Australia's Most Unique Boutique Hotels

Everyone loves a unique boutique hotel.

So emerge from the bland world of cream-coloured walls, “fusion" ideals and homogenised designs Xeroxed from one town to the next, and let Craig Roberts lead you through some of our favourite places to stay that aren’t just a pit stop for shut eye.

Canopy Treehouse

Climb to the top of the forest and stay there.

The Canopy offers secluded tree house accommodations in ancient rainforest

With neighbours like tree kangaroos and green possums, it’s hard to say no.

But this treehouse southwest of Cairns is no ordinary Swiss Family Robinson affair of slapped together timbers on the shoulders of tree limbs, but luxury living 30ft off the floor.

Details: Hogan Rd, Tarzali, Qld. (07) 4096 5364.

Thorngrove Manor Adelaide

It’s hard to define Thorngrove Manor.

The retreat features towers, turrets and imaginative décor

There’s no front door. No single room is the same size or shape, nor does the place hold a single piece of furniture or decoration that’s the same.

With spiral staircases, split levels, sandstone turrets, four-poster beds and manicured lawns, it could be a medieval castle, an English manor or something from the set of Merchant Ivory. Whatever it is, Thorngrove is designed for maximum privacy with guests unable to happen upon each other.

There are plenty of pros and cons to this place. Pro: you won’t need a parole hearing in order to leave. Con: you’ll be picking up the tariff, not the good people of South Australia. Pro: there’s a toilet in your room.

Con: it’s right next to your head, so best not to be shy. The equilibrium tips over when the following are taken into account: it comes with an internal exercise yard, mess hall restaurant, gaol tours and a set of gallows!

Experience a unique romantic and escapist retreat

Details: Glenside Lane, Stirling, SA. From $695 per night. (08) 8339 6748.

Mt Gambier Old Gaol

There are plenty of pros and cons to the Mt Gambier Old Gaol.

The only gaol you will be sad to leave once your stay is over

Pro: there’s a toilet in your room. Con: it’s right next to your head, so best not to be shy.

Details: Margaret St, Mt Gambier, SA. 1800 626 844.

Carriageway Barrington Tops

Were all the old red rattlers like this? I doubt it.

Had someone said back in the ’80s that a smelly, decrepit, graffiti-strewn train carriage would be turned into high luxury, you’d have been committed.

That someone actually thought to do it, then sandwiched it between WHA Barrington Tops and the Hunter Valley defies logic. But here we are.

Details: Clarence Town Rd, Dungog, NSW. (02) 4992 1388.

Arts Factory Lodge Byron Bay

For that inner hippie in all of us, Arts Factory is the original backpackers of Byron Bay and the beating heart that reminds us what Byron was, before boutique hotels and yuppies set up shop on the beach: a getaway from modern life, modern people and modern ideals.

The property was originally created in the 70’s by hippies and local and international artists

Check out the vibe as you sleep in a Tee Pee or a surf shack, visit the lounge cinema, get lost on a bush tucker tour or just hang with the eclectic mix from around the globe that migrates through Byron on any given day.

Details: Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay, NSW. From $28 per night. (02) 6685 7709.

Underground Motel White Cliffs

Usually living in the shadows of her more famous cousin in SA, White Cliffs proves there’s life underground elsewhere than in Coober Pedy.

Underground Motel is a rabbit warren of ever-expanding dugouts that will have little ones running amok for hours mind-mapping the place. After a long drive it’s a subterranean oasis in the otherwise scorched tundra of the Strzelecki Desert.

The huge underground complex with 30 underground rooms and 2 above ground rooms

Details: White Cliffs, NSW. (08) 8091 6677.

Palace Hotel Broken Hill

Its location and architecture don’t mark it out as anything special.

Magnificent murals at the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill

Neither, necessarily, does its history (though bits of Priscilla were filmed here). What makes it unique hides inside, on the walls. Formerly Mario’s Palace, this left-to-ruin outback masterpiece is being regenerated room by room by the delicate hands of locals. The interiors are covered in murals painted by a wandering Aboriginal miner in exchange for rent, and each surface is adorned with a different story.

