Australia’s newest hotels worth planning a trip for

Check into Australia’s most exciting new hotel openings, from buzzy city stays to dreamy coastal escapes.

Australia’s hotel scene is booming, with a wave of fresh openings raising the bar on style, location and experience. Think design-led city stays, beachfront retreats made for switching off and destination hotels worth planning an entire trip around.

If you’re looking for somewhere new to stay in 2026, these just-opened and soon-to-open hotels deserve a spot firmly on your radar.

Ardour Milton Park Bowral, NSW

Polo Bar, Ardour Milton Park — Unwind at the elegant Polo Bar.

Salter Brothers Hospitality will unlock access to a piece of Southern Highlands heritage with the much-anticipated reopening of Milton Park in early 2026. The storied estate, relaunched as Ardour Milton Park Bowral after a multimillion-dollar refurbishment, will serve as the flagship property for Ardour Hotels & Estates. The luxury address, built as a grand country residence in 1910, will include The Polo Bar and signature restaurant, Horderns.

Address: 200 Horderns Road, Bowral, NSW

Lon Retreat & Spa, Bellarine Peninsula, Vic

Lon Retreat and Spa — A retreat to reconnect with the slow and simple. (Image: Nikole Ramsay)

Discerning wellness warriors have long had Lon Retreat & Spa on their radar for its mineral pools and dreamy, adults-only suites. But the luxury hideaway, one of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, recently tapped into a rising interest in contrast therapy with its new immersive thermal environment. The sanctuary, on Victoria’s breathtaking Bellarine Peninsula, features a Finnish sauna, magnesium-rich pool, Swedish soak bucket and communal firepit.

Address: 25 Gill Rd, Point Lonsdale, Vic

Elysium Noosa Resort – MGallery Collection, Qld

Freshly reimagined on Hastings Street, Elysium Noosa Resort – MGallery Collection pairs coastal calm with considered luxury. Formerly Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, the new 175-room hotel spans ocean, river and poolside stays – the majority boasting private balconies. As for dining, that is courtesy of Sydney duo Anna and Alessandro Pavoni. Expect Italian trattoria Cibaria Noosa, all-day Bar Capri and light poolside dining on the revived terrace, plus a swim-up bar. The sister property to Manly Pacific is designed for slow, salty coastal stays.

Address: 14-16 Hastings Street, Noosa Parade, Noosa Heads, Qld

The Tiny Mile, Old Bar, NSW

It’s just a tiny mile-long drive up the dirt road past the dinky sign leading to The Tiny Mile. But that’s where the journey to the riverside property begins. The Tiny Mile is a one-bedroom cabin set on a bend of Berady Creek outside Old Bar on NSW’s Mid North Coast. Embrace your country era with a stay at the rustic retreat, which is all rust, ochre, charcoal and autumn tones that complement nature’s palette. Admire the outlook from the sunken outdoor bath or sauna.

Address: 44 Berady La, Old Bar, NSW

Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney, NSW

room at Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney — Caption offers stylish rooms in the heart of Sydney CBD.

The opening of Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney marks the debut of the brand in Australia. The 174-room hotel in the heart of Haymarket includes tech-enabled touches – such as a seamless mobile check-in – and guestrooms designed for flexibility as well as comfort. But ultimately, the hotel is about people and place, culture and community. Worth yapping about is the Talk Shop, a social hub, cafe, bar and workspace designed to foster connection.

Address: 13 Parker St, Haymarket, NSW

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Avani Mooloolaba Beach, Qld

Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel Exterior — It’s Sunshine Coast’s first internationally branded, new-build hotel.

Slated to open in April, the 12-storey, 180-key Avani Mooloolaba Beach is only a frisbee throw from Mooloolaba Beach. It’s also the Sunshine Coast’s first internationally branded, new-build hotel to open in nearly four decades. Guests will be able to graze on light bites in the lobby bar; enjoy cocktails up on the rooftop beside the pool while looking out towards the hulking peaks of the Glass House Mountains; and restore balance in the serene AvaniSpa.

Address: Cnr Brisbane Rd &, First Ave, Mooloolaba

Trinity Point, Lake Macquarie, NSW

A new luxury hotel planned for Trinity Point has been given the go-ahead in Lake Macquarie. The sparkling new sustainable $665 million resort at the marina has been designed by Koichi Takada Architects to include 153 rooms and serviced apartments with marina views, two waterfront restaurants, a spa, wellness centre, pool and bars. The coastal resort will be anchored in its surrounds and feature public boardwalks that run like tributaries from the world-class resort and marina.

