A splash of California calls from deep within the Gold Coast Hinterland.
There’s no shortage of Palm Springs design interpretation in the Sunshine State. Resort-style homes, and globally acclaimed hotels, have completely remodelled the urban meccas and sandy stretches of Queensland in recent years. But a modernist masterpiece in the thick of its balmy subtropical bush? The Tamborine Boutique Hotel is here to change the game.
Enveloped in dewy rainforest and an array of native wildlife (stay alert for the roaming peacock and chuckling kookaburras), the intimate 23-room build is a rainforest retreat done with decadence. An outdoor mineral pool and spa dotted with 16 sun lounges, a dramatic double-height foyer that invites more fine wine swilling than EFTPOS authorisation fiddling, rooms filled with handmade ceramics and plush linens — it’s lavish while wholly embracing its natural surroundings.
Let’s explore everything to know to help you plan a restorative rainforest escape.
Location
The twittering of birds and scent of sappy blooms will lead you along a winding road (no matter where you’re ascending from) to the otherworldly Gold Coast Hinterland town of Tamborine Mountain. Located within the Scenic Rim, which flows with thriving World Heritage-listed rainforest, the former volcano has erupted (figuratively) into an artisanal village of retail boutiques, cafes, craft distilleries and wineries.
The Tamborine Boutique Hotel is found on Alpine Terrace, which also houses Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation and a string of roadside avocado huts and fruit stalls. It’s a legitimate fairytale setting — and that’s before you step inside.
Style and character
A contemporary reimagining of a quintessential 1980s Hacienda-style motel, The Tamborine Boutique Hotel honours its heritage bones while introducing ample coastal cool (we’re a drive from the Gold Coast, after all). A consistent colour palette of eucalyptus green, milk chocolate and eggshell white stay true to the mountain’s rich forestry while instilling clear-minded serenity.
The symphony of Zen extends to the hotel’s external material choices as Zaneti’s famed aluminium-based outdoor furniture, white side tables and waxy green plant life melt into the backdrop. It’s Instagram-delicious, all while paying tribute to the incredible rainforest real estate it occupies.
The hotel’s foyer (or central hub, as the team likes to call it) is a standout, splashed with 50 shades of beachside bliss and a breathtaking dried flower display hanging from the ceiling. Long timber tables, natural rattan cane webbing pendant lights, white painted brick and a scattering of MCM House-sourced pieces inspire ultimate restored-beach-shack dreams.
This team’s design flair is flawless, so it’s no surprise it’s led by Gina McNamara, who developed the stunning Cassis Red Hill in the Mornington Peninsula, and her best friend Nina Aberdeen, a former lawyer based in Victoria. Renowned design guru David Whiting, who played an integral part in Cassis Red Hill, also lends his creative genius.
Facilities
The headliner is that glistening mineral pool, an enormous original dig-out that’s been lovingly retiled and teamed with sleek white sun lounges and olive-green market umbrellas. The pool’s spacious spa, which rises just above ground level, is the place to be as mosaic tiles and an underwater seat create a covetable spot to laze the afternoon away.
If you’re staying in one of the ground floor rooms, there are private terraces with outdoor seating that lead onto the grassy mountain viewing area. If you’re on level one, private balconies offer a tranquil vantage point.
Elsewhere, fire pits should dot that spectacular grassy mound in the coming months (hopefully in time for winter), and there’s a filtered water station located on the ground level that offers both chilled and ambient varieties.
Rooms
Stepping into any one of the rooms, you’re immediately floored by those phenomenal regional views. Maybe it’s the ocean you’ll spy, or the dramatic cliff face poking out among the trees, or the tiny houses that highlight the sheer expanse of what’s on show — your glass doors are a portal into unadulterated awe.
It’s about then that you’ll realise there’s not a single piece of art on your walls (or in the wider hotel, in fact). The Tamborine Boutique Hotel allows its main attraction to dazzle without interruption.
A muted palette of timber, caramel, grey and white cover everything from the curtains and sheer drapes to the bathroom. Even the vanity kits and tissue boxes fall into line as no detail is unattended. Ceramic wall sconces from Robert Gordon and tea cups from POTTER by Sam Gordon (whose ridiculously beautiful handiwork fills fine dining institutions like Sydney’s Saint Peter and Melbourne’s Stokehouse St Kilda) add texture, while brushed brass tapware from Faucet Strommen dial up timeless chic.
As for the beds, we can confirm they’re fluffy, soft and pillowed to crisp white sheet perfection. King sizes ensure you’ll barely feel your significant other while a wall-mounted smart TV, tea and coffee essentials, a Dometic bar fridge, Leif amenities (the body wash is as thick as honey), white waffle robes and cosy enclosed slippers facilitate your creature comforts.
Food and drink
While there’s no restaurant on-site, The Tamborine Boutique Hotel features a small kitchen right by the central hub that’s stocked with fresh produce to create a beautiful continental breakfast spread and afternoon bar snacks.
Combing the mountain for its finest culinary spoils, the team sources goodies from local stalwarts including Main St. Provedore Eatery & Espresso and Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, while embracing peak seasonal ingredients from local growers.
The bar menu also utilises native flavours including lemon myrtle, which douses its marinated olives, bush honey, which dusts its roasted nuts, and wattle seed, used to season its crispy chicken bites. Pick something heartier, such as the woodfired salami pizza or green chilli prawns with roast garlic, to refuel you after a morning spent dipping in and out of that heavenly pool.
At 5pm every evening, head down to the central hub again where ‘Peacock O’Clock’ provides guests with a complimentary beverage and the chance to make new like-minded friends. What’s being poured, you wonder? Bubbles, chablis and rosé from France, as well as whites and reds from best-loved Victorian regions and a sensational orange wine from the nearby Witches Falls Winery.
Local mountain brands including Boxer Brewing Co., Cauldron Distillery and Eighth Day Cider, produced by the Witches Falls crew, also fill the bar menu.
Accessibility
Two ground-level rooms located right by the pool are wheelchair-friendly and customised to comply with guests’ access needs. Without compromising on the hotel’s high-luxe standard, spacious showers with seats, toilets fitted with handrails, ample mobility floorspace and the ability to turn double beds into two singles, create serious comfort.
There is also a side gate for guests with access needs to seamlessly enter the pool.
Family friendly?
While children would undoubtedly love the opportunity to explore these luscious grounds, The Tamborine Boutique Hotel is geared towards couples looking for a chance to unwind on their own.
Details
Best for: Unplugging and reconnecting to the greatest of outdoors.
Address: 99 Alpine Terrace, Tamborine Mountain
