A guide to the best Toowoomba accommodation

Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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Whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, these seven Toowoomba hotels, caravan parks and holiday homes deliver the goods.

Queensland’s Garden City is home to a number of accommodation options, whatever your budget and needs. From the familiar ease of a chain apartment hotel, to a more boutique option, or even a no-frills caravan park, this curated selection of Toowoomba accommodation will offer something for everyone.

1. Avenue Motel Apartments

Avenue Motel Apartments
Avenue Motel Apartments make for a solid base in Toowoomba.

The modern rooms at Avenue Motel Apartments make for a solid base in Toowoomba. Situated in South Toowoomba, less than a 10-minute drive from the city centre, the property caters to all kinds of needs, whether you’re travelling as a family and on the hunt for a large room with multiple beds, or the option to have interconnecting rooms; travelling for work and looking for a self-contained room that features a work desk (the executive queen); or if you have extra accessibility requirements that necessitate wide room entry and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom (the easy access queen). Each and every room features a small kitchenette, and some rooms offer balconies or private courtyards too.

Address: 790 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: avenuemotelapartments.com.au

2. Potter’s Boutique Hotel

Potter’s boutique hotel
Potters is conveniently located in the city centre.

Open since February 2017, the 54-room Potter’s Boutique Hotel is of a similar ilk to Avenue Motel Apartments. Rooms feature a modern look, with clean lines, plenty of natural light, and a white and grey palette with blonde wood and pops of burnt orange. Pick from a king or twin room, or a two-bedroom apartment.

Conveniently located in the city centre, Potter’s is less than a 10-minute walk from Toowoomba’s cafes, shops and restaurants. It’s the perfect spot for a weekend getaway, with a late checkout of 5pm on Sundays (subject to availability). There’s also a restaurant on-site, open for breakfast and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.

Address: 258 Margaret Street, Toowoomba City, QLD, 4350
Website: pottershoteltoowoomba.com.au

3. Quest Toowoomba

church facade of Quest Toowoomba
Quest Toowoomba is all party in the front, business in the back.

A chain hotel with a twist, the Quest Toowoomba is all party in the front, business in the back. Housed partly within a heritage church building that features an impressive double-height lobby decked with vast swathes of marble and modernist light fittings, the guest apartments all sit within the adjoining purpose-built property at the back. Choose from a studio with a kitchenette, or a one-, two- or three-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and laundry facilities, some boasting parkland views. There’s an onsite gym and almost everything of note in Toowoomba is within walking distance.

Address: 133 Margaret Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: questapartmentstoowoomba.com

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4. Toowoomba Motor Village

Sunshine at Toowoomba Motor Village.
Sunshine at Toowoomba Motor Village.

If you’re looking for pet-friendly camping and caravanning sites close to Toowoomba’s CBD, the Toowoomba Motor Village might just be your best bet. Located three kilometres south of the city centre, the holiday park is within walking distance of plenty of local shops and take-away restaurants, and backs onto a quiet park with walking and cycling trails too. This popular option is known for its clean facilities and friendly staff.

Address: 821 Ruthven St, Toowoomba City, QLD, 4350
Website: toowoombamotorvillage.com.au

5. Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park

Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park.
Try the Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park.

Looking for an economical, no-frills caravan park to pitch up to for a night or three? Try the Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park. Set amid spacious grounds, 15 minutes’ drive from the CBD, the park’s rates start from $25 a night for two adults and two children and there’s no need to make an advance booking either – just make sure the grounds aren’t closed for any special events beforehand. The site is also pet-friendly, and offers caravanners hot showers and a dump point. No camping allowed.

Address: Toowoomba Showgrounds, Glenvale Rd, Glenvale, QLD, 4350
Website: toowoombashow.com.au/caravans

6. Oaks Toowoomba Hotel

Corporate-chic at this Toowoomba hotel.

With its white, black and grey colour palette, there’s a bit of a corporate-chic vibe to this Toowoomba hotel. It’s one of the city’s newest kids on the block, opening in July 2020, and one of the few in Toowoomba to offer guests a swimming pool; there’s also a small gym, a restaurant, and a pub. The five-storey development houses 102 rooms, all with private balconies, ranging from a 29-metre-squared room for two, up to a three-bedroom, 84-metre-squared apartment that can sleep up to seven. And it’s right in the thick of the city too.

