without venturing far from the city. Set amid native bushland and lakes is a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed, 27-hole championship golf course, lagoon-style pool, endota spa, tap room, English-style pub, casual cafe on the fairways and a pool-view restaurant specialising in richly marbled Futari Wagyu.
Tasmania
Discovery Resorts Cradle Mountain
Experience the untamed beauty of the dramatic alpine landscape that is the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park at this resort, that sits amid bushland on its northern border, an hour’s drive from Devonport. This is where wilderness meets comfort; cosy one and two-bedroom cabins with fireplaces and forest views set the scene perfectly after a day of hiking, with curious wallabies and wombats coming right up to the balcony.
RACV Hobart Hotel
Centrally positioned to make the most of MONA, Salamanca Market and Hobart’s extraordinary restaurant scene, this CBD base with hotel or apartment-style accommodation is ideal for exploring one of the world’s great small cities. Head to the signature restaurant, Charcoal, for market-fresh seafood and seasonal dishes (like crab and saffron risotto), or the adjoining Cascade on Collins historic bar for a showcase of award-winning Tasmanian wine.
Iron Creek Bay Estate
In Sorell, one of Tasmania’s oldest towns, is this family-run working farm stay surrounded by fruit orchards, vineyards and farm animals – all just 15 minutes from Hobart. Explore 5km of tracks around the estate with Bruny Island and Mount Wellington visible on the horizon spotting native echidnas, wallabies and wildlife. Enjoy homestyle farmhouse dining at Orani, fruit picking and an alpaca, sheep and pony animal-feeding experience.
