The hottest openings of 2026: Hotels, bathhouse and experiences

Every anticipated opening to help plan a year of back-to-back adventures.

Another year, another round of impressive new openings. Spanning five-star stays, boutique escapes, wellness immersions and nature-embracing activity, the most thrilling 2026 unveilings promise to evolve almost every inch of our nation’s landscape. Whether you’re an outdoor adventurer, luxury seeker or just on the hunt for been there-got the tee bragging rights, these upcoming launches are worth getting giddy for.

Accommodation

InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach

One of the Harbour City’s most iconic beaches welcomes one of the world’s most acclaimed hotel brands. InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach is elevating the Eastern Suburbs’ – well, the city’s – hotel scene to dazzling heights, setting up shop in the former Crown Plaza Sydney over two major phases. While all 198 coastal-inspired guestrooms and suites, plus the Mediterranean eatery Shutters Restaurant & Bar and Rick Stein at Coogee Beach, opened in December 2025, March 2026 will see the unveiling of a leisure deck fitted with an infinity pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean and a poolside bar, Club InterContinental, the chain’s exclusive lounge, and Èliva, a new wellness brand that’s rolling out across multiple Salters Brothers Hospitality operations.

Ardour Milton Park Bowral

From those smooth operators behind InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach comes an entirely new hotel brand: Ardour Hotels & Estates. Salter Brothers will open Ardour Milton Park Bowral, located in NSW’s Southern Highlands, where a $10 million evolution is transforming Milton Park Country House Hotel & Spa, built in 1910, into a sophisticated country retreat. Think heritage-listed gardens and awe-inspiring European-influenced architecture that wholly embraces rich roots while elegantly waltzing into the now. Èliva will once again dial up the Zen, promising a Herbal Ritual Bar that invites guests to blend custom body scrubs, oils and mud masks. It’s scheduled to open early 2026.

Little National Hotel Adelaide

Love Little National Hotel’s NSW locations? Little National Hotel Adelaide will arrive at the end of 2026 as the brand’s fourth property and offer the same architecturally sound aesthetics beloved in Sydney, Canberra and Newcastle. The South Australian build will climb 21 storeys and feature 238 rooms including two luxury penthouses that are entirely new room types for the brand. Guests will also be treated to a 250-square-metre commercial-grade gym, and a bar and lounge. Arguably one of the best sells? It’s located within walking distance to Adelaide Oval so it’s going to be an ideal choice for event-led travel.

Hannah St Hotel

Melbourne’s Southbank scored much-needed cool points with the January opening of Hannah St Hotel. Location-wise, the new property from hospitality kings The Mulberry Group (their standout eateries include Flinders Lane’s Hazel and Dessous) can’t be beat, but its art-adorned, high-gloss space is bound to intoxicate. Expect 188 guestrooms, a rooftop terrace lounge and bar, a 20-metre lap pool, a communal working space, wellness facilities and more.

RAC Ningaloo Reef Resort

Waking up to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef at Western Australia’s Coral Bay will feel even more special when RAC Ningaloo Reef Resort reopens later this year. A two-year remodel is expanding its 34-unit offering to 90 units, ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom configurations. There’s also a sparkly new clubhouse with a restaurant, bar and al fresco dining area, plus a resort pool and spacious grasslands. A December 2025 update from the team noted the project’s projected early-2026 completion but word around town is it’s looking more like mid-year.

Levantine Hill Hotel

Building on a star label in Victoria’s Yarra Valley wine country, Levantine Hill Hotel is set to open early 2026 after delaying its planned mid-2025 launch. The $20 million boutique property, constructed right on its famed manicured grounds, will feature 33 luxurious guestrooms with their own living rooms, private balconies overlooking the vines or surrounding mountains, circular bathtubs, king beds, mini bars naturally decked out in Levantine Hill drops and elegant furnishings. There’s also a restaurant, gym, outdoor exercise track and sculpture track in the works.

Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel

Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is getting its first international hotel in four decades, making lazy days by pristine beaches more decadent than ever. Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel will capitalise on one of the region’s most popular coastal towns, offering 180 guestrooms and suites situated 100 metres from golden sand. There’s also a rooftop pool, restaurant and bar on the way, plus the global chain’s renowned AvaniKids kids’ club and wellness facilities are also on the agenda. Doors are scheduled to open in April.

QT Parramatta

Cementing the thriving suburb as one of Sydney’s emerging tourism hubs, QT Parramatta will drive its signature exuberance into the heart of town. Set to open at the end of 2026, the hotel is being built in the new 8 Phillip Street tower and will boast rooftop dining, multiple wellness spaces and an infinity pool overlooking the city. While the building scales up to 65 storeys, the hotel itself will occupy its ground floor to level 18.

