A Guide To The Best Toowoomba Accommodation

Whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, these seven Toowoomba hotels, caravan parks and holiday homes deliver the goods.

Queensland’s Garden City is home to a number of accommodation options, whatever your budget and needs. From the familiar ease of a chain apartment hotel, to a more boutique option, or even a no-frills caravan park, this curated selection of Toowoomba accommodation will offer something for everyone.

1. Avenue Motel Apartments

The modern rooms at Avenue Motel Apartments make for a solid base in Toowoomba. Situated in South Toowoomba, less than a 10-minute drive from the city centre, the property caters to all kinds of needs, whether you’re travelling as a family and on the hunt for a large room with multiple beds, or the option to have interconnecting rooms; travelling for work and looking for a self-contained room that features a work desk (the executive queen); or if you have extra accessibility requirements that necessitate wide room entry and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom (the easy access queen). Each and every room features a small kitchenette, and some rooms offer balconies or private courtyards too.

Address: 790 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: avenuemotelapartments.com.au

2. Potter’s Boutique Hotel

Open since February 2017, the 54-room Potter’s Boutique Hotel is of a similar ilk to Avenue Motel Apartments. Rooms feature a modern look, with clean lines, plenty of natural light, and a white and grey palette with blonde wood and pops of burnt orange. Pick from a king or twin room, or a two-bedroom apartment.

Conveniently located in the city centre, Potter’s is less than a 10-minute walk from Toowoomba’s cafes, shops and restaurants. It’s the perfect spot for a weekend getaway, with a late checkout of 5pm on Sundays (subject to availability). There’s also a restaurant on-site, open for breakfast and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.

Address: 258 Margaret Street, Toowoomba City, QLD, 4350
Website: pottershoteltoowoomba.com.au

3. Quest Toowoomba

church facade of Quest Toowoomba — Quest Toowoomba is all party in the front, business in the back.

A chain hotel with a twist, the Quest Toowoomba is all party in the front, business in the back. Housed partly within a heritage church building that features an impressive double-height lobby decked with vast swathes of marble and modernist light fittings, the guest apartments all sit within the adjoining purpose-built property at the back. Choose from a studio with a kitchenette, or a one-, two- or three-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and laundry facilities, some boasting parkland views. There’s an onsite gym and almost everything of note in Toowoomba is within walking distance.

Address: 133 Margaret Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: questapartmentstoowoomba.com

4. Toowoomba Motor Village

If you’re looking for pet-friendly camping and caravanning sites close to Toowoomba’s CBD, the Toowoomba Motor Village might just be your best bet. Located three kilometres south of the city centre, the holiday park is within walking distance of plenty of local shops and take-away restaurants, and backs onto a quiet park with walking and cycling trails too. This popular option is known for its clean facilities and friendly staff.

Address: 821 Ruthven St, Toowoomba City, QLD, 4350
Website: toowoombamotorvillage.com.au

5. Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park

Looking for an economical, no-frills caravan park to pitch up to for a night or three? Try the Toowoomba Showgrounds Caravan Park. Set amid spacious grounds, 15 minutes’ drive from the CBD, the park’s rates start from $25 a night for two adults and two children and there’s no need to make an advance booking either – just make sure the grounds aren’t closed for any special events beforehand. The site is also pet-friendly, and offers caravanners hot showers and a dump point. No camping allowed.

Address: Toowoomba Showgrounds, Glenvale Rd, Glenvale, QLD, 4350
Website: toowoombashow.com.au/caravans

6. Oaks Toowoomba Hotel

With its white, black and grey colour palette, there’s a bit of a corporate-chic vibe to this Toowoomba hotel. It’s one of the city’s newest kids on the block, opening in July 2020, and one of the few in Toowoomba to offer guests a swimming pool; there’s also a small gym, a restaurant, and a pub. The five-storey development houses 102 rooms, all with private balconies, ranging from a 29-metre-squared room for two, up to a three-bedroom, 84-metre-squared apartment that can sleep up to seven. And it’s right in the thick of the city too.

Address: 25 Annand Street, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350
Website: oakshotel.com/toowoomba

7. Pinbarron Cottage (Stayz)

Pinbarron cottage Toowoomba — Pinbarron is a restored period cottage.

When the promise of exclusivity (and a home away from home) beckons, plump for this gorgeous three-bedroom Queenslander. Situated on a tree-lined street in East Toowoomba, Pinbarron is a restored period cottage that has almost every conceivable amenity you could need, not to mention oodles of charm to boot (think window seats, open fireplaces, polished timber floors, high ceilings throughout, and a semi-covered front verandah). You’ll feel like a local in no time.

Website: stayz.com.au

8. Nightcap at Federal Hotel

Nightcap at Federal Hotel toowoomba — Cross the road for tasty pub grub.

While the Federal Hotel is already a favourite of locals for its classic pub grub menu, its accommodations across the road at Nightcap holds everything travellers need for an accesible stay in the centre of town. Find all the country comforts, plus self-service laundry facilities. Not to mention, you can order room service straight from the Federal Hotel’s bistro menu.

Address: 111 James Street, Toowoomba
Website: nightcaphotels.com.au

9. Burke and Wills Hotel Toowoomba

Book into the newly renovated Burke & Wills Hotel for a mixture of old-school extravagance and service with modern comforts. Right in the heart of Toowoomba, guests are only a short walk from all local attractions, and guests laud the friendly and reliable service.

Address: 554 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba
Website: burkeandwillshotel.com.au

10. The Arbour Boutique Apartments

The Arbour Boutique Apartments toowoomba — The Arbour brings a new level of luxury to Toowoomba.

The Arbour brings a new style of luxury short-stay accommodation to Toowoomba. With only 11 rooms, choose from one and two-bedroom self-contained apartments, nestled among the leafy surrounds of East Toowoomba. Decorated for understated luxury, neutrals with pops of dark colours keep things classic and soothing.

Address: 27 Scott Street, Toowoomba
Website: arbourapartments.com.au

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.

A guide to the best Toowoomba accommodation