Hotels rebounded in 2021. The closings in Melbourne and Sydney weren’t enough to stop a string of openings across the country.
This means that with lower limits, there are a host of options that will help you make the most of your next interstate vacation.
Here are 11 of the best new hotels to try around the country.
Mesa Motel – Gold Coast
Mysa is a retro-inspired resort, in pastel colors, a classic ’80s Gold Coast cream brick motel from your childhood transformed into a dreamy Palm Springs-style getaway. Husband-and-wife team Jason Raine and Eliza Raine installed the treatment: pink and neon signage, vintage-restored furniture, and breezy-walled walls are throughout the property.
There are only seven light-filled rooms, painted with lavender, peach, mint, and carnations, each decorated with photographs of the surrounding area by photographer Trent Mitchell. Some rooms have private patios and all have a Smart TV. There is also a classic kidney-shaped pool that has been converted into a magnesium mineral pool. The property also has sustainability in mind. Rainwater serves the toilets and garden, while solar panels power the motel rooms.
The motel is within walking distance of the beach and 10 minutes’ drive from the Gold Coast Airport.
themysamotel.com
Exe Hotel – Brisbane
In a quieter year of hotel openings in Brisbane, Hotel X was clearly a standout thanks to its quick digs and great food and drink options. It is also ideally located up the hill in the Fortitude Valley, near the clubs of Brunswick Street, James Street’s restaurants, and the Riverside Howard Smith Wharves District. This location means it boasts a great view from Iris’ rooftop bar and restaurant, although you should also make time for its sister venue Bisou Bisou on the ground floor: what it lacks in views it makes up for with a great French menu.
The hotel’s 146 rooms are sumptuously nailed with mosaic tiles, wooden floors and recessed lighting in style. Each features Dyson and GHD hair appliances, Karl Lagerfeld supplies, Lavazza coffee makers, bottled cocktails, and artwork by Australian photographer Justin Nicholas.
hotelx.com.au
Ovolo South Yarra – Melbourne
Ovolo South Yarra is perhaps the boutique brand’s boldest effort yet: a 123-room edifice near the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street, all with eye-catching wallpaper, 1970s-inspired furniture, and gorgeous wood paneling. Digs come in a variety of styles – from ultra-compact Go Go rooms to spacious Rock Star suites. All feature smart TVs, high-speed Wi-Fi, Bluetooth speakers and Ovolo’s signature loot bags. Larger rooms add luxury OMG bathroom amenities, mini cocktail bars, a double dressing table and original Mr Brainwash artwork.
Downstairs is the great vegan restaurant Lona Misa, Shannon Martinez, and Ian Curley, and Chapel Street nightlife is just a short walk away.
ovolohotels.com/ovolo/south-yarra
Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street – Melbourne
The Hilton brand returned to Melbourne in May with this 244-room hotel split between gorgeous heritage-listed Equity rooms and modern tall buildings. The renovated and restored rooms scream old school charm, drawing from both Exotic Revival and Romanesque styles of architecture. There is also a range of heritage suites in this part of the hotel, finished with wood paneling, modern rugs, and low, velvet-upholstered furniture. The rooms in the tower have been given a more modern treatment and bright lighting, and you’ll get skyline views from the upper floors.
Luci’s on-site restaurant is located in the old Great Hall of Equity Chambers and serves a Melbourne-produced menu in the beautiful Gatsby-esque space. There’s also a bustling main bar and the more intimate Douglas Club cocktail bar, should you feel like cruising.
hilton.com
Tasman Hotel – Hobart
This 152-room, late-year Hobart luxury hotel faces Murray Street in Parliament Square and is near the city’s famous Salamanca Market. It’s part of the Marriott’s luxury collection and consists of three buildings – a historic hospital, a 1940s Art Deco building, and a new glass pavilion. The rooms are elegant, and there are plenty of spots to take in the harbor views.
Her Italian restaurant Peppina serves food prepared by Tassi chef Massimo Meli (Grain of the Silos, Launceston) and chef Glenn Burns, who has worked at local fine dining restaurants Garagistes, Aloft and Fico. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth a visit for its cozy sandstone bar, fireplaces, and library of rare spirits, with cocktails created by leading beverage consultant Charlie Ainsbury (a must-have place, Eau de Vie, Bulletin Place). It is great to see some new accommodation options in the capital of Tassi.
Marriott.com
Next Melbourne Hotel – Melbourne
Located in the elegant 80 Collins district, this 225-room hotel has caught the eye with its restaurant Daniel Natoli, Adrian Li-helmed La Madonna, and its unique in-house aging program for wines and spirits. Upstairs, rooms are doing just fine too. Divided into three categories, with one- and two-bedroom suites available, they all come with an espresso machine, a Bose sound system, rain showers, Dyson hair dryer, and luxury Hunter Lab products. There is also a signature cocktail bar from the aging room downstairs.
Outside, The Princess Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theater and Comedy Theater are close by, and the hotel also runs a highly regarded Hidden Secrets walking tour of the CBD to help guests get the most out of it.
nexthotelmelbourne.com
Crystalbrook Kingsley – Newcastle
Newcastle’s first five-star hotel occupies the famous Old Newcastle Council Administration Building on King Street, right in the heart of the city. The modernist cylindrical architecture is exactly the same but the entire interior of the building has been changed, with its 130 rooms decorated with wool rugs, reclaimed wood, and suede lounges. Each features AH Beard beds, in-room tablets, Google Staycasts, and 100 percent zero-waste bathrooms, with the building’s charcoal and yellow plaque alluding to the city’s coal-mining past.