Waldorf Astoria Sydney

Another entirely new hotel brand to enter Australian waters in late 2026 will be Waldorf Astoria. Owned by Hilton Hotels, the five-star offshoot’s first local venture, Waldorf Astoria Sydney, will open in Circular Quay with some of the planet’s most iconic eyefuls – Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, all in one. 26 floors will house 227 luxurious guestrooms as well as a rooftop bar, a celebrity chef-led restaurant (the big name is yet to be confirmed), and wellness facilities. Eye-watering rates are predicted to match such world-class opulence.

Picnic Island

February will see the relaunch of Tasmania’s Picnic Island , the Apple Isle’s ritzy all-inclusive private island stay located 800 metres offshore from Coles Bay. While plush digs will house up to eight guests, what’s really getting us excited is the menu of activities that’s included. From sustainable oyster harvesting and guided wellness sessions to hiking hidden trails to secluded, untouched beaches, the adventures are going to be endless.

The Monty

A boutique stay on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road will bring a touch of Palm Springs to travellers from March. The Monty , a Pinterest-perfect homage to mid-century modern architecture, is being built within walking distance to Anglesea River and Anglesea Main Beach so it’s coastal enlightenment everywhere you look. Its room count sits at 16, including two accessible fit outs, plus there’s an outdoor swimming pool, a communal lounge, electric vehicle chargers and a Mexican eatery.

The Monarto Safari tents

You can enjoy the wonders of the African savanna, all without leaving Australia at Monarto Safari Park . The luxury accommodation opened with 78 rooms last year, and 2026 will see the  20-tent luxury safari lodge open. These luxury glamping accommodations will offer immersive wildlife views of African animals, including free-roaming herds of rhinos, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras and hippos.

Crystalbrook Sam, Adelaide

Adelaide’s first Crystalbrook Collection property, Crystalbrook Sam , is set to open late 2026 on Halifax Street. The hotel will feature 196 rooms and suites across 13 floors and a standout restaurant with sweeping views of the CBD and Adelaide Hills. Additionally, a dedicated wellness space with Crystalbrook’s signature Eléme Day Spa will cater for those in need of some pampering, alongside a gym, sauna and swimming pool.

Bathhouses

Else Bathhouse

There’s no stopping our love affair with social bathing and South Melbourne will become the newest region to embrace it come April. Else Bathhouse will offer three levels of serenity, fitted out with thermal baths, saunas, cold plunges, a mud and steam room, rooftop bathing and quiet zones. Even more delicious, it’s arriving with heritage-listed bones as the original 1900s construction once housed wool trading which evolved into a grocery empire. A perfect spot to indulge in both history and health.

Phillip Island Hot Springs

Victoria is (literally) flowing with thermal bathing, especially once Phillip Island Hot Springs is up and running by the end of 2026. Ocean fronting and in proximity to natural geothermal water, initial renders of the build look nothing short of sensational, so we’re glued to its Instagram as work continues through the year. Expect contrast therapy set-ups, wellness spaces, outdoor pools, and eventually a day spa as the opening will be rolled out over three stages. The final stage even promises a 120-room hotel, subject to building approval. Watch this space.

Naia Bathhouse

Yet another Victorian hotspot to put on your radar, Naia Bathhouse will be unveiled in the burgeoning country town of Castlemaine later this year. A local couple have staked their claim on an old miner’s cottage from the 1800s, and they’re in the thick of setting up hot and cold bathing facilities, a sauna, a European-inspired steam room, magnesium waters heated to 38 degrees and body treatments.

Experiences

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk

Bucket list need a refresh? Add the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk from Tasmanian Walking Company to your list, which kicks off in the Northern Territory in April. Stretching 54 kilometres over five nights and four days, the game-changing trail invites the public to explore sacred Indigenous sites in groups of just 14 people at a time. Hikers will learn about Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people (Aṉangu) through storytelling sessions and workshops, while eco camps and a private lodge will provide restful grounds to recharge and do it all again the following day.

Lighting the Sound

Staged in March in Albany, Western Australia, across three weekends, Lighting the Sound is exactly what it sounds like with an added plethora of natural beauty to set an unparalleled coastal scene. The free art exhibition will in fact serve as Australia’s largest outdoor light installation, crafted by FORM Building a State of Creativity, a cultural organisation, and Finnish light artist Kari Kola, to illuminate the sky above the harbour with vibrant kaleidoscopic hues. This experience is so big that organisers claim it will be the largest light installation to have ever hit Earth.

We round up the luxe, the lovely and the latest places to stay in regional Victoria.

1. Hotel Ernest, Bendigo

Settle into this artful lodging in the city centre for a boutique stay with heritage roots dating back to 1864. Each of the 10 suites in this former bank is elegantly styled and furnished with covetable works by Australian artists. Ernest is also home to the much-lauded Euro-style Restaurant Terrae, so be sure to book into the two-level diner during your visit.

