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The best accommodation in Warrnambool

Jade Raykovski Jade Raykovski
While holiday parks abound in Warrnambool, there are also plenty of options for those seeking a little more comfort and style.

There’s a lot to love about the Great Ocean Road’s largest city: the stunning coastline, seaside trails, rich history, gourmet food and the fact there’s a stay for every kind of traveller, from budget road trippers to luxury-seeking vacationers. Whether you’re looking for peaceful retreats, beachside adventures or boutique digs, we’ve selected the best accommodation in Warrnambool for your next trip along Victoria’s spectacular south-west coast.

In Short

If you only stay at one accommodation in Warrnambool, make it Gallery Apartments. It’s a luxurious self-contained getaway with an outdoor pool that places you within walking distance to Warrnambool’s cafes and restaurants.

Hotels

Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs

Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs from above
Sweeping coastal vistas abound.

Looking for a dreamy wellness getaway where time slows right down? Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs will have you forgetting your email inbox even exists. Located near the foreshore, the hotel puts wellness front and centre, with an indoor bathhouse, day spa, and adjoining hot springs sanctuary (just make sure to book in advance, as hotel guests aren’t guaranteed entry).

The bright, modern rooms range from studios and spa suites to two- and three-bedroom apartments; some feature a sea view, and there are three dedicated all-abilities rooms. An on-site restaurant, room service, and free parking round out the amenities on offer. Our tip? Check out the packages on their website before you book, as there are often seasonal offers combining accommodation, dining and wellness.

Address: 1 Worm Bay Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280  

Hotel Warrnambool

Hotel Warrnambool room interior
The boutique pub stay retains an old-world charm. (Credit: Hotel Warrnambool)

If you’re after a boutique pub stay in the heart of town, check into Hotel Warrnambool. The modern rooms retain an old-world charm, with many looking out of the arched latticed windows of the pub’s façade. Enjoy a meal at the on-site bistro serving up Mediterranean-style dishes, or relax in the beer garden with a pint. Just take note when booking that some rooms share a bathroom.

Address: 185 Koroit Street, Warrnambool VIC 3280

Quest Warrnambool

the interior of Quest Warrnambool
Quest Warrnambool is a trusted stay.

This modern, no-frills accommodation has everything you need for a comfortable stay: studios with kitchenettes, apartments with fully equipped kitchens plus open plan living/dining, a swimming pool, BBQ area, conference facilities and parking.

Guests are consistently impressed with the cleanliness and customer service, plus you’ll enjoy the convenience of being close to the town’s cafes, restaurants and shops. If you have any mobility issues, let them know in advance, as there’s no lift to the upper floors.

Address: 15-19 Liebig St, Warrnambool VIC 3280

Lady Bay Resort

Lady Bay Resort exterior view, Warrnambool
The waterfront resort treats guests to picturesque views.

Lady Bay Resort ticks all the boxes: self-contained apartments, studio rooms, restaurant, spa, swimming pool and gymnasium. It’s located near the foreshore, right by the Deep Blue Hot Springs, so you can just pop on over for a soak; you’ll need to drive into town, but luckily there’s plenty of parking here. Check out their couples package before booking – it includes two nights in a luxury spa apartment, cheese platter and sparkling, and passes to Flagstaff Hill.

Address: 2 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280  

Eight Spence

Whilst technically a motel, we’re sneaking 8 Spence in for its surprisingly chic coastal rooms and affordability. Recently refurbished, the family-owned and operated accommodation features queen, king and family-friendly two-bedroom rooms, all including microwaves, kettles, toasters, mini fridges, and smart TVs. There’s a guest laundry, BBQ area and free parking, making your stay that much more convenient. It’s on the edge of town, meaning longer walks or drives to your destination, but with prices starting at $140 a night, it’s worth it.

