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The ultimate Geelong accommodation guide for every holiday style

Credit: Visit Victoria

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
From waterfront hotels to idyllic luxury pods, the best Geelong accommodation is your ticket to a blissful coastal escape.

No longer just a gateway to Victoria’s scenic country and coastal locales, Geelong has morphed into one of my favourite weekend escapes. I’m always in awe of the port city’s vivid sense of history and creative spirit, which runs along its waterfront, through its laneways, and into the countryside. Also impressive is the wide range of overnight stays in proximity to the good life, quirky boutique hotels, historic estates and large-scale holiday homes. Here are my top Geelong accommodation choices for every getaway style.

In short

If you only stay at one of the best Geelong accommodation picks, make it Lon Retreat. You’ll drop more coin than you would at a holiday park (and you’ll need to leave the kids at home) but the spa is gorgeous, and you’ll leave totally renewed.

Hotels

1. Novotel Geelong

a suite with waterfront view at Novotel Geelong
Base yourself at the waterfront in the Novotel Geelong. (Credit: Supplied)

Stay smack-bang on the waterfront at Novotel Geelong, home to 109 rooms with balconies and, for many, glittering bay views. It’s one of the few proper hotel chains in the region but don’t go thinking it’s all cookie-cutter boxes as the rooms and common areas are imbued with that signature Geelong’s creative spirit. There’s also Tempo Kitchen & Bar, which knocks breakfast, lunch and dinner out of the park, so you don’t need to leave if you don’t want to. There’s also room service so nights in your bathrobe are sorted. Expect an indoor heated pool, steam room, fitness centre, valet parking, free wi-fi and laundry services.

Address: 10-14 Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong

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2. Quest Geelong

an apartment stay at Quest Geelong
Quest Geelong offers a stylish, relaxed and convenient stay with its 35 serviced apartments.

Keen on securing something on the water? Quest Geelong is another top pick, particularly from a location stance as it’s within easy reach to the iconic Cunningham Pier and a stroll away from one of Geelong’s best beaches, Eastern Beach. This Geelong accommodation (and there are two Quests in Geelong so check the address before booking to ensure it’s what you’re after) comes in the way of serviced studios as well as one, two and three-bedroom configurations. Facilities include laundry services, a gym, secure off-street parking and dry cleaning.

Address: 16-18 The Esplanade, South Geelong

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3. The Nest

The Nest Geelong outdoor tub
Pamper yourself with some restorative R&R.

Never knew you needed a five-star bed-and-breakfast pod overlooking untouched countryside and the coastline? Now you do. The Nest is located half an hour from Geelong on a hilltop above Point Lonsdale, near the seaside town of Queenscliff. There, five couples-only builds are found, each fitted with king-size beds and a private deck and spa. A sustainable accommodation pick, this Geelong accommodation is solar powered during the day, utilising 100 per cent filtered rainwater, so it’s going to sit comfortably on your conscience, too. While your stay offers the illusion of complete solitude – it’s a 16-hectare private sanctuary, after all – you’re only a few minutes’ drive from the region’s best wineries. Alternatively, the team built an on-site wine cellar so you can get your jollies without ever leaving.

Address: 2140 Bellarine Hwy, Point Lonsdale

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4. Lon Retreat

a suite with private tub and lush views at Lon Retreat
Soak up the rural oasis from the comfort of your suite. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Also located in beautiful Point Lonsdale in the Bellarine is my personal favourite, Lon Retreat, nestled amid 250 acres right by the ocean. Home to seven impeccable sandstone suites, the vibe is what instantly won me over — all earthy tones and tactile style choices with a generous dose of contemporary touches. Plus, there’s an award-winning on-site spa with its own mineral water tubs, steam rooms, three treatment rooms and sparkling views. Treat yourself to serious you-time as the ocean, a lighthouse and coastal landscape flood your sight. In the evening, enjoy a home-style meal in the comfort of your suite, crafted with produce sourced from nearby farms. A seriously magical Geelong stay.

