Best Stays Across Australia

Lagoon-side swim-outs, lakeside cabins, a club resort that just turned 100, and a Bali beachfront reborn after a two-year rebuild. Here are the stays worth booking this year.

Picking where to stay is half the holiday. This year our shortlist deliberately mixes the practical and the indulgent: a Western Sydney club resort with award-winning dining, a Gold Coast hotel beloved for its buffet breakfast, a Bali resort reborn after a full rebuild, and even a Melbourne "hotel" with no beds at all. Whether you want a swim-out room steps from a lagoon pool or a powered caravan site by the water, there's something here for your 2026 trip.

Cabravale Club Resort

Canley Vale, South West Sydney · NSW

The former Cabra-Vale Diggers reopened in November 2025 as Cabravale Club Resort, billed as Australia's first integrated club resort and built on a full century of community history. The stay itself is the on-site Novotel Sydney Cabramatta, a 140-room hotel with a resort-style pool, gym and event spaces, wrapped around a dining precinct that includes Magma by chef Dany Karam, Bistro 1925, Horizon and District 8.

It sits at 1 Bartley Street, Canley Vale, roughly 20km from the Sydney CBD and walkable from both Cabramatta and Canley Vale stations, with free on-site parking. Look out for the Stay & Dine package (room, daily breakfast, food and beverage credit and a bottle of wine) if you want to make a night of it.

Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park

Sydney CBD · NSW

If you searched for a "Sheraton Darling Harbour," the grand dame you actually want is the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, an easy walk from the Darling Harbour and CBD precincts. It offers 558 rooms and suites overlooking Hyde Park, a rooftop heated indoor pool and fitness centre, a day spa and a hatted restaurant in Sydney Common, plus signature high tea in The Gallery.

With St Mary's Cathedral, the Royal Botanic Garden and premium shopping on the doorstep, it's the polished city anchor of this list. For more central options, see our guide to the best hotels in the Sydney CBD.

BIG4 Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park

Narrabeen, Northern Beaches · NSW

For families chasing the Northern Beaches without a luxury price tag, BIG4 Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park at Narrabeen blends powered caravan and camping sites with self-contained cabins, set between Narrabeen Lagoon and the beach. It's the affordable, outdoorsy counterpoint to the city hotels above, and an easy launchpad for paddleboarding, the coastal walk and Sydney day trips.

Nightelier Mermaid Waters

Mermaid Waters, Gold Coast · QLD

Tucked into a quieter pocket about a kilometre from the Gold Coast beachfront, Nightelier Mermaid Waters (formerly Mermaid Waters Hotel by Nightcap) is a consistent crowd-pleaser. Reviewers single out the daily buffet breakfast as genuinely good value, alongside the outdoor pool, free parking, on-site restaurant and bar, and free WiFi. It's a short hop to Pacific Fair, Broadbeach and The Star Gold Coast.

Rooms are spacious, many overlook the pool or garden, and a complimentary shuttle runs to nearby shopping and beaches. For more in the area, browse our Gold Coast travel guide.

Oaks Pacific Blue Resort — Swim-Out Rooms

Salamander Bay, Port Stephens · NSW

The headline draw at Oaks Pacific Blue Resort in Port Stephens is the swim-out room: a ground-floor room whose terrace opens straight onto the resort's lagoon pool, so you can step from your door into the water. It's a perennially requested room type for couples and families, and it books out fast over school holidays.

Beyond the swim-outs, the resort offers self-contained apartments, tennis courts and easy access to Nelson Bay's dolphin cruises and beaches. If a swim-out is the goal, book early and request it specifically at the time of reservation.

The Langham, Melbourne

Southbank, Melbourne · VIC

On the Southbank promenade with Yarra River views, The Langham, Melbourne is celebrated for elegant interiors, impeccable service and one of the city's most lavish hotel breakfasts. The Langham buffet breakfast at Melba Restaurant is something of a Melbourne institution, a sprawling, multi-station spread that's worth booking even if you're not staying the night.

Add the Chuan Spa and a riverside infinity-edge pool and it's a refined choice for a special-occasion Melbourne stay. Pair it with our Melbourne food guide for the best eating around Southbank.

A by Adina, Melbourne (A'Beckett Street)

Melbourne CBD · VIC

The design-forward A by Adina Melbourne rises above A'Beckett Street in the CBD and is the stay most people mean when they search "A'Beckett Melbourne." It pairs spacious studio and one-bedroom apartments (full kitchens, laundry) with hotel polish, a striking sky-level pool, gym and an on-site restaurant.

The self-contained format suits longer stays, families and anyone who wants to cook a meal in, while still enjoying a pool with a view over the city. It's a short walk to Melbourne Central, Queen Victoria Market and the laneways.

