9 of the top luxury stays in Australia to escape to

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From all-new openings to historic stays and exclusive island hideaways, luxury in Australia means immersive experiences in extraordinary locations – with a few creature comforts to boot.

1. Bells at Killcare, NSW

Bells at Killcare has been a special-occasion place since it opened on NSW’s Bouddi Peninsula in 2007. Guests have traditionally checked into its coastal-chic cottages and villas, which exude a Hamptons aesthetic with their distinctive blue-and-white-striped interior palette. They’ve also dined at its restaurant, The Wild Flower Bar & Dining. Indulged in a treatment at Bells Day Spa. Or picked up some fresh-baked goods from the onsite bakery. But the addition of The Lodges at Bells at Killcare has upped the ante further. The design of the four luxurious tri-level lodges departs from the rest of the property’s aesthetic and tunes into the local environment instead, with sleek bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens and the pièce de resistance, a Sunset Deck on the top level.

a bathroom with a private tub at The Lodges at Bells at Killcare
Inside one of the stylish bathrooms. (Image: Anson Smart)

2. Pretty Beach House, NSW

On the surface, a beachside escape seems best reserved for the summer months, but Pretty Beach House manages to be an all-year-round retreat. The guesthouse, part of the exclusive Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio, is tucked into the treetops of the Bouddi Peninsula on the NSW Central Coast. From the warm welcome on the deck to the casual chats we have with the chef as he prepares dinner, this highly personalised service sees owners Karina and Brian Barry succeed where others fail. Book a stay at The Retreat, a two-storey haven with a wraparound deck, an upstairs living area, two bathrooms, adjustable king-size bed with inbuilt massage, and plunge pool for the ultimate luxurious escape.

the main guest loungeof Pretty Beach House
The main guest lounge of Pretty Beach House. (Image: Anson Smart)

3. Island House, Lord Howe Island NSW

Fringed by evergreen Kentia palms and set under the guardianship of Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird, Lord Howe Island is a forested arcadia rising from coral reefs. Just a two-hour flight from Sydney, it’s impossible not to fall into absolute relaxation here. Do so at the eco-luxe Island House with its beautifully considered North and South abodes built consciously from hardwood and copper. Sleeping eight guests in the art-festooned, oak-lined dwellings, guests will relish chef-prepared meals and unimpeded privacy.

evergreen Kentia palms at Lord Howe Island
Set yourself to Lord Howe Island time. (Image: Anson Smart)
the interior of Island House, Lord Howe Island
The eco-luxe Island House is built from hardwood and copper. (Image: Anson Smart)

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4. Arkaba Homestead, SA

You’ll find historic Arkaba Homestead folded into the dusty-green bush on the verge of South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. The 1850s-era, five-guestroom homestead blends into the serenity of its rocky surrounds and offers a pause in luxury on the final night of the three-day Arkaba Walk into Wilpena Pound. But you needn’t do the full walk to stay at this all-inclusive former frontier estate that offers twice-daily safari experiences for all guests.

the Arkaba Homestead, SA
Experience wild luxury at Arkaba.

5. Saffire Freycinet, Tas

a suite with a sea view, On Board Expeditions cruises on Tasmania
Sleep in luxury with scenic sea views onboard.

Aspirations of explorative adventure come cocooned in luxury with a new collaboration between Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet and On Board Expeditions cruises. The six-night Coast-to-Coast discovery for 12 guests sees would-be wanderers deposited by seaplane into the remote south-west corner of Tassie’s extraordinary wilderness. There, they board a luxury cruise for three nights, before being whisked back to the east coast to take in the heart-lifting beauty of The Hazards from Saffire Freycinet’s beautifully crafted comforts.

a look inside Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania
Saffire Freycinet is a serene space filled with luxurious creature comforts.

6. The Lake House, Daylesford, Vic

A little over 40 years ago, the late Allan Wolf-Tasker was tasked to quite literally build his wife’s dream in Victoria’s Daylesford. The owner of the dream was celebrated chef Alla Wolf-Tasker and since the realisation of the pioneering Lake House, the luxury lodge has earned 76-plus chefs’ hats thanks to Wolf-Tasker’s beautifully seasonal and artistic fare. The rambling grounds meander to a gentle lake, the studios are an expression of modern country elegance and the spa is full of luxurious rituals and treatments.

the dining at legendary Lake House, Daylesford, Victoria
Stay and spa at legendary Lake House.

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7. Two of Hamilton Island’s luxe stays, Qld

Encircled by the Great Barrier Reef on Hamilton Island, qualia is compelling enough, but the luxe Whitsundays resort that perfected the laid-back style of Australian hospitality also drops jaws with its elegant suites, curated dining and soft-mauve sunsets. And now there’s a persuasive reason to unpeel yourself from the sun lounger, with the resort’s Cultural Island Discovery experience to Ngaro Country. Join Robbie Congoo as he reveals Indigenous heritage through explorations of cave paintings, flora and fauna and storytelling. Elsewhere on the island, Hamilton’s newest luxury hotel The Sundays has opened, a fresh boutique offering designed with families in mind.

Hamilton’s newest luxury hotel, The Sundays
Check into Hamilton’s newest luxury hotel, The Sundays. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

8. The Mondrian Gold Coast, Qld

The gilding of the Gold Coast continues as the city’s luxe inventory grows with the opening of the shiny-new Mondrian this June. Positioned for ample saturation of the Pacific’s blue hues, this 208-key luxury hotel is achingly of-the-minute, with sweeping modern design that celebrates the Gold Coast’s manicured aesthetic. Contributing to the buzz of hip Burleigh Heads, the Mondrian welcomes with a pool bar, all-day Italian diner, seafood restaurant and bio-wellness spa.

the sunrise lounge at Mondrian Gold Coast
The all-new Mondrian Gold Coast. (Image: Justin Nicholas)

9. Luxe stays come in threes in The Kimberley, WA

the El QuestroHomestead atop Chamberlain Gorge
El Questro Homestead is beautifully set atop Chamberlain Gorge.

A landscape of high contrast, Western Australia’s Kimberley region pins high on the inspiration board. From rough-hewn cliffs and quartzite waters to remote stations of parched beauty, the otherworldly topography is thoroughly bewitching on a luxury bush stay at Berkeley River Lodge, floating pontoon Jetwave Pearl and El Questro Homestead. The latter of which ensures surfaces are thoroughly scratched on a two-hour tour with a Traditional Owner, who guides you through the deep reverence local Ngarinyin people have for Country.

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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

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    Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated. 

    Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.  

    Geelong cellar door wine bar
    Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

    Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct 

    Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.  

    Paddock Bakery andPatisserie
    Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    At Paddock, one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand. 

    Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design 

    Paddock Bakery
    Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    “A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.  

    And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

    Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.  

    As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.  

    The rise of a food and wine destination  

    boiler house
    Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

    Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915. Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco. 

    Woolstore
    The Woolstore is a new restaurant and bar housed within a century-old warehouse. (Image: Amy Carlon)

     The Woolstore, one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.  

    Woolstore menu
    Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

    Breathing new life into historic spaces  

    On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.  

    “We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.” 

    Provenance Wines
    Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

    The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

    While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.  

    handcrafted pieces
    Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

    The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”  

    A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”  

    Elizabeth Bell
    Ceramicist Elizabeth Bell has a store in Fyansford Paper Mill.