There is a cracked rooftop restaurant and bar with great coastal views. There’s also a café on the ground floor, and a range of the city’s best bars and restaurants are within walking distance, including Blue Door Café, brewpub Foghorn Brewery, Susuru Ramen & Gyoza, and hidden Coal & Cedar cocktail bar.
crystalbrookcollection.com
Mövenpick Hobart – Hobart
Yes, your little sister’s favorite ice cream brand also makes hotels – which they’ve been doing for years – and they tend to be good hotels. Take in this 221-room inn that opened at the beginning of the year in Hobart. The rooms’ minimalist fixtures favor texture over color, reflecting the surrounding Tasmanian landscape with a palette punctuated by black and wood accents. All rooms include free Wi-Fi, IPTV, and a minibar upon request, and the larger suites also feature a free-standing bathtub. This is the third tallest building in Hobart, so the higher levels offer great views of the CBD, the Derwent River, and Mount Wellington.
The hotel is within walking distance of the waterfront and Salamanca’s historic district, but there is also a great restaurant, Tesoro, on site, where the Chef’s Roadtrip set menu takes you on a Tasmanian food tour.
movenpick.com
Sequoia – Adelaide Hills
Designed to create a “treetop feel,” each Sequoia suite features a daybed on a cantilevered balcony perched directly above a cliff overlooking Piccadilly Valley. The idea is to make you feel like you’re in the unknown, even though the new six-star digs at Mount Lofty House are just 30 minutes from Adelaide Airport.
Inside, the suites feature AH Beard King beds, freestanding bathtubs, sunken sitting rooms designed around Basket Range stone-facing fireplaces, and luxury TVs that slide into a seat at the touch of a button. There is also a “moon window” in the ceiling that allows you to view the night sky. Original paintings of Piccadilly Valley botanicals by local artist Stephen Triplecock adorn the walls, and sculptures and glassware from Jam Factory are placed throughout each suite.
The public areas are equally impressive, with a reception area overlooking the valley, an infinity-edge pool and two on-site spring-fed onsen. In the center of the common area is a dining table long enough to accommodate 28 guests for dinner.
Sequoialodge.com.au
Sofitel Adelaide – Adelaide
A tiered chandelier designed to mimic a river Torrens / Karrawirra Parri and a stream of red wine. The floors of the lobby are made of Italian marble and oak. Gold reflective ceilings. Mosaic depicting stained glass windows of the famous Adelaide churches. Stacks upon mounds of artwork scattered throughout the public areas and rooms.
Sofitel Adelaide’s flash design certainly doesn’t do things in half, but the facilities here are also top notch. There is a wonderful Garson Bleu restaurant on the 9th floor, with a capacity of 90; Club Millésime’s light-filled lounge on the 10th floor; The Déjà Vu champagne bar is at ground level; and a gym including a charming indoor pool.
The 251 guest rooms range from the smart deluxe to the lavish 110 sq m Presidential Suite with dining room, office robe and bedroom. It is dominated by a simple black and white color scheme broken only by a stunning burgundy chandelier.
sofiteladelaide.com.au
A from Adina – Sydney
A by Adina takes apartment-focused stays from its namesake brand and gives them a magical experience in the middle of Sydney CBD.
Swish rooms are outfitted in cozy olive, gold and gray with floor-to-ceiling windows and at least feature a kitchenette, adding to the vibe of city living. The close views of Australia Square and Shell House and the workers pecking away at the surrounding skyscrapers only add to the effect.
Adina underlined her ambitions for this venue by including Dean and Nancy from the crew of perhaps Sammy at 22. A great restaurant and bar on the hotel’s 22nd floor, it features two-story windows that offer glimpses of the harbor among the surrounding buildings. It offers innovative sharing boards with the help of an interactive cocktail program.
Elsewhere, the hotel features a gorgeous sky lounge (with a luxurious golden staircase that leads to Dean & Nancy) and a beautiful indoor pool that doesn’t sacrifice those views. Outside, you’re close to the Opera, Botanical Garden, and The Rocks, with dining hotspots Long Chim, Restaurant Hubert, Rockpool Bar & Grill, and Mr Wong all within walking distance.
abyadina.com
The Surf – Yamba
The opening of the 12-room boutique hotel, The Surf, reflects Yamba’s emergence as a sophisticated holiday town.
The rooms are furnished with Scandinavian style wooden furniture upholstered in sea green and soft sandy pink. Bathrooms have curved tiled walls and Italian terrazzo. Bemboka robes and robes, Leif’s organic produce and a locally sourced in-room minibar join home touches like vases, artwork, and potted plants on the porch. There is also a rooftop terrace with a heated plunge pool and electric chargers downstairs.
Outside, the seaside pool and main beach are within walking distance, as is the popular Pacific Hotel and great restaurants like Beachwood Café and Paradiso Restaurant & Bar.
thesurfyamba.com.au
With additional reporting from Alexis Buxton Collins, Lynsey Rendell, Astrid Watt, Sarah Norris and Callum McDermott.