Address: Trinity Point Dr, Morisset Park, NSW

Novotel Sydney Cabramatta, NSW

Dany Karam at Magma, Novotel Sydney Cabramatta — Dany Karam at Magma restaurant in Novotel Sydney Cabramatta.

The suburbs of Sydney continue to advance at full throttle with openings such as the Novotel Sydney Cabramatta, part of the new integrated Cabravale Club Resort in the heart of Sydney’s Little Saigon. Food tourists should get on the front foot and book a staycation at the new hotel in Western Sydney. Guests at the hotel will have the option of a thrilling onsite dining experience at Magma by Dany Karam, a sophisticated open-flame steakhouse. The new Novotel has 140 guestrooms, including seven for those with reduced mobility.

Address: 1 Bartley St, Canley Vale, NSW

ESTE Wategos, Byron Bay, NSW

Want to visit Byron Bay and not stress about parking or paparazzi? The new retreat ESTE Wategos is right in position, tucked away beneath the iconic Byron Bay lighthouse.

Park your luxe pop-top in the garage and dress in your fave full ‘crunchy granola’ (read: hippie) ensemble for a stay at ESTE Wategos, which offers two architecturally designed three-storey residences with rooftop terraces and glass-bottom pools. There are concierge services and space for up to 12 guests when these swanky sanctuaries are booked together.

Address: 11 Brownell Dr, Byron Bay, NSW

1 Hotel Melbourne, Vic

Expect to gulp down lungfuls of fresh air during a stay at 1 Hotel Melbourne, which has incorporated more than 7000 plants into its biophilic design.

The urban sanctuary is anchored by the heritage-listed Goods Shed No. 5, where the original support beams were salvaged for the signature all-day dining restaurant, From Here by Mike, by restaurateur Mike McEnearney. The hotel has 277 guestrooms, two bars, a wellness spa and access to sprawling riverside parklands.

Address: 9 Maritime Place, Docklands, Vic

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voco Gosford, Central Coast, NSW

The first new-build hotel to open on the Central Coast in 15 years will share its colour palette with the sky, sand, sea and sunshine. When it opens late 2025, voco Gosford will also showcase one of the brand’s virtues: to inject a bit of local flavour through its bespoke furniture, textiles and custom artworks. The vibrant voco Gosford will include 130 guestrooms as well as six F&B outlets, including a signature restaurant led by Dany Karam. Gosford CBD will also get its groove on courtesy of a swim-up pool bar and the Central Coast’s highest rooftop bar.

Address: 108 Donnison St, Gosford, NSW

Box Hill Esperance, WA

Box Hill Esperance has ushered in a new era of barefoot luxury with the unveiling of two luxe off-grid cabins. The adults-only lodges were crafted with locally sourced materials centred around a fireplace featuring 50-million-year-old fossilised shells. Anywhere in WA with sunshine and coastal views is ideal for a summer holiday. Insert Esperance into the equation and these cabins, a short flight from Perth, make for the ultimate coastal escape.

Address: 804 Merivale Rd, Myrup, WA

Tiny Aahana, Sunshine Coast, Qld

The magic of Tiny Aahana lies in its rainforest surrounds. Just 30 minutes from Noosa Heads, the off-grid cabin by Into The Wild Escapes provides six guests with the chance to decompress after a day spent swanning around Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Your immaculate itinerary might include a bush walk, shady chic-nic and night around the firepit under a sky pinpricked with stars. The greatest luxury at this eco cabin is having the space to roam on the secluded property.

Address: Noosa Hinterland, Qld

The Roost, Prevelly, WA

two people sitting on sun loungers while watching the sunrise at The Roost, Prevally WA — Sit in quiet contemplation at this hillside haven.

Wind your way around Southwest WA’s voluptuous curves to find The Roost, an architect-designed holiday home three hours from Perth. The stylish three-bedroom retreat affords sweeping ocean views from its cantilevered deck jutting out like an open drawer over its perch in Prevally. The hillside haven is near to world-class wineries, surf breaks and forests. The indoor-outdoor living and sun loungers provide the perfect speed for contemplation.

Address: Prevelly, Margaret River, WA

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten, the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery, a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho, José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits. At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial, which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle, ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.