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Written by Sarah Wilkes
From ultra-trendy ex-prison cells and newly renovated heritage department stores to Palm Springs-inspired Brisbane city oases, these are the city stays with extra flair.
The best hotels in Melbourne
Novotel Melbourne South Wharf, Victoria
South Wharf doesn’t always make the shortlist for Melbourne stays, but it’s a solid base – particularly for those who want waterfront surrounds without the full Southbank premium. Novotel Melbourne South Wharf sits within the DFO precinct alongside the Melbourne Convention Centre, with Port Phillip Bay or city skyline views from the rooms. A tram stop 650 metres away connects you to Federation Square, Bourke Street Mall and beyond. On-site, Mr Carpano Dining + Bar covers dinner and drinks, while Allora handles the coffee and daytime casual end of things.
Crown Metropol Melbourne
Home to hatted restaurants, major events like the Brownlow Medal and one of the city’s most luxe day spas, the Crown Melbourne complex has cemented itself as an institution. Crown Metropol is the urban-chic counterpart in Crown’s trifecta of luxury resorts, boasting one of Melbourne’s most recognisable infinity pools.
A stay here places you in the heart of Southbank’s scene, where evenings slip by as you hop between bars, watch street performers and enjoy arcade entertainment.
Pullman Melbourne City Centre
From its CBD position near Bourke Street, the city’s countless restaurants, hidden cocktail bars and shopping are all on the doorstep from Pullman Melbourne City Centre. The jewel in its crown is the level-14 Blossom Rooftop Bar, where woodfired pizzas are served with skyline views. There’s also Eva’s Restaurant & Bar, which champions local produce through modern, homestyle cooking – think gnocchi heaped with mushroom ragu and Pecorino cheese shavings, or chocolate and passionfruit torte with vanilla bean creme. In-room are contemporary comforts like GHD straighteners, Nespresso coffee machines and BOSE sound systems to get you city-ready.
The Langham, Melbourne
Sweeping marble staircases, ornate high ceilings and colossal crystal-laced chandeliers: The Langham enchants Melbourne’s Southbank Promenade with old-world charm. It’s also one of Melbourne’s top high tea hot spots, where tiered cake stands, delicate porcelain and picture-perfect pastries abound, accompanied by city views. While a stay here is prim and proper, you are perfectly positioned to experience everything Melbourne has to offer, from Flinders Lane’s fine diners to cobbled and colourful alleyways like Hosiers Lane.
Next Hotel Melbourne
Next Hotel Melbourne sits within the 80 Collins precinct at the Paris end of Collins Street – surrounded by high-end boutiques, Chinatown and Parliament House, and feeling appropriately sharp about it. The 255-room hotel draws design cues from the neighbourhood’s couture history and the original Horse Bazaar that once occupied the site. The dining is the real talking point: La Madonna Restaurant & Bar serves French-influenced Italian cooking anchored by local produce, while the adjacent Barrel Room runs Australia’s first in-hotel barrel-ageing program – the results of which stock the in-room minibars, which is a genuinely good idea. A 24-hour fitness centre and The Club lounge round things out for guests who need to work as much as they want to unwind.
The Windsor
Located in Melbourne’s leafy Paris End, this heritage-listed hotel boasts a 140-year history. The Victorian-era building exudes the grandeur of a palace – from The Grand Ballroom’s stained glass domes to The Grand Staircase that coils around a skylight – establishing itself as a landmark on the corner of Little Collins and Spring Streets. It has hosted a glittering roster of luminaries, including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Meryl Streep, and Muhammad Ali.
Amid the charm of vintage bellboy trolleys, champagne high teas and regal embellishments, you’ll find forward-thinking eateries, such as Kudo, one of Melbourne’s very few totally gluten-free artisanal bakeries.
The best hotels in Sydney
The Star Grand Hotel
The Star Grand Hotel is a world of its own, where world-class dining, nightlight and entertainment venues rub shoulders. Every luxuriously appointed room provides a serene escape from the city’s energy, while opulence radiates from the Art Deco marble entrance to the rooftop pool, offering breathtaking views of Sydney’s unique skyline. While The Star’s dining precinct caters to any craving or celebration, the hatted Japanese omakase venue Sokyo stands out with exquisite sashimi and sushi prepared right in front of diners.
QT Sydney
Experience the allure of QT Sydney, an Art Deco masterpiece housed within two of the city’s most iconic landmarks – the State Theatre and the historic Gowing’s department store. The hotel’s decor is filled with playful nods to the past, including vintage suitcases, velvet finishes, retro televisions and art-filled elevators that change playlists to match occupants.
