4 Classic Australian Hotels to Experience at Least Once

Intimate, luxurious and quintessentially Australian, these beloved stays continue to evolve and delight. Below, four Travel Insider writers and editors return to some of the country’s most renowned hotels to share the exciting updates that await your next visit.

Raes on Wategos 2.0

Byron Bay, NSW

“The dolphins are back!” a voice cries from somewhere nearby, the sound of the ocean a backing track to the exciting news. Padding across the sundeck outside my suite at Raes on Wategos, I throw open the timber shutters. The sunlight pouring in is a dazzling intruder.

Originally a 1960s-era kiosk, Raes sits nestled on the Cape Byron walking trail – far enough from town to avoid the bustle but only a 40-minute walk to the fun of Main Beach.

Having had a significant revamp in 2016, under the expert eye of Sydney-based interior designer Tamsin Johnson, the property redefines coastal luxe. Mosaic tiles, carved wooden doors, creamy linen curtains: every detail in the five suites and two penthouses is considered and warm.

Between the branches of the frangipani tree outside my window, a wedge of blue. A surfer stands at a coffee van parked on the grass below, pointing towards a dozen tiny shapes among the waves. There are about 800 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins that use the glittering waters off Wategos Beach as a playground. Some females call it home year-round and the rest venture further afield but always come back.

They’re not the only ones. “We have people return year after year for every special occasion,” says general manager Marty McCaig. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Raes is firmly woven into the fabric of Byron Bay and the opening of a new outpost, the Guesthouses (above) – 100 metres up the road and comprising two side-by-side buildings – was devised specifically with repeat visitors in mind. “Guests can now hire out one of the new properties for their exclusive use.”

Those staying at the extension, which was also designed by Johnson, still have access to the crowd favourites that have helped build Raes’ legendary status: on-demand Lexus transfers into town; a pot of tea warmed by a tealight candle on your coffee table before you turn in; breakfast served in your room (complete with an extra juice concoction that Bobbie from the restaurant remembers you liked yesterday).

The hotel’s eponymous two-hatted Dining Room, led by executive chef Jason Saxby, as well as the more casual outdoor Cellar Bar at the base of the entry stairway, are also available to all guests, though those choosing the exclusive-use option are offered the services of a private chef.

To many, Raes feels more like staying at the grand home of your most connected friend than at a hotel. “And now we can make it even more extraordinary,” says McCaig.

Story by Bek Day

qualia’s new retreat

Hamilton Island, Queensland

There’s only one way into qualia. Along Marina Drive, up to One Tree Hill (where you’ll be smacked in the face by 360-degree views of the Coral Sea) and down to the northern tip of Hamilton Island. Wait a beat for the heavy wooden gates to swing open and that’s when you’ll feel your shoulders start to drop – helped along by the glass of Charles Heidsieck that’s about to materialise.

The Oatley family, who own the island and opened qualia in 2007, are sailors and winemakers so they know what a good time looks like. A stay here is a hedonistic mix of dazzling Queensland sun, chopper rides out to Heart Reef – where the view from above is only surpassed by the underwater experience – and food and drink that wouldn’t be out of place in a hatted restaurant (Moreton Bay bugs with green papaya and nam jim, perhaps accompanied by a cold glass of Nicky Oatley’s zesty new chenin blanc).

But there’s something extra about qualia. Despite all the luxury trimmings, it feels Australian to its core. That’s partly due to the landscape – tropical palms and towering gums – but it’s also thanks to the cockatoos that act like they own the joint and the resort’s ever-cheerful staff, who may not all have the local accent but have adopted our can-do attitude.

The 60 pavilions, which have been carefully designed to bring the outside in, are scattered around the point (with the Windward selection offering private plunge pools). If you’re the sharing kind, you may want to book The Residence, which opened last July. The private home of the Oatley family when they’re on the island, it’s a three-bedroom sanctuary complete with its own entrance, 25-metre lap pool and views towards the delightfully named Plum Pudding Island. Your very own piece of tropical paradise.

Story by Kirsten Galliott

Saffire Freycinet by the Sea

Coles Bay, Tasmania

Coastal bushland conceals Saffire Freycinet, tucked beside Coles Bay on Tasmania’s east coast, until the moment you arrive. The big reveal is this remarkable property’s tireless, timeless trick; the way it suddenly appears, wowing with that astonishing outlook across the bay to Freycinet National Park.

Follow the boardwalk lined in red marble to the front door, step inside and be wowed again by the waved roofline of celery-top pine that frames an exquisite vision of shimmering water, bushland and the pink-granite presence of The Hazards range. It’s a mercurial, magical sight that never fails to captivate.

Saffire has offered its unique blend of luxury and liberation since 2010 but, like the light on Coles Bay, it never stays the same. The lodge’s 20 suites – with super-king beds, stylish lounges and views over Great Oyster Bay – sit among the peppermint gums below the stingray-shaped main lodge, where a spa, library and gastronomic restaurant round out the in-house relaxation options.

Newly installed executive chef Toby Raley (formerly of Quay in Sydney and London’s The Ledbury) has been busily sourcing sustainable seafood – including hand-dived abalone, oysters plucked from nearby Dolphin Sands and sea urchins from the water outside – for the lodge’s Seafood and Sparkling Cruises. On these half-day expeditions, guests take a cabin cruiser deep into Great Oyster Bay and along the Freycinet coast, snacking on sophisticated canapés (pickled West Coast octopus with local wasabi, black lip abalone skewers) and drinking three limited-release vintages from winemaker Jansz Tasmania. It’s a genius idea, when the only thing guaranteed to improve an already exceptional experience is a glass or two of sparkling. And perhaps spotting a whale.

Story by Kendall Hill

The Louise does daytrips

Barossa Valley, South Australia

“People don’t come to the Barossa to drink wine.” It’s a bold statement from a local winemaker but Damien Tscharke has a vision. “They come here to see the culture and feel the dream of wine. You need to get out into the vineyards to understand where wine comes from.” It’s easy to feel that dream as you wander between rows of organic grenache and shiraz grapes while the afternoon sun illuminates a Gothic spire above the nearby Gnadenfrei Lutheran Church.

This private audience with Tscharke is part of The Louise’s Wine Weekends, a program introduced when Baillie Lodges took over the Barossa’s pre-eminent luxury lodge in 2022. The new owners also refurbished the stay’s 15 spacious suites and tapped local gallery Wonderground to fill the walls with artworks, which include Emma Hack’s see-it-to-believe-it body art and Tanya Wales’ dreamy ombré paintings.

Australia’s most famous wine region is in the DNA of this beloved retreat, from the elderflower and Seppeltsfield Road Distillers gin spritz at check-in to the views of Peter Lehmann’s vineyards from onsite fine-diner Appellation and the west-facing infinity pool (which has a phone for bottle service). Each suite is stocked with local cheese, beer and a generously filled decanter of Seppeltsfield aged tawny.

Then there’s the collection of enormous six-litre Methuselahs on display in the hidden speakeasy where pre-dinner drinks are served. Far more practical are the standard-sized bottles that fill the gracefully curved “wine lantern”; there’s never a bad time to crack open a rare vintage of Grange, Hill of Grace or Basket Press. So take Tscharke’s declaration with a grain of salt – some drops are definitely worth travelling to the Barossa for.

Story by Alexis Buxton-Collins