Address: 8 Spence St, Warrnambool VIC 3280

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Gallery Apartments

Gallery Apartments feels more like you’ve stepped into someone’s stylish, comfy home rather than a holiday apartment. The centrally located one- and two-bedroom apartments feature plush decor, fully equipped kitchens, living and dining areas, a smart TV and private courtyard. Relax by the outdoor pool and stroll to one of the many cafes and restaurants nearby. Booking a romantic getaway? Couples will love the deluxe spa suite, with its two-person spa bath in a full marble bathroom.

There’s also a studio apartment available (with on-street parking only), and if you have mobility issues avoid the double-storey apartments.

Address: 206 Lava St, Warrnambool

Airbnbs and holiday homes

Apartment 35

This luxurious one-bedroom retreat oozes Hampton vibes with its chic light interiors, outdoor patio and freestanding bathtub (which seals the deal for us!). A kitchen and BBQ means you can linger at the apartment, but if you decide to head out, you’ll be just a short stroll from Warrnambool’s cafes, bars and restaurants. There’s a car spot for you on the driveway, and the washer and dryer are handy for trips to the beach (which is only a few minutes away).

Address: 35 Banyan Street, Warrnambool VIC 3280  

Honey Flower House

Honey Flower House, Warrnambool
Sleep in elegance in a European-style holiday home.

The aptly-named Honey Flower House is decorated with warm, bright hues, and a skylight fills the bathroom with natural light, creating a cheerful holiday vibe. With two bedrooms, a full kitchen and European-style laundry, it’s great for couples and young families (host Monique has thoughtfully included children’s tableware, books and toys). It’s centrally located opposite the hospital, just a block away from the CBD.

Address: 256A Koroit Street, Warrnambool VIC 3280

Luxury coastal home in CBD

Luxury coastal home in CBD, Warrnambool
Retreat into this charming coastal home.

This two-bedroom home has been beautifully renovated with modern amenities, yet it retains charming touches such as brick-lined fireplaces and decorative wall panelling. It’s single-level with no stairs, so suitable for those with mobility issues. With two bathrooms (one including a freestanding tub), a full kitchen, washing machine, and outdoor BBQ, couples, friends or families with older children will be comfortable here. We suggest packing marshmallows, because you’ll love the firepit under fairy lights.

Address: Provided after booking

Serendipity

the interior of Serendipity Airbnb in Warrnambool
Floor-to-ceiling windows make way for panoramic ocean views.

Located across the Hopkins River bridge in Warrnambool, this four-bedroom architectural home does justice to the term ‘coastal haven’. All the essentials are covered in this child-friendly, pet-friendly stay (which features a fully enclosed backyard, children’s dinnerware, books and a travel crib, and allows for wheelchair accessibility). The standouts are the floor-to-ceiling windows, panoramic ocean views, chef’s kitchen with butler’s pantry and stunning courtyard. Three bathrooms and the sheer spaciousness of the place make managing groups a breeze.

Address: Riverview Terrace 30, Warrnambool VIC 3280

Camping and caravan parks

NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park

mini golf at NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park
Try your hand at mini golf.

Fun and relaxation go hand in hand at this tranquil holiday park positioned along the Hopkins River. Keep cool in the indoor or outdoor pools, try your hand at tennis or mini golf, let the kids burn energy on the playground and water slide, or simply cast a line into the river from the jetty.

Accommodation ranges from powered and ensuite sites to self-contained studios, family cabins and three-bedroom villas (many with private verandahs). Pets are welcome in the campsite and select cabins, and the essentials – amenities block, camp kitchen and BBQ area, plus kiosk – are all covered.

Address: 125 Jubilee Park Rd, Warrnambool  

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Surfside Holiday Park

Surfside Holiday Park, Warrnambool
The beachside accommodation is just a few steps away from Surfside Beach.

Nestled between Warrnambool’s foreshore, Surfside Beach and the popular Lake Pertobe Adventure playground, Surfside Holiday Park really is about location, location, location. The family-friendly park provides both unpowered and powered sites with the usual amenities, plus a range of fully contained cabins with options just 50 metres from the beach.

The Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park is also part of Surfside, located just 500 metres down the road.