Hijinx Hotel, QV Melbourne

QV Melbourne, CBD · VIC

A fun curveball: despite the name, Hijinx Hotel at QV Melbourne has no beds. It's an immersive entertainment venue styled as a quirky 1920s New York hotel, where the "rooms" are quick-play challenge rooms. Teams of two to six race through a set of five rooms, around four minutes each, mixing ball pits, light-up floors, puzzles and heist-themed games, then refuel at the cocktail bar.

It sits inside QV in the CBD, a three-minute walk from Melbourne Central, alongside the circus-themed Archie Brothers arcade. Under-18s are welcome until 8pm, after which it's adults-only. It's the perfect add-on for a date night or group outing while you're staying at one of the city hotels above.

The Queenscliff Hotel

Queenscliff, Bellarine Peninsula · VIC

If you searched "Queenscliff Esplanade Hotel," the restored heritage icon to know is The Queenscliff Hotel, a beautifully revitalised late-1800s property at the gateway to Port Phillip Bay. Rooms range from charming bay-view suites to premium suites with twin fireplaces and marble bathrooms, and rates include breakfast in The Conservatory plus priority booking at its signature restaurant, Miettas.

A future bathhouse with steam rooms and plunge pools is in the works, and several rooms are pet-friendly, making it a standout for a coastal Bellarine weekend reachable by car or ferry.

Paradisus by Meliá Bali — Reviewed

Nusa Dua · Bali, Indonesia

The most-asked question we get is whether Paradisus by Meliá Bali is worth it after its makeover, and the reviews say yes. Following a full transformation from late 2024 to mid-2025, the Nusa Dua beachfront resort reopened modern and polished, scoring around 8.8/10 on Booking.com with standout marks for cleanliness, comfort and staff.

Expect a sprawling lagoon pool, eight-plus restaurants, a free water park, kids' clubs and a teens' space, plus two premium tiers: the adults-only Reserve and family-focused Family Concierge. Guests repeatedly praise the food variety, the manicured gardens and the team, and many recommend the all-inclusive package as the best value. It's about 12–15km from Bali's airport and an easy walk to Bali Collection's shops and restaurants. For booking specifics, the official Meliá hotel page lists current room types and offers.

El Hotel Sanur

Sanur · Bali, Indonesia

Over on Bali's gentler east coast, El Hotel Sanur offers a more relaxed, boutique-style alternative to the Nusa Dua resorts. Sanur is the island's calm, beach-promenade-and-cafés district — ideal for slow mornings, sunrise walks and easy access to the Nusa Penida fast boats — and a value-friendly base makes it a smart pairing with a few nights of resort indulgence elsewhere.

Because availability and naming can shift for smaller Sanur properties, confirm the exact address and inclusions on the booking platform before you commit. Our Bali where-to-stay guide breaks down Sanur versus Nusa Dua, Seminyak and Ubud.

Queensland Caravan & Holiday Parks

Statewide · QLD

Rounding out the list for the road-trip crowd: Queensland's caravan and holiday parks. The state tourism body's directory at caravanqld.com.au is the go-to for finding powered sites, cabins and beachfront parks from the Gold Coast to the Whitsundays and Far North Queensland. It's the practical, flexible, budget-friendly way to see QLD at your own pace.

Book ahead for school holidays and long weekends, when coastal parks fill quickly. Pair a few caravan nights with a hotel splurge — like the Nightelier above — for the best of both worlds.

How we chose these stays

This isn't a paid ranking. We shortlisted properties that travellers are actively searching for in 2026, then checked each against current guest reviews, official property information and recent updates — including renovations, reopenings and seasonal pricing — across sources like Booking.com, Tripadvisor and the venues' own sites. Where a search term pointed to a venue that isn't actually accommodation (hello, Hijinx Hotel) or to a slightly different real-world property name (Sheraton Grand Sydney, The Queenscliff Hotel), we've flagged it so you book the right thing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Paradisus by Meliá Bali worth it after the renovation? Yes — it reopened in 2025 fully modernised, with a lagoon pool, water park, multiple restaurants and adults-only and family tiers, scoring around 8.8/10 with guests.

Does Nightelier Mermaid Waters include breakfast? Yes, a free buffet breakfast is included daily, and it's one of the most praised parts of the stay.

What is a swim-out room at Oaks Pacific Blue Resort? A ground-floor room with terrace access directly into the lagoon pool — request it specifically when booking, as they sell out fast.

Can you stay overnight at Hijinx Hotel QV Melbourne? No. It's an immersive entertainment venue — "play, not stay" — with challenge rooms and a bar, not accommodation.