Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is pumping fresh momentum into the Sunshine Coast’s hospitality scene.
So long, beige beach stays devoid of personality. The Sunshine Coast has just scored its most exciting address in almost four decades.
Meet Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel , a slice of modernist coastal calm set to welcome guests from 11 May 2026. Twelve stories high and 180 rooms strong, the hotel is the first full-service internationally branded hotel to open in the region in nearly 40 years. It falls under Minor Hotels’ global expansion vision, which aims to operate 850 properties worldwide by the end of 2027.
Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel offers design-forward flair.
Set just 100 metres from the sand – where gentle surf meets a happening esplanade – the property lands smack in the heart of Mooloolaba’s evolving foreshore precinct, currently undergoing major parkland and public space upgrades. The Sunshine Coast Airport (15 minutes by car) and major attractions such as Australia Zoo also lie within easy reach.
This isn’t nostalgia-core beach accommodation with rattan leftovers and surf posters curling at the edges. The Avani brand is known for its social atmosphere and design-forward flair, and the new Mooloolaba outpost is no exception. Rooms are light-bathed and spacious, ranging from 27 to 45 square metres, with interconnecting options ticking boxes for families and groups. The design language is considered yet relaxed, splashing spaces with travertine, timber and a warm peachy palette.
Freestanding tubs and travertine sinks feature in the bathrooms.
Sunset hour is where Avani truly turns heads. A rooftop pool perched on level 12 promises immaculate views of Mooloolaba Beach, Point Cartwright and the Glass House Mountains. Sully’s Rooftop has open-air dining and a bar to match, offering a modern Australian menu that leans into seasonal produce and seafood that celebrates the Sunshine Coast’s fishermen, growers and artisan producers. It’s the kind of place you’ll end up lingering long into the night.
An energetic lobby adds to the appeal.
Downstairs, the street-level lobby bar is set to be a lively social space where guests can sip morning lattes or converse over evening tipples. It’s intended to start and end your day on a high-note, welcoming you back after taking a refreshing ocean dip or hunting down the best restaurants on the Sunshine Coast.
Tapping into the ever-growing Aussie wellness scene, which spans bathhouses in Sydney to authentic Scandi saunas, the hotel’s AvaniSpa offers results-oriented treatments. Fitness is part of the vision, too, with AvaniFit providing a high-performance fitness studio and in-room wellbeing programming for guests keen to get their daily movement in.
Sip evening cocktails at the lobby bar.
Scott Wright, General Manager of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel says the hotel’s launch marks a significant moment for the fast-growing region.
“We are counting down the days to welcoming our very first guests through the doors. After four decades without a new full-service internationally branded hotel in the region, this opening feels genuinely historic."
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Families and groups can opt for spacious, adjoining rooms.
Arriving at a key inflection point for the Sunshine Coast – where food, outdoor adventure and world-class beaches already draw visitors in droves – this Avani signals a new era. It’s stylish without being precious, energetic without trying too hard, and ready to put Mooloolaba on the shortlist for your next Aussie retreat.
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
Adventure and refined Luxury combine at the stunning Rangelands Outback Camp.
Iconic Australian red dirt, ancient rocky landscapes and bursts of greenery and wildflowers all make the small town of Winton, and its surrounds, a sight to behold. Escape the ordinary and unwind in the Queensland outback, where ancient landscapes and off-grid luxury await at Rangelands Outback Camp.
Unwind in the ancient outback.
About Rangelands Outback Camp
Unforgettable 360-degree views of this 95-million-year-old land await at Rangelands; bathed in style and positioned on top of a jump-up (or mesa), your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting.
Set on the 53,935-square-kilometre Rangelands Station – a working cattle property – the abundant wildlife are your only neighbours; kangaroos, echidnas, eagles and other birdlife all call Rangelands home.
Bathed in style, your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting. Indulge with carefully curated menus, personalised service and supersized luxury tents that guarantee a private experience. This exclusive camp only has a maximum of 12 guests at a time.
Here, the aim is pampering. From tasty menus to supersized tents with all the creature comforts, to a range of guided tours around the property and beyond.
Guests are transferred from Winton or Longreach by a dedicated Rangelands driver.
Soak in 360-degree views.
Rangelands Outback Camp tours
Join small-group tours and enjoy exclusive access to the ancient Rangelands Rifts with your Rangelands hosts. These incredible rock formations were formed by millions of years of erosion, leaving dramatic channels through the rock. Or explore the surrounds with Rangeland’s touring partner, Red Dirt Tours .
Get sunset birds-eye views over dramatic mesa country in a helicopter, from Queensland’s own Three Sisters to Corey’s Range, stopping at the best lookouts along the way.
Get up close and personal with this rugged land on four wheels, with expert drivers and guides leading guests through famous Bladensburg National Park, visiting Gondwana Stars Observatory and more.
The Winton area is famous for its boulder opals (the second-rarest opal in the world, after black opals), and a stop at the mining community of Opalton sheds a fascinating light on the unique fossicking method used to find them.
A trip to dinosaur country is a must, as this is the place that ramped up Australia’s dino contribution after a fossilised footprint was found in 1962; after more exploration, the discovery of 3300 footprints made it clear this was the world’s only evidence of a dinosaur stampede. Those same footprints are still on display today at Lark Quarry Conservation Park , a 90-minute drive from Winton. Also check out Australia’s largest collection of Australian Dinosaur fossils Australian Age of Dinosaurs, just 30 minutes from Winton. Here, join a tour through a working laboratory, dinosaur canyon and more.
A twice-daily transfer into downtown Winton is offered to guests, where they can explore the Royal Outdoor Theatre, opal shops, Waltzing Matilda Centre and more.
Have an exclusive adventure through the Rangeland Rifts. (Image: TEQ)
Sleeping in luxury
After a day of exploring, return to your tranquil tent for a blissful open shower and uninterrupted views from your private deck.
Designed to integrate guests into the surrounding nature, each tent feels like its own private haven. While being off-grid in the outback (in fact, each tent is powered by its own solar panels, with the added support of a backup generator), guests can also luxuriate in comfortable amenities like air conditioning, a supremely comfortable king-size bed and stylish designer touches.
Guests can stroll to the open-air Sunset Deck for breathtaking panoramic views, or to the main lounge and dining tent, where books, on-demand coffee and drinks make it the perfect place to relax after a day in the outback.
Enjoy plenty of space inside, and stunning views outside.
Rangelands Outback Camp dining
As the sun starts to dip below the horizon, gather for drinks and canapés on the expansive Sunset Deck, watching the sun drench the landscape in pinks and oranges as it sinks below the horizon.
Later, head to The Mahal lounge area and dining tent where mealtime magic happens. Savour a gourmet meal made fresh by Rangeland’s onsite chef. The meals use local produce to elevate classic outback dishes, and don’t worry, dietary requirements are happily accommodated.
Enjoy an open bar filled with an expansive hand-selected list of wines and premium beers, with wine pairings offered by Rangelands hosts come dinner time.