Address: 120 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

Discovery Parks – Warrnambool

Also located off Pertobe Road, not far from the hot springs and Lake Pertobe, Discovery Parks ticks all the boxes for families looking for a fun stay by the coast. With pedal karts, a playground, activity room, swimming pool and on-site activities, you’ll be hard-pressed to get the kids to leave (did we mention it’s also dog friendly?).

Powered sites include ensuite options, while self-contained cabins sleep 1-6 guests (including an accessible option with ramp access). A camp kitchen, kiosk, BBQs, and laundry round out the on-site amenities.

Address: 25 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Warrnambool

the indoor pool at BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Warrnambool
Enjoy a refreshing swim in the indoor pool.

This centrally located holiday park is only ten minutes from the town centre. While the beach is a little further away, the park makes up for it with an indoor swimming pool, tennis court, and pirate-ship themed playground.

Pitch a tent or set up the caravan on a tree-hemmed powered or ensuite site, or book into one of the one-, two- or three-bedroom cabins. Pets are welcome (apart from select cabins), and make sure to check their website for deals before you book.

Address: 33 Lava St, Warrnambool

Warrnambool Holiday Village

The smaller, recently redeveloped Warrnambool Holiday Village offers a range of accommodation close to the town’s centre, from one-bedroom deluxe cabins to two-bedroom villas, complete with modern fittings and fixtures.

Camper and caravans will have their choice of unpowered or powered sites, with access to a camp kitchen and BBQ area (dogs are allowed in the campsite too, just not the cabins). Kids will adore the sandy playground area, featuring a new jumping pillow.

Address: 81 Henna St, Warrnambool

Warrnambool Holiday Park and Motel

Warrnambool Holiday Park and Motel game room, Warrnambool
Warrnambool Holiday Park and Motel features an indoor game room for the whole family.

Just a short stroll to the Hopkins River – and less than a minute’s drive to a boat launch – this friendly holiday park with free boat storage is the perfect base for those coming down to fish for the weekend.

Not into fishing? No problem. From a solar-heated swimming pool to a playground, jumping pillow and games room, there’s plenty more to entertain. All types of holiday goers are catered for here: choose from powered grass sites, ensuite sites, or studio cabins all the way through to family apartments. Communal facilities include electric BBQs, camp kitchen, and coin-operated laundry.

Address: 83 Simpson St, Warrnambool

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Jade Raykovski
Jade Raykovski is a freelance travel writer from Melbourne, Australia whose wanderlust began from immersing herself in the fantasy worlds of her favourite books as a kid. She started off her career as a graphic designer, before making the switch to copywriter, and now – in what you could say is the role she was always destined for – travel writer. Along with Australian Traveller, her bylines include National Geographic, BBC Travel, Escape and NZ Herald. And while she loves writing about home, she'll never pass up the chance to sip a spritz in Italy.
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NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park from above
Warrnambool

Our guide to the best Warrnambool caravan parks and camping spots

A trip to the beautiful regional city of Warrnambool doesn’t have to break the budget.

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This scenic Victorian region is the perfect antidote to city life

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

    The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

    There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd. In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

    Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

    ‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

    Exchanging city chaos for country calm

    kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park
    The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

    I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

    The trails and treasures of the Grampians

    sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd
    Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

    Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

    Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles. I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

    walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain
    Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

    There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail, Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

    Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

    “There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

    wildflowers in Grampians National Park
    Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

    Grampians National Park at sunset
    Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

    The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

    What else is on offer in The Grampians?

    a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola
    Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

    You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

    And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

    dining at Pomonal Estate
    Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

    The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

    Salingers of Great Western
    Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

    There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

    The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

    Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

    And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

    Kookaburras on a tree
    Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

    You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity.

    Playing there

    abseiling down Hollow Mountain
    Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

    Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors. Visit Wama, Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium.

    Eating there

    steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

    Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate. Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock, can’t be beat.

    Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park
    The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

    For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe. Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines, Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines.

    two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap
    Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.