Address: 25 Annand Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: oakshotel.com/toowoomba

7. Pinbarron Cottage (Stayz)

Pinbarron cottage Toowoomba
Pinbarron is a restored period cottage.

When the promise of exclusivity (and a home away from home) beckons, plump for this gorgeous three-bedroom Queenslander. Situated on a tree-lined street in East Toowoomba, Pinbarron is a restored period cottage that has almost every conceivable amenity you could need, not to mention oodles of charm to boot (think window seats, open fireplaces, polished timber floors, high ceilings throughout, and a semi-covered front verandah). You’ll feel like a local in no time.

Website: stayz.com.au

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8. Nightcap at Federal Hotel

Nightcap at Federal Hotel toowoomba
Cross the road for tasty pub grub.

While the Federal Hotel is already a favourite of locals for its classic pub grub menu, its accommodations across the road at Nightcap holds everything travellers need for an accesible stay in the centre of town. Find all the country comforts, plus self-service laundry facilities. Not to mention, you can order room service straight from the Federal Hotel’s bistro menu.

Address: 111 James Street, Toowoomba
Website: nightcaphotels.com.au 

9. Burke and Wills Hotel Toowoomba

Book into the newly renovated Burke & Wills Hotel for a mixture of old-school extravagance and service with modern comforts. Right in the heart of Toowoomba, guests are only a short walk from all local attractions, and guests laud the friendly and reliable service.

Address: 554 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba
Website: burkeandwillshotel.com.au

10. The Arbour Boutique Apartments

The Arbour Boutique Apartments toowoomba
The Arbour brings a new level of luxury to Toowoomba.

The Arbour brings a new style of luxury short-stay accommodation to Toowoomba. With only 11 rooms, choose from one and two-bedroom self-contained apartments, nestled among the leafy surrounds of East Toowoomba. Decorated for understated luxury, neutrals with pops of dark colours keep things classic and soothing.

Address: 27 Scott Street, Toowoomba
Website: arbourapartments.com.au

Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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7 wellness experiences on Hamilton Island for complete rejuvenation

(Credit: Riley Williams)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    Conjuring calm and active adventure in equal measure, Hamilton Island is a tropical tonic for body and mind.

    Hamilton Island knows a thing or two about indulgence. There are long lunches to linger over, seafood towers to savour and poolside loungers designed for guilt-free idling. But for health-minded travellers wanting to feel energised inside and out, this sliver of the Whitsundays takes wellbeing just as seriously. Think yoga mats rolling out at dawn, kayaks skimming turquoise water, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and spa therapists working tropical magic. These Hamilton Island wellness experiences promise to restore, rebalance and leave you feeling brand new.

    1. E-Mountain biking

    mountain bikers on Hamilton Island wellness
    Follow Hamilton Island’s mountian biking trails. (Credit: Harry Gruttner)

    For travellers with an appetite for adrenaline, Hamilton Island’s new self-guided e-mountain biking experience is worth carving out a morning for. Start at HI Trails HQ, where you’ll be fitted with a full-suspension, pedal-assisted e-mountain bike and given a run-through of a nine-kilometre section of the island’s 25-kilometre trail network. The electric boost makes the ride more accessible (and the climbs more manageable), though an intermediate level of fitness is still recommended.

    As a first-time mountain biker, I start off wobbly – taking my time to get used to switching gears and electric modes – and wonder if I’ve overestimated my coordination. But soon something clicks. Suddenly we’re zooming through pockets of eucalyptus and out onto ridgelines with sweeping views of electric blue waters, catching our breath at hidden bays with barely another soul in sight. More than 70 per cent of the island remains untouched, so witnessing these lesser-explored pockets feels like a blessing. It’s the kind of adventure that leaves you buzzing, accomplished and blissfully tired out.

    2. HI Fitness Club

    HI Fitness Club reformer pilates
    Stretch out with reformer pilates.

    If mountain biking isn’t quite your speed, there are plenty of other ways to stay active on the island. One of the newest Hamilton Island wellness experiences, HI Fitness Club now has 24-hour access, offering a fully equipped modern gym, group classes spanning HIIT to yoga, plus two bubbling spas and a sauna waiting to loosen sore muscles.

