Six outstanding one-of-a-kind properties to discover on Booking.com , our sponsor for Australian Traveller’s People’s Choice Awards 2015.
1. Enjoy never-ending views on Kangaroo Island
Life-Time Private Retreat is a collection of luxurious beach houses with spectacular views over Snellings Beach. Set among a variety of hiking trails, guests have all the things they need for an easy beach getaway including a fully-equipped kitchen, patio with barbecue and free wi-fi.
Holmwood Guesthouse is a cosy little B&B just five minutes from Phillip Island’s town centre. It has three guesthouse rooms and two self-contained spa cottages, with kitchens, spa baths and gas log fireplaces. Breakfast is served in the dining room near the open fire or on the sunny verandah with the idyllic gardens surrounding you.
Fitted with a hot tub, bathroom, parquet floor, electric fireplace, and canvas walls lined with Australian wool to keep you cosy, these circular tents at Talo Retreat are a far-cry from the simple yurts traditionally used by Mongolian nomads. Located on the edge of the Murray River, surrounded by red gums, this accommodation experience allows you to sleep among nature while only being eight minutes from the town centre of Echuca.
For a yurt on the Murray River, stay at Talo Retreat
4. Listen to the waves from your beach hut
Stay in one of these iconic, candy-striped beach huts, located in the township of Middleton between Goolwa and Port Elliot. Inside, they’re fancy huts indeed, with a kitchenette, spa bath and private deck, on which to enjoy your complimentary bottle of bubbly with front-row seats to the crashing waves.
5. Stay among the treetops of an ancient rainforest
Not the kind you might remember from your childhood, these eco-friendly treehouses come with kitchens, fireplaces, hammocks and hot tubs. Set among 40 hectares of rainforest, it’s the perfect spot to immerse yourself in nature, with cassowaries, tree kangaroos, and rare green possums calling this place home.
In the heart of Newtown and only a short train trip into the CBD, The Urban Newtown has contemporary industrial-style studios with all the mod-cons, rain showers, coffee machines, free wi-fi, and a discount to the nearby Fitness First… but the best part? A free mini bar with locally brewed craft beer and fine Australian wines.
Want to hang out where the bo-ho Sydneysiders do, stay at The Urban Newtown
Peppers Gladstone proves its worth its salt, blending five-star comfort with access to the Great Barrier Reef.
Peppers Gladstone is the first five-star property to open within the Gladstone region. Full stop. Whether you want to base yourself in the town itself or head out on day trips to some of the neighbouring islands or beaches in central Queensland, the hotel is right in position.
I hadn’t been to Gladstone since I was about 11, one of four kids in the back of a VW kombi van on our annual summer holiday down south. My Dad, an English subject master, encouraged us to make up a sing-song of the place names as we bounced along the Bruce Highway to Brisbane. And Gladstone was both part of the chorus line – Gladstone, Miram Vale, the sun breaks through, Gin Gin and Bundaberg we’re coming for you – and an engaging geography lesson. The staccato tune has stayed with me ever since.
Decades on, the prospect of returning to Gladstone made me nostalgic for the carefree East Coast road trips of my childhood. Peppers Gladstone opened in Gladdie, as the town is affectionately known, in February 2025.
Location
The hotel’s location offers convenient access to the Great Barrier Reef. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)
You can’t tell the story of Gladstone without acknowledging its role as a major export hub for billions of dollars’ worth of coal and liquid natural gas. While the Port of Gladstone Harbour Tour is one of the most popular tours in town, visitors to the region should also widen that circle to include its abundance of pristine beaches, untouched islands and subtropical hinterland. Gladstone is right now caught in the crosshairs of being a major multi-commodity port and a jumping-off point to the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.
Gladstone is about a six-hour drive north of Brisbane and hour-long flight from the state’s capital.
Stretches of golden sand at Tannum Sands. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)
Staying at Peppers Gladstone gives visitors access to Heron Island and Lady Musgrave Island at the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s also a launch pad to pristine beaches like Agnes Water, 1770 and Tannum Sands. Green thumbs will also enjoy a jaunt to the 83-hectare Tondoon Botanic Gardens, which has 3000 plant varieties, a Japanese tea garden, sculptures, herbarium and lake.
