Australia
We’ve rounded up an ever-growing selection of boutique hotel stays, luxury hotel hideaways and romantic retreats in Australia. Pick a destination below to see our selection of the best boutique hotels to book, as well as an insider guide to everything from restaurants and bars to picnics and hire cars…
Boutique & luxury hotels
Barossa Valley
Bay of Fires
Blue Mountains
Brisbane
Byron Bay
Canberra
Central Coast
Central Highlands
Clare Valley
Daylesford
East Coast Tasmania
Freycinet Peninsula
Great Barrier Reef
Hobart
Hunter Valley
Kangaroo Island
Lord Howe Island
Margaret River
Melbourne
Ningaloo Reef
Northern Beaches
Red Centre
Scenic Rim
South Coast
Sunshine Coast
Sydney
The Grampians
The Kimberley
Top End
Self-catering properties
Adelaide
Beechworth
Byron Bay
Capricorn Coast
Daylesford
East Coast Tasmania
Fleurieu Peninsula
Great Ocean Road
Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula
Northern Beaches
Port Douglas
South Coast
Sunshine Coast
The Grampians
The High Country
Adelaide, Australia
Once touted as the ‘City of Churches’, Adelaide is making a concerted effort to lose the pious tag and re-express itself as a creative, progressive destination with a kickin’ arts scene, fab restaurants and more bars than you could blitz in a year.
Barossa Valley, Australia
A breezy road-trip north-east of the capital of South Australia (take the scenic route via the Adelaide Hills), the Barossa Valley dukes it out with NSW’s Hunter Valley for bragging rights as the most celebrated grape-growing region in Australia.
Bay of Fires, Australia
The far-flung Bay of Fires on Tasmania's north-east coast keeps racking up awards as one of the world's top wilderness spots, with a string of pristine white-sand beaches (one more beautiful and empty than the next), dramatic orange lichen-encrusted rocks and pure aquamarine waves.
Beechworth, Australia
You won't need a sieve or pan to unearth the riches of this perfectly preserved gold-mining town: glorious architecture, a burgeoning food and wine scene, and rolling countryside.
Blue Mountains, Australia
Sydneysiders have been in the know for years now, hightailing it to the Blue Mountains for indulgent weekends of wildlife spotting, antiques shopping and gallery-hopping.
Brisbane, Australia
Australia’s third largest city has long lived in the shadow of Sydney and Melbourne, but in recent years Queensland’s capital has come into its own, shaking off its small town mentality.
Byron Bay, Australia
Some jokingly refer to Byron Bay as the most northern suburb of Sydney – everything you can find in the big smoke is on your doorstep here, too.
Canberra, Australia
Once the maligned centre of national government, Canberra’s stock has risen as a new generation of creative talent has given the ordered, staid city a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Capricorn Coast, Australia
From cattle country to tropical cays, Capricorn Coast spans a breath-snatching stretch of the Coral Sea, taking in rugged Rockhampton, rum-soaked Bundaberg and a host of towns with cool coastal charm.
Central Coast, Australia
Once a sleepy backwater, New South Wales’ Central Coast is a burgeoning hot getaway for weekending Sydneysiders, with top tip the Bouddi Peninsula, a boho cousin to the more familiar glam Northern Beaches across the water.
Central Highlands, Australia
An hour north of Tasmania’s capital Hobart, the Central Highlands are a long-lost but lovely alpine region of trout-filled lakes and jaggedy mountaintops.
Clare Valley, Australia
An hour or so north of South Australia’s more famous Barossa Valley, the historic Clare Valley in the Mid North district punches well above its weight in the wine stakes.
Daylesford, Australia
The chintz factor is low but that’s about the only thing missing from this hip country town near Melbourne, where taking the waters and indulging in gourmet produce go hand in hand.
East Coast Tasmania, Australia
Tasmania's untapped East Coast is home to sugar-white beaches, serene bays and a weird and wonderful assortment of wildlife.
Fleurieu Peninsula, Australia
The Fleurieu vibe is unhurried, unharried and oddly nostalgic (an antipodean Tuscany?): a unique collusion of vine-clad, red-brown soils, aquamarine ocean and a climate more Aegean than Australian.