    I drop in for a Reformer Pilates class. Each of the four machines has its own mini screen with a wide selection of high-quality virtual classes, meaning I can select one that suits my level and mood that day. Beyond Pilates, the virtual library is like a choose-your-own adventure for fitness enthusiasts: dance, Body Pump, Body Combat and GRIT Cardio are among the options. Or perhaps challenge a family member or friend to a hit of tennis at one of the three courts.

    3. Walking trails

    runners on hamilton island
    Get the blood pumping on a morning run.

    We set out early. By 6:45am, we’re halfway up Passage Peak, the highest point on Hamilton Island and widely considered its most impressive vantage point. From the Scenic Trail Entrance, the viewing platform takes around an hour to reach by foot, with moderate inclines that will get your heart pumping without feeling too punishing. The payoff at the top is immediate. Bush-clad Whitsundays islands scatter across the horizon in every direction, the sunrise brushing the scene with soft melon and gold tones. I take my time soaking up the 360° panorama, remembering how powerful an active start in nature can be for clearing the mind and energising the day ahead.

    While Passage Peak is one of the most popular hikes on Hamilton Island, Flat Top Hill Lookout and the longer Southeast Head Trail are also excellent choices.

    4. Spa wumurdaylin

    Spa Wumurdaylin on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Feel your worries melt away at Spa wumurdaylin.

    In a tranquil treatment room at Spa wumurdaylin, the world disappears. The space is all brown stone tiles, bamboo racks and lush garden views, setting the tone for my Soul Temple treatment. My therapist, Kass, begins with a full-body, exfoliating orange buff sugar scrub that feels divine. Next comes the vertical Vichy shower and underwater massage to knead out muscle knots. The sound of cascading water is reminiscent of a tropical rainstorm, and stress becomes a distant memory.

    It’s a prime example of the transportive power of the island’s spa, where guests can come to reset the mind and loosen tension in the body. The menu spans radiance facials to deep release rituals and mud wraps, all using products from pH-balanced skincare brand LaGaia Unedited. Concluding with herbal tea, I leave in a blissful daze.

    5. Sunrise yoga

    sunrise yoga session at the sundays on hamilton island wellness experiences
    Start your day on the right foot.

    Morning movement doesn’t get more surreal than sunrise yoga on The Sundays’ seaside terrace. As we roll out our mats, morning light spills across Catseye Beach below, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold. But the setting only does half the healing. I match my breath to the rhythm of the waves and feel my body gradually lengthen and wake as instructor Tyla Rae guides us through a slow, mindful flow.

    Available exclusively to guests of The Sundays, this session captures the spirit of wellness on Hamilton Island – immersion in nature, slowing down by the sea, recalibrating both body and mind. To round out the experience, the perfect ocean cool-off awaits just steps away.

    6. Getting out on the water

    people on sup boards at the sundays hamilton island
    Try your hand at a host of watersports.

    Speaking of ocean delights, Catseye Beach’s host of watersports delivers spades of fun and rejuvenation. Glide over the crystalline water in a kayak, test your sailing skills in a mini catamaran, spot schools of fish (and a turtle if you’re lucky) from a stand-up paddleboard, or slip into an underwater wonderland when you snorkel off the beach.

    Out here, the water is so clear it feels like floating in glass, and the green silhouettes of the Whitsunday Islands rise on the horizon. Half an hour on the water here is all you need to reset your entire mood.

    Guests staying at qualia, Beach Club, The Sundays, Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows and Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have complimentary access to all these water activities, making it easy to dive right in.

    7. Take a swing

    Dent Island Golf course
    Enjoy incredible views with a swing of golf.

    For others, mindfulness comes from calm concentration – and golf fits the bill to a tee. Designed by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, Hamilton Island Golf Club is perched along the scenic ridges of Dent Island. It’s Australia’s only golf course on its own island, making it one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. The experience is suitable for golfers of all skill levels, with spectator bookings also available for those simply wishing to take in the views. Follow the game with a well-earned lunch at the Clubhouse restaurant.

    Find out more ways to unwind in the Whitsundays at hamiltonisland.com.au.