The new Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel has the right sunny disposition for this part of the Queensland coast with a warm stone wall entrance, a curvaceously cool lobby bar with casual check-in and its rooftop pool with peach-and-white sun umbrellas. The cherry on the top of this ambitious new build is on Level 12: Sully’s Rooftop bar and restaurant. Sunshine Coast scenesters have descended on this bright-and-airy party spot like seagulls on a hot chip and the place is jumping every time I poke my head in; graduations, date nights, overseas visitors and locals all having an absolute ball.
Soak in your new surrounds
Stepping into my Ocean Suite the unusual design immediately puts a smile on my face. In general, I think the hotel open-bathroom concept can be a bit much, even for the long-marrieds, but the sheer audacity of being greeted by a huge circular tub just inside the door of my Avani room is playful and bold. The tub sits behind your king-size bed and a couch connects at the side like a giant kids’ puzzle. The shower and toilet are along the back wall enclosed in glass and a massive balcony with outdoor furniture looks out on to Mooloolaba Beach. The mini bar is a window in the Sunshine Coast’s fabulous produce with Sunshine & Sons dry gin and vodka as well as plenty of chips and healthy snacks and a sea-blue robe is crazy comfortable and feels as new as the hotel.
Hot foot it to Sully’s Rooftop
Get up to Sully’s Rooftop where you will find an inside-outside bar with velvet booths and amber-coloured glass and tiles that invoke a 1970s suntan; the outside deck has plenty of seating, and there is a protected glass nook with the best views over the beach. Drinks bring the beach-party goods with a signature and seasonal boozy slushie (ask staff for the flavour of the day) or fruity cocktails with tropical combos like plum and strawberry, lime leaf and citrus or mandarin and chilli.
Taste seafood straight from the trawlers
The Sunshine Coast fishers land their trawlers so close the hotel that they bring their daily catch straight to the Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel kitchen still wearing their waders. Then Sully’s executive chef Marky Godbeer, formerly of Brisbane’s boutique hotel wunderkind The Calile Hotel, does as little to it as possible to give you the maximum flavour on the plate. Just-shucked oyster are dressed in a fermented chilli vinaigrette; lime-cured Mooloolaba yellow fin comes on a bed of jalapeno crema with sweetness from green apple; calamari has the tart-sweet tension of plum vinegar caramel and plenty of lemon and Sully’s fried chicken with sweet cucumber, yoghurt and smoked jalapeno is a beachside banger that will take you back to childhood takeaways on the sand.
Surf’s up at the hotel spa
The AvaniSpa is a tranquil haven that is already a wellness hub as it is open to the public (though guests will get priority). The Surfers Release is one of the sportier, stretchier options (its chill counterpart is the Mooloolaba Melt) on the spa menu and is perfect for removing knots and stiffness even if you don’t surf. The addition of hot stones makes for an enervating (and occasionally surprising) treatment, but it is the use of deep, assisted stretches that really perks me up; maybe I will catch a wave after all. The treatment finishes with a sparkling water and your choice of Ikkari tonics; I go with Radiance which has marine collagen and plant extracts to I can turn back time on my face to match my new revitalised body.
Discover your new favourite breakfast
Breakfast is also at sky-high Sully’s offering up some very beachy brunch options including a zucchini and preserved lemon fritter, chilli fried eggs with jalapeno cream and a coconut waffles. But I spy with my tired eyes a halloumi eggs Benny with a burnt butter Hollandaise sauce which I now need to find back home somewhere; all breakfasts also come with a pastry and fruit cart which changes daily.
Hit the wharf, check the local haunts
You have to visit the pool on Level 13 for a very Miami-meets-Mooloolaba vibe and killer coastal aspect. But one of the best things about Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is its central location. It may be just a block from the beach, but it is also only a five-minute walk to the Wharf Mooloolaba where you can dine out at hotspots like Riceboi and Prawn Star or grab a Davidson plum margarita as you listen to live music aboard a 100-year-old wooden sailing boat with Saltwater Eco Tours. The block around the hotel is also surrounded by local restaurants like Casa (and sister bar Casita) where you can find the local Mooloolaba prawns put to good use in a spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, chilli and basil.