General manager Craig Conley is somewhat of an evangelist for the area’s attractions and says the Peppers property is a great example of the area’s evolution.
Peppers Gladstone shares its footprint with Mantra Gladstone and marks the first new-build hotel to open in the region in more than a decade. It is, says general manager Craig Conley, a clear sign that the Capricorn Coast town is evolving as a place to linger.
Style and character
The interior is awash with earthy tones.
Accor, in collaboration with Yaralla Sports Club, launched the five-star hotel in early 2025 to provide a five-star accommodation option for visitors in town for business or leisure.
“Peppers Gladstone has helped put the town on the map,” says Conley. “And, being a dual-branded property, it offers guests a choice between the familiar comforts of a Mantra property and the elevated experience of Peppers,” he says.
The property speaks to its locale. And each room is themed – Outback, Coastal, City, Rainforest – reflecting the diversity of the surrounding landscape. We’re in an Outback room, which is all earthy tones and textured wallpaper, and a reminder that we’re deep in the agro-industrial Queensland countryside.
“The Peppers experience is about community and connection. It feels like a hub for the local community,” says Conley.
Given Gladstone is a town built around heavy industry, the Accor property is designed to accommodate some of the executives who are visiting the town on business.
Facilities
The magnesium swimming pool beckons for a relaxing dip.
The outdoor terrace includes a heated magnesium swimming pool with complimentary drinks at the pool deck bar (during select hours). Guests are also invited to access an eight-seater cinema room and well-appointed nearby gym. There’s also secure undercover parking, wi-fi and an indoor-outdoor space near the pool and terrace designed for all seasons. Guests staying at Peppers Gladstone can also watch their favourite sporting team on the big screen at the adjacent Yaralla Sports Club.
Rooms
Peppers Gladstone features fully equipped, state-of-the-art rooms.
Designed by BSPN Architects and constructed by Mettle Projects, Peppers Gladstone offers a range of different accommodation options, from King Studio Rooms to Superior Two-Bedroom Apartments. All guestrooms feature fully equipped kitchens, king-sized beds, large flatscreen TVs with screen-casting capabilities and a minibar stocked with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks.
Each suite comes with spacious bathrooms.
Peppers Gladstone is essentially a 32-room hotel. But the dual-branded hotel concept means the property itself can accommodate more than 150 guests, thanks to an additional 60 rooms as part of Mantra Gladstone, making it perfectly suited for weddings and large gatherings.
Food and drink
Pull up a chair at the on-site bar for a drink or two.
Onsite restaurant Encore is open for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is served between 5.30am and 9am and includes a live cooking station for omelettes and eggs cooked to order and includes buffet favourites like fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries as well as grilled bacon, chipolatas and grilled vegetables. Dinner is served buffet-style and the menu changes daily. It also includes the option of a stone-grill where you can cook your wagyu, salmon or eye fillet to your liking at a stone grill delivered to your table (for an additional $6.50). There’s also the adjacent Shingle Inn, popular for burgers and salads.
The pool deck is also open for a beverage at the end of the day where you can supervise the children in the swimming pool. Nearby Ward’s Brewery is a top spot to test the barometer of this true-blue borough. The pub has a big screen promotion of Lady Musgrave Island and the Great Barrier Reef playing on a loop and is filled with travellers plotting their next move. Peppers Gladstone also has a member’s lounge, which is a welcoming space for a hot or cold beverage.
Does Peppers Gladstone have access for guests with disabilities?
Yes, Peppers Gladstone is wheelchair accessible.
Is Peppers Gladstone family-friendly?
Take your little ones to Tondoon Botanic Gardens for a refreshing stroll. (Image: Mark Fitz/Tourism and Events Queensland)
Yes, the hotel is family-friendly. It’s also located near to protected beaches and islands that are perfect for little ones who are learning to snorkel. Take a stroller to explore the city’s open spaces with a wander along the Millennium Esplanade at Tannum Sands Beach, which has a playground and barbecues, and East Shores Parklands, which has a waterfront boardwalk, green space, barbecues and water play area.
Details
Best for: Large groups and business or leisure travellers. Address: Corner Wood & Bell St, Barney Point
