Welcome to Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels and share what makes them worthy of your wishlist.

Ever since Noosa was voted the best town in Australia in Australian Traveller’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, it has been high on my list to revisit. It’s been some 15 years since I headed to the coastal resort area on the Sunshine Coast, which gets to boast that it’s home to one of only two Everglades in the world. It now also gets to boast that it’s home to the newly opened Noosa Elysium Resort, a five-star accommodation, which was high on most travel journalists’ lists to check into when it opened its doors. I stayed at the sister property, Manly Pacific, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches one month prior, which was brilliant, so my expectations were high.

On arrival, the freshly painted white building, which has retained its ‘80s bones and is surrounded by palm trees, feels immediately nostalgic. Originally built in 1989 as a Sheraton before being reborn in 2013 as the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, its third iteration is certainly its most fabulous. And that’s thanks to the $30 million rebrand. The property sits on Noosa’s main drag, Hastings Street, and inside, it’s light and breezy in the way all good resorts are, signalling it’s time to slow down and relax.

Right on cue, a glass of bubbles lands in my mum’s and my hands. We relax in the double-height ceiling lobby as a friendly staff member talks us through the hotel’s offerings, before guiding us to our suite.

It’s a big call to make, and I promise it’s not recency bias, but this suite appeals to my design sensibilities more than any other I’ve stayed in. Mum agrees. Melbourne-based studio Mitchell & Eades was responsible for the modern coastal design, which sees oatmeal and pale blue punctuated by tangerine accents, alongside light-coloured timber, rattan and linen. Colourful, abstract artworks commissioned by Western Australian artist Sarana Haeata line the walls and bring a bit of personality to the understated space.

There are many things I love about this suite, but three things really stand out to me as considered design. The first: a hallway which doubles as a walk-in wardrobe with two suitcase racks (so the second traveller doesn’t have to awkwardly unfold their bag on the floor) and both slides for the pool and slippers. The second: a huge kitchenette and minibar that is well stocked with premium bits such as local Noosa Vodka, Nil Desperandum Rum, Australian wine, Ruinart, nuts, chips and chocolate. There’s also a Zip Tap and small dishwasher.

Mum takes a photo of the bathroom for design inspiration. It’s enveloped in marble and elevated with gold accents, and there is a huge double walk-in shower, two vanities, a freestanding bath and Dyson hairdryer. Outside, a balcony with tangerine-and-white striped chairs overlooks the Noosa River and makes for an idyllic sunset spot during the stay.

Bar Capri and Cibaria are the dining facilities onsite so we head down for a quick lunch to taste some of head chef Lucas Bach’s menu. Lush, tropical greenery gives the open space an almost jungle-treehouse vibe as we tuck into lobster rolls, oysters, fritto misto, and burrata with peach paired with a Sicilian spicy marg and passionfruit mojito.

We spend the rest of the day by the pool. It’s huge and the swim-up bar is an extra bit of fun that makes you feel like you could be at a resort somewhere like Fiji. There are plenty of loungers and umbrellas (120 to be exact), but spreading out in one of the cabanas is definitely the way to go. From here, you can relax on white sunbeds or the sofa and order drinks and nibbles straight to you. We spend hours here on a demanding schedule of swimming, sipping, eating and reading.

Dinner both nights is spent at Cibaria. There are lots of different nooks to get cosy in so you feel like you’re having a different experience each evening.  I’d recommend sitting at the bar where you can take in the culinary theatre and have a chat with the chefs. The menu centres on the “ias": bisteccheria, forneria, spaghetteria, and pasticceria. I ordered the same main on both occasions because it’s that good: pennette vodka with Moreton Bay bug and spicy vodka sauce. We also indulge in yellowfin tuna crudo, a prawn cocktail and the must-order tiramisu.

When we return to our room, turndown service treats await – tea, chocolate and our slippers laid out – and the gentle hum of meditation music lulls us into a slumber.

Come morning, the Cibaria space transforms into Terrazzo where a full buffet spread offers a more elevated take on the usual hot and cold breakfast suspects, including native spreads and Eumundi Butcher’s sausages. The only downside is the barista-made coffee was average on both mornings.

Elysium Noosa Resort is beautifully considered and best suited to families looking for a luxurious coastal stay or couples on a romantic getaway. Its perfect positioning makes it a great base for exploring Noosa proper, that is, if you can pull yourself away from the calm resort atmosphere, which I definitely could not.

This will be my last column for our Hotel Addict series in Australia. Next month, I will be packing my bags and relocating to the UK. You’ll find my writing popping up on our sister website, International Traveller. But this stay truly was the perfect accommodation to end on; coastal views, sunshine and Moreton Bay bug pasta – a girl couldn’t ask for more.

Details

Best for: Young families and honeymooners

Address: 14–16 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads, QLD 4567

Accessibility: Accessible rooms feature open-plan layouts with lowered peepholes and light switches, bathroom/toilet handrails and kitchenettes with underbench clearance. Public spaces are accessibility friendly.