Details: Argent St, Broken Hill, NSW. (08) 8088 1699. The Palace Hotel interiors are covered in murals painted by a wandering Aboriginal miner in exchange for rent, and each surface is adorned with a different story.

A Few Extra Weirdos

Q-Station, Manly NSW

Formerly a disease-riddled quarantine station, now a cracking hotel with nighttime ghost tours and some of the most secluded views across Sydney Harbour.

Lighthouses!

There are plenty. You can hire white ones, big ones, square ones, round ones, little ones, red ones, ones on islands, on cliffs, with shipwrecks, with seals or penguins and you can view them all at

Coober Pedy, SA

From the five star Desert Cave to the weirdest of the weird, Crocodile Harry’s Underground Nest, it doesn’t matter where you lob, you’ll eventually end up underground here.

Fire Station, Adelaide

Sleep in a fire station with a working fire pole and a working order 1945 bright red fire truck in the bedroom.

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn

The iconic Kakadu hotel turned 21 this year. Its croc design was the result of a comp to come up with something representing the NT that would be instantly recognisable – from the air anyway.

From thundering waterfalls to ancient Indigenous art, Kimberley’s raw beauty will take your breath away.

Wild, pristine, and shaped by nature, the Kimberley Coast is one of Australia’s most spectacular landscapes. A remote and rugged frontier that remains a bucket list destination for many travellers. Its most breathtaking attractions – including Montgomery Reef, King George Falls and Horizontal Falls – are accessible only by sea or air, making a guided expedition cruise aboard Silversea’s luxury expedition ship, Silver Cloud, the ideal way to explore it.

From its intricate intertidal zones to ancient rock art, extreme tides and rare wildlife found nowhere else in Australia – or the world – this journey offers an unparalleled exploration of one of Earth’s last true wildernesses.

Why Silversea?

Silversea offers a 10-day expedition departing Broome, or an extended 16-day expedition voyage from Indonesia, including landings on the hidden gems of Palopo Sulawesi and Komodo. Accompanied by expert guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology, guests gain a deeper understanding of the Kimberley’s dramatic landscapes, rich cultural heritage and extraordinary biodiversity.

Silversea offers one of the experiential travel industry’s leading crew-to-guest ratios. Along with all-suite accommodation (80 per cent with private verandah), 24-hour butler service, a swimming pool and four dining options. Silver Cloud also has an experienced crew of multilingual expedition guides and specialists in marine biology, history and geology to enhance your Kimberley Experience.

silversea cruise ship pool deck — Take a dip in the pool deck.

1. Koolama Bay

Before visitors see King George Falls, they hear them – a growing rumble in the distance, steady and foreboding as the Zodiac glides through the gorge, the sound echoing off sheer rock formations. At 80 meters tall, the twin cascades carve through the red cliffs, churning the waters below in a spectacular finale – but Koolama Bay holds secrets beyond its striking scenery.

Named after a ship that beached here following an aerial attack by Japanese bombers in World War II, the bay may seem desolate, yet it teems with life. With Silversea’s expert guides on their 10-day Kimberley itinerary, guests gain a sharper eye for its hidden wonders – rock wallabies darting across the cliffs, crocodiles lurking among dense green mangroves, and high above, the silhouette of a bird of prey circling the sky.

King George Falls at koolama bay excursion on Silversea Kimberley Cruise — Take a shore excursion to see King George Falls.

2. Freshwater Cove / Wijingarra Butt Butt

Connect with Country on a wet landing at Freshwater Cove, also known as Wijingarra Butt Butt. Considered one of the most special experiences on both the 16-day and 10-day Kimberley cruises, Silversea guests are welcomed by the traditional Indigenous custodians of the land, painted with traditional ochre, and invited to take part in a smoking ceremony.

Located on the mainland near Montgomery Reef, Wijingarra Butt Butt holds deep cultural significance to the local Indigenous community. Here, rock formations along the shore represent spiritual ancestors, and guests are guided to a nearby rock overhang filled with ancient art, where traditional owners share the stories and meaning behind these sacred paintings.

welcome to country on freshwater cove during silversea kimberley cruise — Take part in a smoking ceremony. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

3. Vansittart Bay (Jar Island)

Modern history, ancient culture and mystery converge in Vansittart Bay, which is also known as Jar Island. Here, the first thing to catch the eye is the dented, silver fuselage of a World War II-era C-53 plane – a striking relic of the past. Yet, the true cultural treasures lie just a short hike away where two distinct styles of Indigenous rock art – Gwion Gwion and Wandjina – can be found.