Address: 25 Gill Rd, Point Lonsdale

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5. Mount Duneed Estate

the property exterior of Mount Duneed Estate, Geelong accommodation
This luxury pod stay is at the foot of vines and an olive grove. (Credit: Mount Duneed Estate)

One city, two pod hotels? Nope, not Japan, just Geelong. Mount Duneed Estate joins The Nest as another luxury pod stay – this one, however, located on a winery rather than countryside. Eight individual pods are dotted at the foot of vines and an olive grove, each fitted with king beds, a kitchenette, a small lounge, a bathtub, a coffee machine, a continental breakfast hamper and a bottle of the team’s own sparkling wine to toast your escape. Keen to keep the good times rolling? A cellar door organises grazing platters, and tastings, while the seasonally charged Barrell Hall Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Thursday to Sunday.

Address: 65 Pettavel Rd, Waurn Ponds

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6. Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong

the Premium King room at Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong
Retreat into the spacious Premium King room with a Bay view. (Credit: Glen Percival and Steve Young)

One of the port city’s newer hotels, Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong is more than the global brand’s average business traveller stay. Built with a very trendy on-site steakhouse, Maestro, the Geelong accommodation feels more R&R destination than work-from-anywhere (though they cater for that, too, via a 24-hour business centre). Over 10 floors, plush, spacious rooms are made for lazy unwinding before taking advantage of the fitness centre (there’s even a rowing machine in there) and indoor heated pool with lounges. Additionally, your wheels are safe from the moment you check in thanks to controlled access for guests only.

Address: 40 Ryrie St, Geelong

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7. Quest Geelong Central

Quest Geelong living room
Quest Geelong Central is conveniently situated in the CBD.

Quest Geelong Central, Geelong’s newest apartment hotel, is located in the heart of the CBD within a short walk to the waterfront. Offering studio, one, two and three-bedroom stays, you’ll be treated to signature Quest amenities including a state-of-the-art rooftop gym, courtesy vanand business lounge. Undercover secure carparking is also available.

Address: 71-77 Gheringham St, Geelong

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8. Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park

the exterior of Lancemore Mansion Hotel in Werribee Park
The five-star hotel sits within an 18th-century English mansion. (Credit: Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park)

Once an 18th-century mansion, the grand Lancemore Mansion Hotel in Werribee Park now offers stunning five-star accommodation, just 30 minutes from Melbourne. Each of the 91 guest rooms is beautifully appointed with modern amenities, to boot. Choose from a cosy Heritage Room, a contemporary Superior Room with garden views, a spacious Junior Suite with a spa bath and balcony, or a 2-Bedroom Family Suite. Facility-wise, make sure you book a treatment at the on-site L.M. Spa, as well as a meal at the on-site European-inspired restaurant. Find time to lap up the heated indoor pool, cue up a win inside the snooker room and lose yourself in a library, too.

Address: Escarpment Rd, Werribee South

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Camping and caravan parks

9. Geelong Holiday Park

a spacious cabin for groups at Barwon River Holiday Park, Geelong accommodation
Settle into a spacious cabin at Geelong Holiday Park.

Located among the gum trees on the banks of the Barwon River, a 10-minute cruise from central Geelong, Geelong Holiday Park offers various stays for budget-conscious travellers. Roll in your caravan to seize a powered camp site or treat the clan to a multi-bedroom cabin complete with a spacious patio. When you’re not soaking up the serenity, there’s two swimming pools, an undercover barbecue area, a basketball half-court, a camp kitchen, a laundry, multiple amenity blocks, a kiosk, a giant jumping pillow, two playgrounds, hireable pedal go-karts and even a small dinosaur garden to take advantage of.

Address: 153 Barrabool Rd, Belmont, Geelong

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10. Tasman Holiday Parks Geelong

the balcony in one of the cabins at Tasman Holiday Parks Geelong
Stay in a pet-friendly cabin near the Barwon River. (Credit: Tasman Holiday Parks Geelong)

A little way down from Geelong Holiday Park, Tasman Holiday Parks Geelong is another ample-activity Geelong accommodation choice. You’re still perched on that tranquil river as the likes of a giant jumping pillow, amenities blocks, two swimming pools, playground, camp kitchen and barbecues sort out every other group getaway need. Additionally, several stays are pet-friendly (check the website for a comprehensive round-up of what’s what), and free wi-fi flows throughout.

