Australia’s beaches are regarded as some of the best in the world. Across thousands of kilometres of coastline, travellers can enjoy breathtaking sunsets and sweeping ocean vistas, unparalleled access to diverse aquatic activities like surfing, swimming and snorkelling, and house a kaleidoscope of remarkable marine life ranging from fish and corals to manta rays and whales.
Outstanding beachfront resorts, hotels, and private homes can be found in every state, designed to celebrating the natural bounty on offer. Whether escaping to tropical paradise on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef or hiding away amongst sand dunes and bush scrub on remote Western Australian or South Australian coastline, these selected accommodation options are perfectly positioned to envelop you into seaside serenity.
Australia’s Most Outstanding Beach Resorts
These impressive beach resorts and ocean accommodation options provide much more than a comfortable place to rest your head. Our selection of five-star hotels, resorts, and private holiday homes offer outstanding local food and wine, premium servicing, and signature activities and experiences exclusive to the pristine coastline they’re found on.
Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Queensland)
Offering quintessential Great Barrier Reef luxury, Lizard Island is the northernmost five-star lodge on the Reef opening directly onto the pristine white sands and coral-rich, turquoise waters.
Set upon its own exclusive island amongst 2,470 acres of National Park, Lizard Island houses over twenty private beaches and scattered coves sheltering pockets of colourful corals. Guests staying in the resort’s exclusive 40 suites or the premium separate residence, The House at Lizard Island, are invited to picnic on these private beaches, then dive and snorkel straight into crystal-clear waters. For more exclusive aquatic adventures, embark on a personalised yacht charter to the outer reefs of the World Heritage wonder to dive amongst kaleidoscopic marine life, or fish for the exclusive Black Marlin.
Orpheus Island Lodge (Great Barrier Reef, Queensland)
An exceptional Great Barrier Reef island resort found off the coast of Townsville, Orpheus Island Lodge faces immaculate beachfront amongst a backdrop of lush rainforest, and provides an all-inclusive and eco-sustainable experience to just twenty-eight guests.
Eleven kilometres of turquoise coastline with spectacular fringing reef is ripe for snorkelling, swimming, exploration throughout the island’s many secluded bays and fascinating geological outcrops housing diverse marine life. There are over 1,100 species of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, and a giant clam garden to discover, while the lodge’s renewable energy generation, sustainable ethos, and onsite Research Station ensures guests leave a gentle ecological impact while enjoying first-class luxury.
Elysian Retreat (Whitsundays, Queensland)
An adults-only retreat overlooking a serene, pebbled beach, Elysian Retreat is a secluded southern island escape in the Whitsundays archipelago. Twenty maximum guests can enjoy this boutique eco-island which offers personalised spa treatments, complimentary yoga classes, cooking lessons, and more.
The activities of this rustically chic escape invite you to unplug and unwind. Don your reef shoes and snorkel off the tidal beach, paddle on a kayak, unwind around the fire pit with a sundowner in hand, and indulge with a daily-changing menu in the region’s Tropical Food Bowl with freshly-caught seafood and organic vegetables sourced locally from the region and the property’s own vegetable and herb garden while admiring the sunset over the water.
qualia (Hamilton Island, Queensland)
The only luxury resort on Hamilton Island opening directly onto its own private Coral Sea beachfront, qualia offers an exceptional five-star experience for adults seeking immersive experiences and panoramic views of the Whitsundays.
Occupying a prime location on the northern end of Hamilton Island, qualia is a tropical holiday oasis offering a panorama of azure waters and lush rainforests from every angle. Renowned for being private, self-indulgent and with staff catering to your every whim, discover a curated range of activities within qualia’s confines or venture out into the Coral Sea to discover the Whitsundays landscapes first-hand, before dipping into your own private plunge pool in the evening.
One Kangaroo Island (South Australia)
A gorgeous private home offering absolute seclusion on pristine Kangaroo Island, One Kangaroo Island sits lightly amongst sand dunes and coastal bush and offers direct access to a protected swimming beach frequented by dolphins.
Spacious enough to comfortably house multi-generational families across its five luxurious bedrooms, each stay at One Kangaroo Island is fully catered by expert chefs with accompanying local premium beverages. Enjoy meals made with artisan Kangaroo Island produce on one of the home’s extensive decks, and take in the tranquil, panoramic ocean and bush views on an island renowned for its natural beauty.
Sal Salis (Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia)
Surrounded by National Park carved with limestone canyons on one side and World Heritage-listed fringing coral reef on the other, Sal Salis is a beachfront glamping experience looking directly onto the rolling tides of the Indian Ocean and resting on a picturesque, endless stretch of white sand.
This eco-sensitive, off-the-grid accommodation offers sixteen luxury wilderness tents camouflaged into the landscape and a central, open-air lodge that invite you to explore, relax, and breathe in nature’s pace, and sleep mere metres away from waters housing tropical fish, corals, migratory whale sharks and humpback whales.
Capella Lodge (Lord Howe Island, New South Wales)
Set at the foot of towering mountains amongst the Jurassic-looking landscapes of Lord Howe Island is Capella Lodge, a nine-suite luxury escape blending the contemporary indoor design with outdoor landscapes of emerald Kentia palm rainforests, turquoise reef, and white-sand beaches.
Capella Lodge is perched above Lover’s Bay and offers dazzling views over the Pacific Ocean and the world’s southern-most coral reef. Snorkel straight off the beach, or embark on a curated marine excursion to dive, fish, surf, kayak, or simply admire waters hosting a riot of colourful fish and corals.
InterContinental Hayman Island (Whitsundays, Queensland)
Providing a classic resort experience, InterContinental Hayman Island is one of Australia’s original and most esteemed glamor resorts, dominating the eponymous island while commanding magnificent views across the Coral Sea.
With a picturesque resort pool backing onto coastline folding into the gorgeous bay waters of the Hayman Island Reef, Hayman’s design is an aquatic fantasy constructed with luxurious amenities, panoramic seascapes, and tropical gardens transporting guests of all ages into tropical paradise across its 168 rooms, suites, and villas.
Cable Beach Club & Resort (Broome, Western Australia)
Broome’s iconic five-star hotel overlooking Western Australia’s famous Cable Beach, the Cable Beach Club & Resort offers breathtaking Indian Ocean sunsets, gently swaying palm trees, and a remarkable Kimberley aesthetic that blends Asian influence, colonial touches, and incomparable Australian charm.
Offering broad range of accommodation types ranging from studios, bungalows, apartments, villas and suites, the star of Cable Beach is the eponymous pristine white sand beach leading to crystal clear waters inviting you to ride camels, sunbathe, swim, explore rock formations, and more.
South Point Beach House (Port Lincoln, SA)
Combining the amenities of a resort with the comfort and privacy of a private home, South Point Beach House is a gorgeous, hosted beach house on the Marina of Port Lincoln. Owned and operated by Australian Coastal Safaris, the beach house offers absolute frontage to a beautiful, safe swimming beach with a patch of grass perfect for playing backyard cricket or enjoying an alfresco barbecue.
Throughout your stay in the light and airy home, your hosts are only a phone call away to cater to your every whim and desire. Explore the beach and breathe in the serenity at your leisure, or venture further afield to explore the seafood capital of Australia, rich with local flavours, curious wildlife, and adventurous marine activities.
