10 hotels that take pet-friendly to a new, luxurious level

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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These luxury pet-friendly hotels​ are levelling up the game.

Pet-friendly accommodation is nothing new in 2025, but the latest offerings are going far beyond allowing your dog to stay in the room with you. Gourmet, healthy menus specifically for your pet, free toys, high-end dog beds and more await the modern pet owner and their well-travelled pooch at these luxury pet-friendly hotels.

Of course, as a cat mum, the hotel trend I’d like to see next is specially curated cat stays. But at least your dogs are covered.

woman with her pet dog on a couch at The Langham Gold Coast, luxury pet-friendly hotels
Stay in pet-friendly style around Australia.

1. W Brisbane

The hotel chain’s Sydney and Melbourne locations offer an exclusive P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) Package for either your dog or (hurray) cat. Besides pet beds and bowls, your furry companion is catered for with provided clean-up bags, litter or wee pads, toys and treats as well as local pet information for a furbaby-perfect stay.

Pets Are Welcome at W Brisbane hotel
Pets are welcome at W Brisbane.

2. The Langham Gold Coast

The Langham is jumping on board the pet train with its recently released Pampered Pet Package , which aims to give your pooch their own five-star experience. Think an in-room luxury bed setup, food and water bowls, a take-home gift and a premium $80 food and beverage credit that can be used on a Private Dining Dog Menu (set to launch soon).

The Langham Gold Coast, luxury pet-friendly hotels
Let your dog relax his body and treat his palate.

3. QT Melbourne

QT Hotels was one of the first chains to bring an extended offering for their furry guests. Dubbed the ‘Pup Yeah Fur-Friendly Stay’, dogs of up to 20 kilos are welcomed to enjoy pet-centric features like a mini bar packed with dog treats, as well as an in-room dining menu designed by QT Head of Treats Nic Wood (yes, really, that’s a job title).

And now, QT has hired its own dog-cierge, Russell, naturally in charge of wellness, joy and belly rubs at the hotel. Together with Guide Dogs Victoria, QT Melbourne has launched a series of dog-friendly experiences, with proceeds supporting Guide Dogs Victoria’s life-changing work in the community. Things like Pups & Poses yoga with Soflo Studios on the hotel’s rooftop and new puppuccinos at Deli QT Melbourne.

puppy yoga at QT Melbourne
QT Melbourne is taking pet-friendly further.

4. StandardX, Melbourne

Looking to Jet Set With Your Pet? Standard X, Melbourne has a package for that. Spend the night in a Balcony King so your dog can get some fresh air, plus find a pet bed, food and water bowls, treats and clean-up bags included. On top of that, for an extra charge, guests will have access to local pet services (subject to availability) like dog walking.

Standard X Melbourne Balcony King Room
Access local pet services with Standard X Melbourne.

5. Hyatt Centric Melbourne

Another hotel rolling out the red carpet for cats as well as dogs, the Hyatt Centric Melbourne hotel offers pet-friendly accommodation designed to help your pet relax, recharge and soak up the city vibes just as much as you do. Besides beds and bowls, take advantage of a souvenir (aka pet toy), access to a private balcony and provided doggy bags or litter tray.

Hyatt Centric Melbourne, luxury pet-friendly hotels
Let the pooches take home their own souvenirs.

6. Dorsett Melbourne

Dorsett Melbourne offers a Holidays for Hounds package. As well as in-room luxuries, you can order a gourmet meal from the hotel’s Pet Menu, created in collaboration with Jacinta Malone from Chadwick Nutrition (one of Melbourne’s top canine and feline nutritionists). This means pets dine on natural ingredients chosen to help increase longevity and health. Options include chicken meatballs, beef tartare and pup cakes. Not enough? Receive 10 per cent off orders from Supaw Bakery (a dog treat bakery) and 10 per cent off consultations with Chadwick Nutrition.

Get out and about after a discussion with the hotel’s ‘Paw-cierge’ team to discover dog-friendly spots and parks located nearby (also, dogs can ride the metro for free).

pet menu at Dorsett Melbourne
Order from the hotel’s Pet Menu.

7. Park Hyatt Melbourne 

Long known for its canine ambassadors, Park Hyatt Melbourne has welcomed Crescendo Charlie (or just Charlie for short), a six-and-a-half-year-old white Labrador retriever, into the role following the retirement of his predecessor, Mr. Walker. Focused on guest engagement and companionship, Charlie has brought his playful and affectionate energy to his new role. Guests can expect to find him exploring the hotel and greeting visitors.

Oh, and the hotel has also just introduced pet-friendly rooms. Complete with a soft toy and welcome treat, in-room pet dining menu and access to designated pet relief mats.

Crescendo Charlie, ambassedor of park hyatt melbourne
Meet Crescendo Charlie.

8. MGallery Manly Pacific Hotel

What dog doesn’t love a frolic on the beach? And they don’t get much nicer than Manly. Something that MGallery Manly Pacific Hotel took into consideration when creating pet-friendly rooms, complete with a private balcony, direct ocean view and outdoor furniture adapted to suit pet paws. What’s more, the hotel has a special room service menu, specifically for dogs.

Think pupaccinos, Scoop Dogg Frozen Puppy Treat (homemade ice cream with peanut butter, bacon and yoghurt) and San Chow Bow Wow (nutritionally balanced snack of ground chicken, spinach, carrots, peas and brown rice, wrapped in a lettuce leaf, braised in chicken broth).

9. Pier One Sydney Harbour, Autograph Collection

Book a Puppy Package at Pier One Sydney Harbour , in the heart of Walsh Bay, to receive a doggy welcome amenity on arrival, a doggy in-room minibar and dining menu (with treats and toys) and – the pièce de résistance – a pup snack breakfast buffet at Pier Bar.

puppy at pier one sydney hotel
Book the puppy package for views and treats.

10. Spicer’s Hidden Vale

Not only can you bring your own dog to Spicers Hidden Vale , but you (and your doggo) can be greeted by Wally, the cute caramel cavoodle and unofficial hotel ambassador. While being very willing to meet and mingle with guests, Wally also personally welcomes each guest’s pooch with a personalised card bearing his paw print.

Wally’s new dog friends can also enjoy walks with a provided lead, doggie bags, blanket and a long-lasting bone to give them something to chew on all vacay long.

Wally, the dog mascot of Spicers Hidden Vale
Meet Wally.

Prefer the open road? Check out our pet-friendly road trip tips and the best pet-friendly camping sites. Then pick your dining options from our favourite pet-friendly cafes around the country.

Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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Your Mandurah guide: art, dining & dolphins await in WA’s coastal gem

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
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    Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

    Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

    Aerial view of Mandurah.
    Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

    The best things to do in Mandurah

    Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

    In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

    While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

    If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

    Dolphins swimming in Mandurah.
    Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

    You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

    Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah  sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

    Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

    The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah.
    Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

    Where to eat in Mandurah

    Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

    On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

    Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

    The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

    If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

    A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops.
    Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

    Where to stay in Mandurah

    With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

    Seashells Mandurah; on the shores of Comet Bay.
    Stay right by the sea.

    The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

    But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

    A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river
    Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

    Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.