Address: 75 Barrabool Rd, Belmont

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Holiday homes, apartments and Airbnbs

11. Timber Door

the rooftop pool at Timber Door, Geelong accommodation
Take refreshing morning dips in the rooftop pool. (Credit: Timber Door)

Apartment living is perfected at Timber Door, a Geelong accommodation filled with studios that ooze serious urban flair. It’s that very Melbourne mix of earthy materials and lush greenery, creating soothing open-plan sanctuaries in the thick of the action. It’s also close to Kardinia Park so if you’re in town to catch the mighty Cats face off against your favourite AFL club, you’re right nearby. Don’t miss Timber Door Cellars, a wine and whisky bar that dishes up charcuterie platters, just a 10-15-minute walk away.

Address: 94 Gheringhap St, Geelong

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12. Anchor Geelong

a boho-chic accommodation at Anchor Geelong
Anchor Geelong combines Hamptons style with boho chic.

A little bit Hamptons, a little bit boho chic, Anchor Geelong offers light-filled accommodation just a couple of blocks away from Malop Street and a short stroll to the waterfront. Home to eight studios, each is styled entirely uniquely while nodding to various coastal locales through their titles. From the deluxe king studio of Queenscliff to the two-bedroom studio of Torquay, you’ll find sweet decor throughout, Moroccan tiles in the bathrooms, and, in some, private courtyards. Facilities include a communal laundry (for no additional fee), a flower garden to wander, and off-street parking.

Address: 39 Swanston St, Geelong

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13. Campbell Point House

a luxurious bedroom at Campbell Point House, Geelong
Unwind in the decadent Campbell Point House. (Credit: Visit Victoria)

Live like royalty at Campbell Point House, located 20 minutes from Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula. The spectacular stay is undoubtedly one of the most unique private propositions in the area: a luxurious waterfront mansion to help you live out your ultimate group escape dream (and no children are allowed). Set on 37 manicured acres, the estate is the type of place you’d hire out for a wedding. Set up shop in the Lake, Cottage, or one of the four Mansion suites to experience total decadence but no matter where you unpack, there are private ensuites with walk-in showers, mini fridges, coffee makers, wardrobes, lounges and more. Meals are served (there’s no self-catering allowed) in an on-site restaurant and there’s an infinity pool with your name on it.

Address: 199 Matthews Rd, Leopold

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14. Moranghurk Shearer’s Quarters

the property exterior of Moranghurk Shearer’s Quarters, Geelong accommodation
The original timber homestead is set on 459 hectares of an old Victorian pastoral property. (Credit: Supplied)

Snooze on 459 hectares of bushland at one of Victoria’s oldest pastoral properties. Moranghurk Shearer’s Quarters is located 30 minutes north-west of Geelong and overlooks the Moorabool River for some of the most enchanting surroundings in town. Your digs, which cater to up to 30 guests, are a series of eight 1920s bluestone bedrooms that converge on a large country kitchen with an original brick bread oven. Cook up a storm and wash it all down with local wine including pinot noir from this Geelong accommodation’s very own vineyard. Guests should note that it’s single beds all the way here and you’ll need to BYO linens, towels and food. Firewood, however, is supplied.

Address: 210 Sharp Rd, Lethbridge

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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    Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated. 

    Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.  

    Geelong cellar door wine bar
    Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

    Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct 

    Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.  

    Paddock Bakery andPatisserie
    Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    At Paddock, one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand. 

    Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design 

    Paddock Bakery
    Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    “A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.  

    And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

    Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.  

    As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.  

    The rise of a food and wine destination  

    boiler house
    Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

    Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915. Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco. 

    Woolstore
    The Woolstore is a new restaurant and bar housed within a century-old warehouse. (Image: Amy Carlon)

     The Woolstore, one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.  

    Woolstore menu
    Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

    Breathing new life into historic spaces  

    On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.  

    “We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.” 

    Provenance Wines
    Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

    The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

    While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.  

    handcrafted pieces
    Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

    The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”  

    A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”  

    Elizabeth Bell
    Ceramicist Elizabeth Bell has a store in Fyansford Paper Mill.