Ace Hotel Sydney
Making its Southern Hemisphere debut, the Ace Hotel Group presents a mid-century modern masterpiece brimming with style. Warm lantern lighting, burnt-orange marble and in-room turntables set the ambience of this hospitality hotspot, while weekly gigs from Sydney’s rising DJs draw in the city’s trendiest crowds. Head up to the eighth floor and discover Kiln – a hatted restaurant where open-flame cooking pays homage to the building’s pottery workshop roots.
InterContinental Double Bay
Located in one of Sydney’s most prestigious waterfront suburbs, InterContinental Double Bay is the epitome of seaside sophistication. Picture this: awaken with a rooftop swim above Double Bay, watching luxury yachts glide below, then savour your morning coffee in the sunny French Provincial courtyard.
The fitness centre surpasses hotel norms. Fit Collective Double Bay operates as a full-scale gym, open 24/7 to hotel guests and members, offering personal training and small fitness classes, including rooftop yoga.
The best hotels in the Gold Coast
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort by IHG
Resort-style serenity and signature InterContinental luxury meet at this 4.2-hectare Sanctuary Cove estate. It centres around a sandy banked, one-acre saltwater lagoon framed by palm trees, with decorative ponds, a marina and the nearby Coomera River adding to the water-centric tranquility. Breakfast is served in the sun-kissed conservatory-style Cove Cafe, all-day dining at Verandah Restaurant & Bar, and dinner at The Fireplace, where seasonal woodfired dishes are born from a custom-built hearth. There’s also a beach club for cocktails – a frozen mango daiquiri goes down well on a hot day – seafood and charcuterie. Its location, slightly out of the main Gold Coast thrum, is perfect for golf lovers (it’s surrounded by award-winning courses) and the theme parks, which are a 15-minute drive out.
QT Gold Coast
What do you get when QT’s signature artistic flair meets the Gold Coast’s golden sands? A retro-glam oceanview resort straight out of a classic Hollywood film. The showstopper is the resort’s Art Deco-inspired pool: palm-fringed, boldly striped and surrounded by blue-and-white cabanas.
In true QT style, five top-tier onsite eateries await, but for the quintessential Gold Coast chill, look no further than The Spring. This poolside haven offers cabana packages for a day of effortless lounging, complete with sunscreen, tropical fruit platters, Moreton Bay Bug rolls, sparkling wine and express spaQ treatments.
Imperial Hotel Gold Coast
Once the home of the prestigious Palazzo Versace, Imperial welcomes a new era of five-star oceanfront glamour. Italian craftsmanship continues to reign supreme: high ceilings gleam with gold accents, Baroque-inspired fabrics drape the furniture and the marble checkerboard floors shimmer with opulence.
While the Gold Coast’s pristine beaches call, the hotel revolves around a lagoon-style pool that doubles as a private man-made beach, giving you every reason not to leave this slice of paradise.
The best hotels in Brisbane
Ovolo Brisbane
Ovolo Brisbane sits in the heart of Fortitude Valley, which does most of the work in terms of atmosphere – this is Brisbane’s music, dining and nightlife hub, with Howard Smith Wharves and Queen’s Wharf both within easy strolling distance. The hotel itself is hard to miss: vibrant interiors designed around the art and culture of the Valley, a rooftop pool and bar inspired by Mediterranean rooftop living, and Kazba on-site for Middle Eastern-inflected breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The Brisbane CBD is around 30 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by car, and the airport is a 20-minute drive.
The Calile
The Calile serves a taste of Palm Springs to Brisbane’s hip James Street precinct, with pastel-pink interiors and a retro cabana-flanked turquoise pool.
Embark on a taste journey across exquisite onsite restaurants and bars. Highlights include the dreamy Lobby Bar, with signature cocktails like The Apiarist (featuring honeycomb syrup from in-house bees, paired with spiced rum and gingerbread liqueur).
The Star Grand, Brisbane
The newest star to dazzle along the Brisbane River, this hotel is nestled in the multi-billion-dollar Queen’s Wharf precinct. With celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s hawker-style Fat Noodle restaurant on one side, Brisbane’s largest ballroom on the other and three sprawling pools above on the Leisure Deck, every moment at The Star Grand is extravagant.
While Brisbane’s wonders are at your doorstep, nights at The Star Grand Brisbane can be spent bar and restaurant hopping, rounded off by a visit to the show-stopping casino for late-night entertainment.
The best hotels in Hobart
MACq01 Hotel
At Hobart’s heart lies Macquarie Wharf: once a market, then a shipping shed and now the MAC01 Complex. With bars, restaurants and the MACq01 Hotel right on the water, the complex tells the maritime history of Tasmania’s capital. The hotel building stands apart from other high-end stays with a glasshouse-adjacent design that features natural wood panelling, sweeping windows and countless nods to its shed-like roots.
The seafood at Old Wharf Restaurant reigns supreme, showcasing the best of the region, like Stanley octopus, Bruny Island oysters and hot smoked Tasmanian trout.