The Wandjina figures, deeply connected to Indigenous traditions, stand in stark contrast to the enigmatic Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, which date back more than 12,000 years. Significantly different in form and style, the two different styles create a striking juxtaposition, offering a rare glimpse into the region’s rich and complex past.

aerial view of Vansittart Bay, See it in you Silversea Kimberley Cruise. — Explore ancient Gwion Gwion rock art at Vansittart Bay. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

4. Horizontal Falls

Part illusion, part natural phenomenon, the Kimberley’s much-lauded Horizontal Falls aren’t a waterfall, but a tidal and geographic spectacle that visitors have to see to comprehend. Known as Garaanngaddim, the phenomenon occurs when seawater rushes through two narrow gaps- one just twenty metres wide, and the other seven metres in width, between the escarpments of Talbot Bay.

With each tidal shift, the force of the water creates whirlpools, furious currents and the illusion of a horizontal cascade as thousands of gallons of water are pushed and pulled in through the gap every six hours with relentless movement, making this one of the Kimberley ’s most mesmerising natural wonders.

Horizontal Falls are described as "One of the greatest wonders of the natural world". They are formed from a break in-between the McLarty Ranges reaching up to 25m in width. The natural phenomenon is created as seawater builds up faster on one side of the gaps than the other, creating a waterfall up to 5m high on a King tide. — Watch whirlpools and furious currents collide. (Image: Janelle Lugge)

5. Montgomery Reef

As the tide turns in Montgomery Reef, magic happens. With the Kimberley’s legendary tides varying up to ten metres, at low tide the submerged reef almost appears to rise from the depths: exposing up to four metres of the sandstone reef.

The impact is otherworldly: as the water drains, waterfalls cascade on either side of the channel, turtles left exposed scramble and dive, and fish leap in search of sanctuary in shallow pools. Meanwhile, the dinner bell rings for the migratory seabirds dugongs, reef sharks and dolphins that scavenge and feast in the area.

Using zodiacs, guests cruise through one of the world’s most significant inshore reef systems navigated by experienced guides, exploring the most intricate and fascinating parts of a 300-square-kilometre-wide biodiversity hotspot.

aerial view of boat going along Montgomery Reef — Witness seabirds, dolphins and reef sharks on the hunt.

6. Mitchell Falls by Helicopter

Experiencing the Kimberley by sea allows you to feel the power of the tides, but travelling by helicopter reveals the sandstone tapestry of the Kimberley, a landscape geologists believe is over 1.8 billion years old.

One of Silversea’s most popular optional excursions , guests who opt to fly into the interior from the onboard helipad soar up above the rust-coloured landscape of the Mitchell plateau, taking in one of Australia’s most scenic waterfalls: Mitchell Falls, a series of four emerald-coloured pools gently cascades into each other, before plunging down to the river below.

Seeing the landscape from above reveals a landscape weaved and shaped by the power of the freshwater wet season, juxtaposed to the constant lapping of the relentless and powerful tide on the coast.

aerial view of mitchell falls on silversea helicopter excursion — See emerald pools cascade into the river below. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

7. Indigenous Art Caves, Wandjina Art

The Kimberley Region of Western Australia is home to some of the most striking and significant

Indigenous rock art in Australia. Dotted throughout the landscape are caves, cliffs and rock overhangs depicting the striking, ethereal image of Wandjina, the rainmaker spirit and creation being central to many of the Dreamtime stories in this region.

Some of the paintings are regularly repainted by traditional custodians, while others are believed to be over 4,000 years old. Each artwork serves as both a cultural record and a living connection to the past, offering a rare opportunity to engage with the enduring traditions of the Kimberley’s Indigenous communities.

Freshwater Cover Rock Art the kimberleys — Walk among cultural records preserved in stone. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

See the best of this incredible part of the world on a Silversea Kimberley cruise. Book your 10- or extended 16-day expedition voyage at silversea.com

Australia’s most unique boutique hotels