First look: Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel

The Sunshine Coast’s first international hotel in four decades transforms Mooloolaba into its brightest beach break.

‘Key to the good life,’ my room key card reads. As waves crash just steps away and a delicate breeze sends remnants of a taxing morning out to sea, I couldn’t agree more with you, card. Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel has just officially opened its doors on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, lifting the notoriously laidback beach town onto a global map. I check in among the hotel’s first guests to demystify the hype.

Where is Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?

Ocean views from the rooms at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — Let the ocean views soothe. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is located across the road from Mooloolaba Beach, one of the best Sunshine Coast beaches, and within walking distance to the esplanade’s buzzing dining and bar scene. It’s roughly 100 kilometres north of Brisbane and 170 kilometres north of the Gold Coast.

What is the design and style of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?

The lobby of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — The Japandi-style spherical paper lanterns in the lobby caught the writer’s attention. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

I’d seen photos of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel prior to checking in, yet I still uttered “wow" walking into the lobby. Abstract sage and cream rugs, caramel-cushioned timber seating, Japandi-style spherical paper lanterns, stone-look hexagon tiling and a consistent palette of terracotta and custard are warmed to perfection through dim lighting, natural sunlight and subtle greenery. It’s floor-to-ceiling tactile, reflecting the varied natural beauty of this region, while soft finishes and curved lines keep things contemporary. Saying it’s Instagram-perfect really doesn’t do these design decisions justice — it’s most certainly Mooloolaba’s most elevated hospitality experience.

Layering that gorgeous glow is an exceptionally experienced and approachable team. From the concierge and floor staff to the day spa team (more on AvaniSpa below) and bartenders, I detect an intentional focus on remaining calm, friendly and cheerful amid all guest interactions. In turn, I feel calm, friendly and cheerful. It is a literal personality that they’ve developed as a business here, and as a guest, switching into holiday mode is effortless.

What are the rooms like at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?

The balcony dining set and views at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — Watch the waves roll in from the privacy of your room. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

I’m given room 607, which offers a southern aspect instead of full beach frontage, but I can still marvel at sand and surf from bed. There are plenty of elements to love about staying in one of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel’s 180 rooms, but I think my favourite is the jumbo-sized freestanding bathtub that drew another audible cheer when I first entered. Even better, a jar of Ikkari Relaxation Soak was placed on a stool right beside it.

Extending the hotel’s exuberant coastal signature through open-plan living in the rooms and suites, my room is a knock-out. ABI Interiors elevates my double vanity tapware, a rain shower and a separate toilet are both hidden behind translucent glass, and a vanity kit is peppered with personality, like a small comb wrapped with recyclable packaging and emblazoned with the text “Comb on over". Too cute.

Inside the room at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — Colour is used cleverly to add a burst of energy to an otherwise soothing colour palette. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

I’m also smuggling home the bathrobe and matching slippers in powder blue, hands down the prettiest colours I’ve seen in the world of hotel loungewear. Multiple T2 varieties, a confectionery and spirits tier stocked with locally sourced treats, Malin + Goetz bath products, a Dometic fridge featuring Mumm, a Mars bar and more, and a bold pop colour artwork created by an in-house designer (they’ve got one of those, too), court likeminded joy.

The bed I’m lazing in is cloudlike but there’s also a pillow menu offering Dream, Latex or Buckwheat options via the dial of a phone button. I’ll never grow bored with hotel pillow menus.

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

What facilities does Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel have?

A rooftop infinity pool

Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel's rooftop infinity pool — The hotel’s rooftop infinity pool. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

The infinity rooftop pool, accessible via level 12 and located on its own level 13, puts you on top of the world as it’s the highest rooftop pool in town. When I wasn’t staring mindlessly into the Pacific Ocean from under one of P&R Styling’s orange and white market umbrellas (a gorgeous Gold Coast furniture brand I love), I was marvelling at the curvature of Mooloolaba beach’s southern tip with Point Cartwright headland poking out from behind. There are four enclosed cabanas to also stake a claim on, each fitted with small side tables and striped daybeds, while a food and cocktail menu with evolving ‘Sully’s Slushie’ concoctions guarantees you’ll lose track of time.