Mövenpick Hotel Hobart
If you’re seeking a gateway to the best of Hobart, Mövenpick is the most central: in the heart of the CBD, while just a five-minute stroll to the harbour.
Like all Mövenpick hotels around the globe, chocolate hour strikes every afternoon, but this Tasmanian branch takes it up a notch: Chocology, their take on high tea, pairs artisanal chocolate treats, affogato and sparkling wine in the swanky atmosphere of Tersoro Modern Italian Restaurant. Doesn’t get much sweeter than that.
The best hotels in Adelaide
Mayfair Hotel Adelaide, South Australia
The Mayfair occupies a heritage building on King William Street, one block from Rundle Mall and a short walk from the Festival Centre and the River Torrens. Rooms lean into the building’s character without overdoing it – custom furnishings, restored details and soft lighting that feels considered rather than formulaic. THE DEN handles bistro lunches and dinners, while HENNESSY Rooftop Bar, all chandeliers and slanted steel beams, makes a strong case for not leaving the building come sundowners. Adelaide Oval and the Central Market are both under a 15-minute walk.
EOS By Skycity
With curving contours in shimmering gold, EOS by Skycity was made to be captured at golden hour. Head to the Leisure Deck to enjoy the hotel’s magnificent pool, with panoramic views across River Torrens. It’s made a name for itself, now open to the public for DJ-fueled summertime soirees.
The best hotels in Canberra
QT Canberra
Canberra doesn’t always get the credit it deserves as a city break destination, but QT makes a compelling case. Sitting in the NewActon cultural precinct, it’s a short walk from the National Gallery, Old Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin – which puts a surprising amount of the city’s best bits within easy reach. The hotel leans into its political surroundings with a knowing wink: bold design, moody interiors and a political-chic aesthetic that feels self-aware without being tiresome. Capitol Bar & Grill is the dining anchor – prime steaks, wood-fired theatrics and local produce including honey from the hotel’s own rooftop, paired with a wine list strong on Canberra District drops. About 15 minutes from the airport, too, which makes the logistics straightforward.
Midnite Hotel, Autograph Collection
Bringing cutting-edge design to the ‘Bush State’, Midnite Hotel is a monochrome, modern masterpiece. Designed by Fender Katsalidis, the architect behind Melbourne skyscraper Australia 108, this hotel features indoor gardens, a cascading waterfall and a midnight-hued 20-metre pool.
Located in the up-and-coming inner-city neighbourhood of Braddon, the hotel is a launchpad for exploring nearby trendy eateries, microbreweries and boutique shops.
The best hotels in Perth
Crown Metropol Perth
Endless sunny skies, pristine beaches and buzzing city streets await with a stay at this five-star hotel, minutes away from the CBD. As Australia’s leading integrated resort and one of the city’s most extraordinary hotels, Crown Metropol Perth is a destination within a destination, where you’ll experience nothing but the best.
Enjoy access to state-of-the-art resort facilities, including palm-fringed blue lagoon pools, a kid-friendly water playground and a cocktail bar with poolside service, along with award-winning dining, exciting entertainment and boutique shopping, all without leaving the complex.
COMO The Treasury
Five-star luxury inhabits the walls of the converted 1875 State Building in the heart of Perth. Neighbouring some of the finest restaurants in Perth – many also located within the heritage building – COMO The Treasury boasts just 48 rooms and suites and a light-filled pool.
COMO Shambhala The Treasury is one of Perth’s best spas, with a menu featuring curated, multi-step packages like the COMO Shambhala Sleep: a 60-minute massage, foot acupressure and gift of essential oils, all designed to enhance guests’ natural sleep patterns.
Pan Pacific Perth
A five-star stay at Pan Pacific Perth, across from Langley Park and the harbourside, is also a culinary adventure. A must-do experience is the ‘Journey Through Peru’ degustation menu from authentic Peruvian restaurant Uma, using Western Australian produce. Think Cone Bay barramundi with chalaca salsa and charr-grilled Fremantle octopus skewers.
Más Vino Wine Bar is also worth a visit, where expert sommeliers guide you through local and international wine flights paired with premium charcuterie. Occasionally, the wine bar joins forces with Western Australian liquor brands to hold interactive masterclasses.
The best hotels in Darwin
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin
Darwin lives a double life: it’s both a capital city and an oasis of natural wonders. This hotel’s unbeatable location on the palm-fringed Esplanade lets you tap into both by foot. Retreat inland to Darwin Galleria, the city’s major shopping precinct, or towards the horizon for endless blue and possibilities. Besides its waterfront location, the pool is the hotel’s triumph: it’s at once a spa, water feature, lap pool and front-row seat to Darwin’s spectacular sunset.
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Feature image: InterContinental Double Bay.
