Queensland’s Best Beachside Resorts To Book In 2025

A jewel-like drop in the ocean a 45-minute catamaran ride from Cairns, this resort is set on the only coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef to have a rainforest. Suites nod to Bali’s refined island style, and while it may be small, the retreat is big on sustainability, collecting a multitude of accolades for its environmental efficiency.

Explore the reef via glass-bottomed boat, snorkel or kayak, hit up some beach volleyball or watch the sunset with a drink in hand. For added romance, indulge in stargazing and dinners on the beach (the seafood is next level).

As the first new beachfront luxury hotel on the Gold Coast in more than 30 years, the jewel-like towers of The Langham offer a fresh take on indulgence with unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean. Its signature wellness offerings include a holistic sleep program, Chuan Spa, yoga, Pilates and meditation (to name a few). With interiors that fuse coastal ease with city glamour, an ocean-facing lagoon pool and swim-up bar, it’s the sleek sister to the typical Gold Coast holiday.

The seaside comes to you at the luxurious InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, an IHG Hotel where, at its centre, a one-acre lagoon pool with a manmade beach sits amid lush gardens. Just a short drive from the Gold Coast’s famous oceanfront, it’s set inland on the waters of the Coomera River, surrounded by some of Australia’s most acclaimed golf courses (including The Palms and The Pines), meaning you can warm up on the green to the soothing sounds of water meeting the shore. With its close proximity to the Gold Coast’s theme parks and the Marine Village, with its harbourside restaurants, boutiques and galleries, the best the region has to offer is on the doorstep.

While there are strictly no children allowed at Beach Club Hamilton Island, you can certainly call it a big kids’ playground. Right on the sands of Catseye Beach, with an infinity pool that melts into the horizon, swaying hammocks and watersports including SUP-ing, kayaking and catamarans, days here are meant for feeling the ocean breeze. Each chic room is decked out in soothing, coastal-inspired decor and comes with a deep-soaking bathtub and a private balcony or terrace overlooking the Coral Sea or tropical gardens.

A 15-minute drive from Noosa, this Sunshine Coast resort offers barefoot luxury on the pristine beachfront of Peregian. Its contemporary, Hamptons-style studios and suites sit between the bush and the ocean, each waiting to be explored (between cocktails at the resort pools, of course). The village itself is just a short walk across the road, where eateries including the chef-hatted BASK restaurant, boutiques and bars await.

Tucked at the intersection of two UNESCO World Heritage sites, this hideaway delivers privacy in spades with the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef on either side. Between jungle exploration or reef paddling, relax in a deluxe, self-contained pavilion with a kitchenette, surrounded by nothing but native palms and resident sunbirds.

Spend your days plucking fresh tropical fruit from the onsite orchard or splashing around in the freshwater creek, and spotting fireflies and lesser sooty owls by night.

The Gold Coast’s only five-star absolute beachfront resort, the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort brings Miami chic to the GC, with a look that personifies coastal luxury. If the nearby palm-lined beachfront wasn’t paradisical enough, this sprawling oasis is surrounded by six hectares of sparkling lagoon pools and tropical gardens.

Just minutes from Surfers Paradise, its bright, light and airy rooms are the perfect reprieve between sunny adventures. Access the neighbouring Marina Mirage shopping precinct via a connected sky bridge and hop between world-famous theme parks only a 30-minute drive away.

Award-winning for good reason, InterContinental Hayman Island Resort welcomes guests by luxury catamaran to the pristine sands of Hayman Beach, where the scenery is like nothing you’ve ever witnessed. Named one of the best resorts in Australasia and the South Pacific in the Condé Nast Traveller 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, this opulent stay balances relaxation with a packed activity lineup from nature walks to tennis, fish feeding, reef snorkelling and sailing. Expect seamless butler service, indulgent wellness rituals (think clay wraps and bougie gemstone therapy) and dining that ranges from oceanfront seafood to lunches in a poolside cabana – all designed to match the island’s sense of laidback luxury.