Freycinet Peninsula, Australia
Rising from Tasmania's low east-coast hills like the arching spine of a whale is the island's famed Freycinet Peninsula (pronounced Fray-sin-aye), the go-to destination for pristine shores, crowd-free trekking and seafood to savour.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
With azure waters, powder-white sandy bays and spectacular snorkelling and diving, the sun-kissed tropical islands of the Great Barrier Reef are the kind of escape you dream about, but wake up here and they’re blissfully real.
Great Ocean Road, Australia
Victoria's Great Ocean Road, aka the B100, south-west of Melbourne, is one of the most famous drives in Australia, and for very good reason.
Hobart, Australia
Incredible coastlines, lush valleys and ancient peaks comprise Tasmania’s geography, so add to this a unique heritage, succulent seafood and famous wildlife and you can’t imagine a seasoned traveller asking for more.
Hunter Valley, Australia
One of the global capitals of New World wine making, Australia’s green and glorious Hunter Valley is the ideal destination for antipodean explorers looking to combine the palatable with the picturesque.
Kangaroo Island, Australia
Touting itself as ‘Australia’s Galapagos’, Kangaroo Island (KI) has an amazing proliferation of wildlife – in the sky, the scrub and the sea.
Lord Howe Island, Australia
With its soaring volcanic peaks, turquoise lagoon, unspoilt beaches and rare plants, birds and marine life, ruggedly beautiful eco-retreat Lord Howe Island should bring out your inner David Attenborough.
Margaret River, Australia
If Margaret River didn’t exist, someone with an active imagination would have made it up. Just three hours south of Perth, the region mingles natural beauty with phenomenal dining and over 120 wineries that produce a quarter of Australia’s best bottles.
Melbourne, Australia
Known for its sporting passion, cultural edge and cool take on music, fashion and food, Victoria’s capital beats Sydney to the crown of Australia’s most liveable city.
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Just over an hour from buzzy Melbourne, the mellow Mornington Peninsula combines coast and country, with an enticing mix of exclusive seaside escapes and laid-back rural hamlets.
Ningaloo Reef, Australia
The tourist hordes may head for Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, but those in the know are talking up Ningaloo – a remote yet ravishing reef off the coast of WA where you can swim among rainbow fish and psychedelic coral just metres from shore.
Northern Beaches, Australia
On a peninsula at Sydney’s northern extremities lies an enclave for the rich, famous and reclusive, including the occasional Hollywood superstar.
Port Douglas, Australia
Brilliantly blending casual sophistication with laid-back charm, this seaside village, where the days are sunny and the nights sultry, is a truly Australian tropical paradise.
Red Centre, Australia
The Red Centre is a ruddy sprawl of desert wilderness in the middle of Australia – a desolate and seemingly endless landscape of dunes and shrubland, with iconic Uluru towering imperiously at its heart.
Scenic Rim, Australia
South-east Queensland’s Scenic Rim boasts sultry subtropical rainforests, dramatic escarpments and an arc of lofty peaks perfect for romantic picnics, jaw-dropping treks or just soaking up from your spa bath with a glass of the good stuff.
South Coast, Australia
Endless pristine beaches, many of them close to deserted, and lush green countryside dotted with bucolic villages are the highlights of New South Wales’s South Coast.
Southern Forests, Australia
A small area cultivating a big reputation, WA’s Southern Forests is a nature- and food-lover’s paradise. Chill out, by wandering majestic woods of giant karri, jarrah and marri trees, or fish in pristine rivers.
Sunshine Coast, Australia
A tropical playground for Australia's style set, the Sunshine Coast offers a swoon-worthy line-up of sun-kissed beaches, lush hinterland havens, chic stores and a stellar restaurant and bar scene.
Sydney, Australia
Sassy Sydney is a supermodel of a city – and she knows it. The eye-popping setting, sprawled around one of the world’s best looking harbours, keeps tourists slack-jawed.
The Grampians, Australia
If the striking geography of this Victorian mountain range doesn’t take your breath away, an on-foot sampling of its mighty trails should.
The High Country, Australia
There’s some extraordinary beauty in them there hills. This region of northeast Victoria is visually dominated by alpine peaks – snow-capped for much of the year – and their surrounding national parks.
The Kimberley, Australia
One of the world’s few remaining patches of wilderness, this remote patch of Western Australia is a rugged land of plunging waterfalls, jagged gorges and lush tropical flora.
Top End, Australia
Tropical weather, rich indigenous culture and national parks are headline acts in themselves, but add to this an impressive cast of brilliant sunsets, world-class fishing and a colourful calendar of events and you have a taste of this northernmost point.
