hero media

The hottest openings of 2026: hotels, bathhouses and experiences

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
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.

A new year means a host of fresh openings around the country to get excited about. And 2025 promises to deliver!

Accommodation

InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach

the infinity pool at InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach
InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach boasts an ocean-facing infinity-edge swimming pool.

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

Horderns Restaurant at Ardour Milton Park Bowral
This 1910 country estate is the flagship debut of the luxe Ardour Hotels & Estates.

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

the bedroom at Hannah St Hotel, Melbourne
The sophisticated Hannah St Hotel brings the city to life through art.

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.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

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

the standard room at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel
The sun-drenched Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is just 100 metres from the sand.

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

Picnic Island from above
Book an all-inclusive private island stay off the coast of Coles Bay. (Image: Luke Tscharke)

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

the room interior of The Monty
The Pinterest-perfect The Monty is a nod to mid-century modern architecture.

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

The Monarto Safari tents at sunrise
This luxury safari lodge offers an African-style wildlife experience.

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.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Crystalbrook Sam, Adelaide

the pool at Crystalbrook Sam, Adelaide
The Eléme Day Spa and pool are two of the standout features of the anticipated Crystalbrook Sam.

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

the rooftop pool at Else Bathhouse
An open-air rooftop pool at 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

the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk, NT
Immerse yourself in the ancient NT landscape.

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

Lighting the Sound by Kari Kola
Finnish light artist Kari Kola is set to illuminate the sky above the harbour. (Image: Christopher Lund)

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.

Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
View profile and articles
Pumphouse Point in Tasmania
Australia

Forget vitamin D, psychotherapists say rainy holidays are better for your brain

What if rain was the secret to a better holiday?

Read more
the aurora australis (southern lights) from Southern Ocean Lodge
Australia

These luxury lodges give you a front-row seat to the sky’s greatest light show

The hottest new accommodation amenity is 400 light-years away – and it might be the most compelling reason yet to book a holiday this season.

Read more
The Whale Narooma view from room retro motels
Australia

18 road trip-worthy retro motels

Retro motels are making a comeback in road trip itineraries – and these charming motel stays are far from old-fashioned.

Read more
Longitude 131, NT
Australia

The Aussie hotels missing from Condé Nast’s Triple Crown Hotels list

Condé Nast has released a new Triple Crown Hotels list, but there are some gaping omissions.

Read more

From coast to bush: these are Gippsland’s best hikes

    Michael Turtle Michael Turtle
    Continue

    Video credit: Tourism Australia

    From coast to mountains, hiking in Gippsland offers a stunning array of landscapes, with trails that take you deep into the region’s heritage.

    I step out onto the sand and it cries out underfoot. Kweek! I take another step and there’s another little yelp. Screet! Picking up the pace, the sounds follow me like my shadow, all the way down to the water. It’s obvious how this spot got its name – Squeaky Beach – from the rounded grains of quartz that make the distinctive sounds under pressure.

    For many, Wilsons Promontory National Park is the gateway to Gippsland, and the best way to explore it is by walking its network of hiking trails, from coastal gems such as Squeaky Beach through to the bushland, among the wildlife. But it’s still just a taste of what you’ll find on foot in the region.

    A new year means a host of fresh openings around the country to get excited about. And 2025 promises to deliver!

    Venture a bit further into Gippsland and you’ll discover the lakes, the rainforest, and the alpine peaks, each changing with the season and offering summer strolls or winter walks. Just like that squeaky sand, each step along these trails has something to tell you: perhaps a story about an ancient spirit or a pioneering search for fortune.

    The best coastal hikes in Gippsland

    sunset at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Wilsons Promontory National Park is a sprawling wilderness with many coastal bushland trails. (Image: Mark Watson)

    Wilsons Promontory National Park (or ‘The Prom’, as you’ll end up calling it) is an easy three-hour drive from Melbourne, but you might ditch the car when you arrive, with much of the park’s 50,000 hectares accessible only by foot. From the inky water of Tidal River (dyed dark purple by abundant tea trees), I like the easy walks along the coast, among lichen-laden granite boulders, to golden beaches and bays.

    a couple on Mount Oberon
    Panoramic views from the summit of Mount Oberon. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    The trail to the panoramic views at the summit of Mount Oberon is a bit harder, up steep timber and granite steps, but it’s a popular 6.8-kilometre return. The more remote hikes are found through the open banksia and stringybark woodland of the park’s north, or along the multi-day Southern Circuit, which ranges from about 35 to 52 kilometres, with sunrises and sunsets, kangaroos and cockatoos, and maybe even whales.

    a golden sand beach at Wilsons Promontory National Park
    Walk ‘The Prom’s’ golden sand beaches. (Image: Tourism Australia/Time Out Australia)

    You might also see whales on the George Bass Coastal Walk, even closer to Melbourne on the western edge of Gippsland. This dramatic seven-kilometre trail along the clifftops takes in sweeping views of the wild ocean, occasionally dipping down from grassy green hills to coastal gullies and a secluded beach. It also now links into the Bass Coast Rail Trail for an extra 14 kilometres.

    the George Bass Coastal Walk
    George Bass Coastal Walk trails for seven kilometres along clifftops. (Image: Visit Victoria/Time Out Australia)

    Over at the eastern edge of Gippsland, in Croajingolong National Park, you can wander along the lakeshores beneath koalas and around goannas (I keep my distance since one chased me here!). For those who are even more adventurous, the park is also the starting point for the 100-kilometre Wilderness Coast Walk, usually done over seven days.

    the Croajingolong National Park, Gippsland
    Wander along the lakeshores in Croajingolong National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The best bush hikes in Gippsland

    the Baw Baw National Park
    The alpine heath of Baw Baw National Park. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Deep in the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine at Walhalla, mining guide Richard tells me how this small town in the mountains east of Melbourne boomed when prospectors found gold here in 1862. These days, you’ll find most of the town’s treasure – its heritage – above ground, with the Walhalla Tramline Walk a wonderful way to explore it.

    Just seven kilometres long, the walk takes you through decades of Gold Rush history, following the original rail trail from lush bushland to the mining sites, and through the charming village of just 20 residents with its wooden cottages and old shopfronts adorned with turn-of-the-century advertising posters. Blazing a trail where trailblazers once opened up the region, this is also the starting point for the 650-kilometre Australian Alps Walking Track.

    Nearby, Baw Baw National Park has walks through gnarled snow gums and alpine heaths that show off the colourful wildflowers in summer and the pristine carpet of white in winter. Several trails are perfect for snowshoes, including a 45-minute route from St Gwinear up to vast views across the Latrobe Valley.

    Further up into the mountains, the Toorongo and Amphitheatre Falls Loop Walk is an easy 2.2-kilometre path that serenades you with the sound of flowing water as you pass mossy rocks and tree ferns en route to two sets of waterfalls cascading over boulders in the remote wilderness.

    The best cultural hikes in Gippsland

    the Mitchell River National Park, Gippsland
    Hike the Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    Across a pool in a natural sandstone amphitheatre, deep within a cave behind a waterfall, it’s said the Nargun has its lair. A fierce creature, half human and half stone, that abducts children and can’t be harmed by boomerangs or spears, the story of the Nargun has been told around the campfires of the local Gunaikurnai people for generations.

    As a culturally significant place for women, hikers are asked not to go into the Den of Nargun, but a 3.4-kilometre loop walk leads you through a rainforest gully to the entrance where you can feel the powerful atmosphere here in Mitchell River National Park, along Victoria’s largest remaining wild and free-flowing waterway.

    the bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park
    Bee-eaters at Mitchell River National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria/Grace Lewis)

    The Den of Nargun is part of the Bataluk Cultural Trail, a series of important traditional Gunaikurnai sites through central Gippsland. Another location is Victoria’s largest cave system, Buchan Caves Reserve, with trails to important archaeological sites of human artefacts up to 18,000 years old. The FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk includes the naturally sculpted white limestone steps of the 400-metre-long Federal Cave, while the Granite Pools Walk goes among tall timber and moss-covered gullies.

    the ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park
    The ancient rainforest of Tarra-Bulga National Park. (Image: Josie Withers)

    Also important to the Gunaikurnai people is Tarra-Bulga National Park, known for its ancient myrtle beeches and enormous mountain ash trees. Just 40 minutes return, the Tarra Valley Rainforest Walk offers a taste of this verdant landscape, while the Grand Strzelecki Track takes you deep into the lost world of forest giants on an epic 100-kilometre trail rich with tradition.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the WildernessRetreats in The Prom
    Wilderness Retreats in The Prom. (Image: Christian Pearson)

    Wilderness Retreats in Wilsons Promontory offers glamping-style tents with luxurious queen beds. Star Hotel is a reconstruction of a Gold Rush-era hotel from 1863 in the heart of heritage Walhalla. Caves House is a historic three-bedroom house with views over the Buchan River.

    Eating there

    the Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    Enjoy a post-hike lunch at Carrajung Estate. (Image: Everyday Nicky)

    Kilcunda General Store serves great coffee and meals of local produce at the George Bass Coastal Walk. Alpine Trout Farm is located near Toorongo Falls in Noojee. Fish for your own lunch and barbecue it with the provided cookware.

    Carrajung Estate is a short drive from Tarra-Bulga National Park. The winery’s restaurant offers a seasonal menu of regional ingredients and you can stay at The Lodge.

    a seafood feast at Carrajung Estate, Gippsland
    The table is set for a seafood feast at the estate.

    Video credit: Tourism Australia