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Discover the Gold Coast pool where you can dive with tropical fish

Lee Mylne Lee Mylne
A lagoon full of tropical fish, a grand sweeping staircase and attentive, friendly staff combine at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa.

Colourful tropical fish flash past in the water below. There’s Nemo the clownfish, along with silver bream, Moon wrasse and more. Guests of all ages surface with broad smiles after swimming in the lagoon at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa. It’s an experience few other hotel pools can offer.

Elegant and luxurious, but with an unmistakably Queensland style, the resort brings a new standard of luxury to South East Queensland, all just a short walk from the Gold Coast’s white sandy beaches.

With a Luxury Escapes offer from just $399 per night (two-night minimum) available until May 31, 2025, there’s plenty of time to discover and explore all the resort has to offer. Make the most of its tropical lagoon-style pools, award-winning restaurants, bright, airy guest rooms and indulgent spa.

The pool in JW Marriot Gold Coast
A luxurious Gold Coast escape awaits.

JW Marriott Gold Coast’s pool

It’s hard to go past the saltwater lagoon, with its 300-odd colourful tropical fish representing 20 species. Don a snorkel and flippers or check out an underwater scooter from the recreation centre and you’re all set. Surrounded by lounge areas, cabanas and dining options the pools provide a space the whole family can enjoy at their own pace.

Named Australia’s best hotel pool in 2024, the lagoon is designed with multi-generational travellers in mind. Find varying depths and plenty of corners to explore, from the swim-up grotto to waterfalls and sandy beaches. A freshwater pool has a children’s slide or you can relax in one of the Jacuzzis.

People swimming with the fish at JW Marriott's pool.
Take a dip in the saltwater lagoon and swim alongside tropical fish.

JW Marriott Gold Coast’s rooms and suites

Starting from a generous 42-square-metres in size, guestrooms boast panoramic views of the ocean, cityscape or Gold Coast hinterland mountains from their floor-to-ceiling windows or balconies.

All rooms are air-conditioned, with state-of-the-art electronics, a work desk and Nespresso machine. Generous marble bathrooms have bathtubs and separate shower.

JW Marriott Gold Coast's executive suite.
Wind down in the spacious comfort of your executive suite, fully equipped with all the essentials.

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Award-winning dining at JW Marriott Gold Coast

Seasonal menus, using sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients, highlight regional products with an ocean- or paddock-to-plate concept in the hotel’s five restaurants.

Citrique is renowned for its sumptuous breakfasts, Sunday long lunch, seafood and grill buffet. An à la carte menu also showcases local seafood and produce, with matching wines. Open kitchens, interactive live stations and at-table preparation of some dishes creates a lively atmosphere.

In Misono, energetic teppanyaki chefs entertain with their clever knife work and theatrical flair while they cook at hot plates built into each table, a great favourite with families. The Japanese artistry extends into the flavours and presentation of dishes, always adding something surprising and different to the table.

Misono’s Japanese whisky bar is a great place for sundowners, or you can book an adults-only dining room for a more private experience, including a sake showcase.

For more casual dining, relax and unwind over a cocktail at Chapter & Verse or head there for high tea. Open for all day dining, it has a cafe vibe during the day and transitions to a craft cocktail bar feel at night. Chapter & Verse is also the spot for live music.

And if you’re just after a quiet night in your room, the resort’s 24-hour in-room dining service (Savour by JW) is the answer. Make a selection from either Citrique or Misono’s menus.

Premium Seafood at JW Marriott Gold Coast
Delight in seasonal, sustainable menus.

Family offerings

Family by JW, an interactive program for both children and adults, offers the opportunity to bond over fun culinary experiences and other creative activities that enhance the holiday spirit.

Join the Mini Misono sushi- or pizza-making classes. The whole family can learn the art of sashimi from trained chefs. Or participate in herb planting in the JW Garden, where a tour can also reveal everything about the herbs, edible flowers, fruits and vegetables grown for the culinary team’s daily use.

The comfort and quiet of the JW Marriott Concierge Library offers a balance of local culture, well-being and culinary insights within a bookstore-like setting. Thoughtfully designed Serene Spaces provide restful corners to pause and relax.

JW Marriott Gold Coast family activity
Book a range of activities for every family member to enjoy.

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Spa by JW

Step into a world of relaxation and rejuvenation at Spa by JW. Book one of six treatment rooms, a signature couple’s room including a relaxation lounge, ensuite stone bath and twin showers, traditional saunas, showers, relaxation pods and an outdoor relaxation area. The extensive spa menu and personalised care tailored to individual needs are among the reasons it was voted in top position on TripAdvisor.

Whether you’re tired from a long journey or simply looking for well-deserved pampering, Spa by JW’s carefully curated treatments cater to your overall well-being in a sanctuary dedicated to fostering mental and physical balance. If time is short, express spa treatments are a simple indulgence, and the welcoming spa lounge is the ideal place to relax with friends or simply unwind.

Spa by JW.
Complete your serene getaway with indulgent treatments at the posh premium spa.
Start planning your Gold Coast getaway at jwmarriottgoldcoast.com
Lee Mylne
Lee Mylne is an award-winning Brisbane-based freelance travel writer who has visited more than 60 countries, but still loves writing about the places closest to her. She has a strong interest in people, history, culture and nature and will go anywhere for a good story.
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Farm fresh produce to a trail of lights: the ultimate guide to Mildura

    Rachel Lay Rachel Lay
    Continue
    The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

    From the moment you arrive in Mildura, the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

    Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura.
    Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

    Taste Mildura’s produce

    It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

    Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey. Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

    Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers, a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

    Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

    Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

    Hatted dining & Italian history

    Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

    To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s. Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

    Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel.
    Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

    Discover a thriving culture scene

    The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

    The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

    Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project. Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

    Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

    Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery.
    Find culture around every corner.

    Wonder at ancient landscapes

    The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

    The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

    Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

    Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park. Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

    Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity.
    Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

    Meet your home away from home

    On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

    Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama. A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

    When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats. Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

    A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura.
    Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

    Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com.