2. Norsu Cabin, Macedon

a look inside Norsu Cabin, Macedon — Settle into this Scandi-inspired abode. (Image: Nick Skinner)

Country cabin dreams come to life under the sweet timber A-frame of Norsu . Sleeping eight guests, this Scandi-inspired abode is so meticulously styled it’s received knowing nods from The Design Files and is everything a modern log cabin should be, including cosy fireplace, fire pit, modern appliances and French linens. Perfect for logging out of daily life for a moment.

3. Islay House, Woodend

the bedroom at Islay House, Woodend — Bed down at the gorgeously restored heritage Islay House. (Image: Tiffany Warner)

Lean all the way into a country luxe state-of-mind with a stay at the gorgeously restored heritage Islay House . This bed and breakfast sleeps up to nine guests and is just a short walk from town, but you’ll want to spend most of your time curled up fireside in the elegantly styled rooms as you admire the collection of antiques.

4. Nerissa Rye, Mornington Peninsula

This Rye beach pad is just a 10-minute walk from 16th Beach, and while a morning walk is lovely, returning to the barefoot luxe vibes of this four-bedroom escape is just as enlivening. Bright, open and welcoming, this is the place to settle in for endless cups of tea and a good book between beach jaunts.

5. Hotel Vera, Ballarat

a close-up of the bed at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — Modern meets bygone elegance.

This Ballarat beauty set in a 1900s mansion is all bygone elegance edged with modern style. Just seven boutique suites, each with its own distinct personality, makes it a singularly luxe stay. Sister to Bendigo’s Hotel Ernest, Vera is similarly bequeathed with a stand-out fine diner, Babae, which plates up the best of the region’s produce.

6. Hotel Sorrento, Port Philip Bay

The historic and iconic clifftop Hotel Sorrento at Port Philip Bay is mid-refurb and will reopen 1 December 2025, just in time for Amalfi-style beachside stays.

7. The Idle Lake House, Lakes Entrance

Enjoy a ripple of serenity when you step aboard this water-top abode on the Gippsland Lakes. Once a Chinese restaurant, this spacious and stylish two-bedroom stay offers unbroken gazing of the shimmering surface in a beautifully private bay. Lounge on the deck and enjoy the onboard bathhouse; come evening, sit by the sleek suspended fireplace.

8. The Monty, Anglesea

the bedroom at The Monty, Anglesea — Bed down at the vintage motel, The Monty.

Palm Springs makes an entrance on the Great Ocean Road with the opening of The Monty in October 2025. Its vintage motel meets modern muse at this playful boutique stay complete with pool and a vibrant Mexican cantina. You’re just a stroll from the beach here, which tells us it’s ripe for summer vacays this season.

9. Trentham Waters Resort, Mildura

vibrant bedroom wall and pillows at Trentham Waters Resort, Mildura — The bright and retro-style bedroom at Trentham Waters Resort.

Another new property lands in regional Victoria in time for an endless summer with Trentham Waters Resort expected to open by February 2026. Breezy, subtly retro and brightened by the big Mallee sky, this river’s-edge escape is perfect for settling in for a spell with one-, two- and three-bedroom villas. There’s a lagoon-style pool, riverside hot tubs and onsite dining for all your relaxation requirements.

10. Crowne Plaza, Geelong

the Trattoria Bar in Crowne Plaza, Geelong — Sink a cold one at the Trattoria Bar.

Geelong is getting its own Crowne Plaza in 2026. Its arrival on the waterfront will make it the city’s largest (and newest) hotel with 200 contemporary rooms and suites, a Skybar, all-day dining, indoor pool and gym, and event spaces. Keep it on your radar.

11. Re’em, Yarra Valley

a private tub with lush views at Re’em, Yarra Valley — Sip and soak in tranquillity.

With verdant Yarra Valley views that take in the linear beauty of tended grapevines, the 16 suites and rooms at Re’em are set amid the Helen & Joey Estate and invite sipping and sitting in tranquillity. The onsite restaurant deftly balances Chinese and Australian flavours and if you’re staying over the weekend, be tempted out of your stylish room for yum cha that features delicate handmade dumplings and vineyard vistas.

12. Arapiles Clubhouse and Crash Pad, Grampians

the yard front door of Arapiles Clubhouse and Crash Pad, Grampians — Spend an overnight stay in the Natimuk stone house. (Image: Bianca Jackson)

These 1880-era mountain-adjacent digs have been tenderly restored to provide rock climbers and Grampians country wanderers a chic place to rest. You’ll find four bedrooms in the Natimuk stone house, as well as a heated pool out the back and plenty of luxe embellishments. There’s also a two-person ‘Crash Pad’ in the confines of the Clubhouse with its own separate entrance.

the lounge at Arapiles Clubhouse and Crash Pad, Grampians — The Crash Pad offers a resting place for rock climbers and Grampians country wanderers. (Image: Bianca Jackson)