A restaurant and bar

The Lobby Bar at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — The Lobby Bar is one of two dining and drink venues in the hotel. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

A sundowner at Sully’s Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is mandatory but make time for a dedicated meal. Serving a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is the gastronomic superstar of not only this show but the wider region. The obligatory Mooloolaba king prawn is “charcoal-kissed" and dressed in coconut and lime butter, while additional seafood dishes sing.

But it’s the 24-hour woodfired, melt-on-the-fork Margra Lamb shoulder dolloped with goat curd, fresh peas and mint that demands attention. Australian culinary royalty Marky Godbeer (formerly at Brisbane’s The Calile, the Daintree’s Silky Oaks and Uluṟu’s Longitude 131°) is executive chef and he’s never been slicker, unleashed here with surging creativity.

His Smoked Wagyu Beef Snag salutes the humble Bunnings sausage sanga, while the Pig’s Head & Aged Comté Donuts are best dunked in accompanying apple caramel sauce. Furthermore, the restaurant’s wraparound rooftop terrace is destined to be the place to be seen this year when wine o’clock strikes.

Elsewhere, Lobby Bar on the ground level extends Marky’s kitchen marvelousness with one heck of a spanner crab doughnut, sweetly glazed before a dusting of sea salt, while also offering coffee, tipples, newspapers and magazines.

A wellness spa and gym

Sweat it out in the onsite sauna — Feel the heat in the onsite sauna. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

Speaking of local industry bar raisers, Mooloolaba’s wellness cred is entirely illuminated with the arrival of AvaniSpa on level 3. The space is heavenly, all scallop-dished, olive-tree’d and curvalicious from top to toe, while the treatment rooms are soft and spacious, and the team is trained with precision.

Naoise, my therapist, offers beautiful, intuitive techniques while performing a Muscle Melt across my body and a lymphatic facial massage with a jade Gua Sha rather than a jade roller. As a result, I’m currently shopping around for my own to use at home. For beauty addicts, these guys lean into Ikkari’s full range, including their tonics spritzed into water post-treatment, and also Organic Spa products.

Right next to AvaniSpa, there’s also AvaniFit gym, which is impressively stocked with free weights, bikes, treadmills, pull-down machines, fluffy towels and cold water.

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

Does Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel cater to guests with access needs?

Absolutely. For starters, there are 18 accessible rooms with considered doorway clearances and roll-in showers with grab bars. Up on the roof, a pool hoist is available upon request, while the floor itself — one level up from Sully’s — is reachable via an elevator. There’s also an accessible bathroom right by the pool, and other accessible bathrooms within the property, which notably flow with wide corridors and level flooring. I also love how the lobby’s three service counters are low, each paired with two guest seats that can shift to make way for wheelchairs.

Is Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel family-friendly?

Inside the room with twin beds at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel — Twin beds and connecting rooms make this a family-friendly stay. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)

While I loved soaking up my me-time, I know my kids would’ve delighted in joining me. From the minibar’s sprinkle-frosted gingerbread man and that suburb-sized bathtub to the option of a two-bedroom connecting room, family-friendly features encourage everyone-in escapes. You’ll also find five dedicated kids’ dishes on the in-room dining menu (I only narrowly avoided the mac and cheese myself) and more kids’ meals in the Lobby Bar.

I also highly recommend booking one of those cabanas during your stay (visit the front desks for details) to ensure your little ones secure a shaded pool break — this is the Sunshine Coast in the Sunshine State, after all.

The details

Best for: design-minded couples and families looking for an elevated beachfront escape

Address: 10 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, Queensland 4557

Price: Opening rates start from $319 per night, which includes breakfast and off-street parking

Extras: There’s also undercover parking, 24-hour in-room dining and complimentary wi-fi available

How to book: Visit the Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel website

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise. Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar, located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

The Sunshine Coast’s brand-new beachfront hotel is worth the hype

The Sunshine Coast’s first international hotel in four decades transforms Mooloolaba into its brightest beach break.

Where is Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?

What is the design and style of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?

What are the rooms like at Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel?