30 October 2023
10 mins Read
It’s hard to go wrong when booking Hamilton Island accommodation, no matter your budget. Salty beach air and glimpses of twinkling Whitsundays waters are abundant no matter which way you’re breathing the tropical holiday destination in. Offering everything from an exclusive couples-only resort to family-friendly apartments with the convenience of a fully stocked kitchen, Hamilton Island is overflowing with staggering stays. Our pick of the very best awaits.
Nothing screams holidays quite like dropping your luggage at reception and having warm, welcoming hotel staff guide you to your own personal slice of paradise for the next few days.
Price: $$$
The four-star Reef View Hotel takes design cues from its beach-front location, with a pared-back coastal chic aesthetic and nautical tones of navy, white and pebble grey. If the pool at this buzzy Hamilton Island accommodation grows old, which it won’t any time soon, stroll across the road to Catseye Beach. At this place, the Eat, Sleep, Swim formula is on repeat.
The hotel definitely lives up to its name.
With every room offering a view of either the Coral Sea or intensely green tropical gardens, private balconies provide the perfect opportunity for uninterrupted paradise gazing. Choose from a basic Garden View room from $396 per night, a Coral Sea View room from $432 per night, a King Coral Sea View room from $441 per night, a Reef Family Room from $608 per night, a top-floor Reef Suite from $798 and even further luxe options.
Enjoy ocean views from a gorgeous, airy suite.
The hotel, which features a gym, spa and sauna, and tennis court, also allows free access to a range of sporting equipment such as catamarans, stand-up paddleboards, windsurfers, snorkel gear, and kayaks from the Hamilton Island Beach Sports hut on Catseye. There’s also a popular in-house restaurant, the Pool Terrace Restaurant, to help you relax and unwind.
Holidays don’t get much better than this.
Other inclusions: Return airport or marina transfers, use of the Island Shuttle, buffet breakfast with every Suite booking, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program and free wireless internet.
Price: $$$$
You’ll be forgiven for mistaking Hamilton Island for a lush South East Asian destination at the wonderful Palm Bungalows, which is set in a landscaped tropical garden within walking distance from Catseye Beach. In the bedrooms, everything is warm wood and cool white while hammocks are strung on balconies to further entice visiting city slickers to slow down.
Enjoy the tranquility of the island at Palm Bungalows.
Each bungalow comes complete with a kitchenette, microwave, bar fridge and tea and coffee-making facilities, making for luxe family-friendly accommodation on Hamilton Island. Kangaroos are also known to drop into the large front lawn that sits afront the Bungalows, and you can spy them casually from each room’s private balcony. Rates start from $423 per night.
Peace and quiet fill each bungalow.
Other inclusions: Return airport or marina transfers, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sport’s water sport equipment, use of the Island Shuttle, access to a gym, spa, sauna and tennis court and access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program.
Guests have everything they need at their fingertips.
If you’re travelling with your tribe, a very popular Hamilton Island accommodation option is to lock down a Hamilton Island self-contained, air-conditioned house, apartment, or Airbnb, entirely of your own.
Price: $$$ – $$$$
Offering all-inclusive Hamilton Island accommodation often with its very own electric golf buggy (a must-own while visiting the extremely hilly, five square kilometre stretch of heaven), Hamilton Island Holiday Homes is just the ticket for groups or families. Serving as the Island’s main rental operator, the company features a portfolio of homes ranging from apartments that accommodate a party of one, to mega-mansions catering to up to 12 guests.
Hamilton Island Holiday Homes have a range of accommodation options.
Those who value their privacy will appreciate the fact that many of the properties take advantage of the outlook, offering killer views of painted-on blue skies and sunlight that dances over the sea. Self-catering is made easy thanks to Hamilton Island’s IGA supermarket and bottle shop, located down near the marina.
The accommodation choices always come with the amenities to match.
All properties include a Home Essentials Starter Pack that features dishwashing tablets and liquid, bin liners, tea, coffee and sugar, plus laundry powder.
Other inclusions: Complimentary linen, bath and beach towels, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sport’s water sport equipment and free wireless internet.
Price: $$$
Right off Catseye Beach is Whitsunday Apartments, an impressive collection of self-contained, one-bedroom lodgings. Accommodating up to five guests per room, the apartments are clean and tidy with some offering sensational views out to the Coral Sea. Choose from a Garden View, Sea View or Deluxe Coral Sea View room, each fitted with a private balcony and separate bedroom to the living area. There’s also a large private swimming pool and heated spa available to all guests, where you will spy even more of those incredible blue-on-blue views.
Other inclusions: Use of the Island Shuttle, free wireless internet, use of the on-site laundry and access to a guest lounge fitted with a flat-screen TV.
Price: $$$$
Up-market privacy doesn’t get much better than Hidden Cove Hamilton Island. Housing just 17 individual apartments, this Hamilton Island accommodation is designed so that no two spots are less than four metres away from one another. Each with jaw-dropping views out across the Dent Passage to Dent Island, Hidden Cove features an infinity pool and lavish cabana to really make your holiday dreams come true, but the private beach is really something to rave about. There’s also wrap-around timber decks and state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms, giving you even more reason to avoid leaving your apartment. Prices from $650 per night.
Other inclusions: Private golf buggy, tea and coffee making facilities and a private BBQ.
You’ve come for a taste of the good life so find a Hamilton Island accommodation option complete with million-dollar views, private pools, child-free entertainment, and world-class architecture.
Price: $$$$$
The most luxurious resort option on Hamilton Island is qualia, which combines serious design flair with a contemporary clubhouse feel. Half of the suites at this exclusive resort, which is located on the northern-most point of the Island and houses just 120 guests, feature their very own ocean-facing plunge pool. The resort is split into two, the south-west facing Leeward Pavillions and the north-facing Windward Pavillions, with the latter renowned for its outstanding views.
Enjoy views out across the ocean from the Beach House. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)
Regardless of which room you’re given, expect hardwood polished floors, perfectly shaded sundecks, stone ensuite bathrooms, central heating, gourmet mini bars, a la carte breakfast daily at the exquisite on-site Long Pavilion Restaurant and so much more. Dial things up ever higher with a stay at the exclusive qualia Beach House, which offers panoramic views, a ten-person dining room, a 12-metre infinity pool, and a separate guesthouse for guests of your own.
The interiors of the Beach House are open are air-filled. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)
But no matter where you tread within this otherworldly space, the atmosphere is euphoric, the service is impeccable, and the memories made are extraordinary. Prices start from $1,640 per night. Guests must be aged 16 and over.
Treat yourself to a day at the spa. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)
Other inclusions: Private golf buggy, 24-hour chauffeur service around Hamilton Island, all non-alcoholic beverages, return VIP transfers to the airport or marina, use of the gym, spa, sauna and tennis court.
Laze by the infinity pool in the sunshine. (Image: Sharyn Cairns)
Price: $$$$$
On an island packed to the brim with families, the 5-star Beach Club is an adults-only oasis, making it popular with babymooners desperate to lap up luxury without the soundtrack of squealing children.
The infinity pool is beyond alluring.
The low-slung hotel tumbles directly down to Catseye Beach and each of the 57 rooms, sprawled across the two-storey property, feature its own private terrace or balcony. On the ground level, an infinity pool is cool in the summer and heated in the winter. Floating right on Catseye Beach, Beach Club pool dips are undoubtedly the envy of every passerby. Prices start from $950 per night.
Bask on the palm-studded beach.
Other inclusions: Daily a la carte breakfast, TVs with surround sound in each room, free wireless internet, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sports equipment, return transfers from the airport or marina, VIP point-to-point chauffeur service.
Price: $$$$$
The Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas afford visiting yachties the chance for a tranquil island escape. Located alongside the exclusive Hamilton Island Yacht Club, the extremely high-end villas designed by architect Walter Barda offer sophisticated self-contained living while accommodating up to eight guests per room.
The Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas have views of the waterfront.
Each of the marina-side villas, which look out over Dent Passage and towards Dent Island and spread out over three to four levels, feature four bathrooms and four bedrooms. Miele appliances dot the kitchen, while fully ducted heating and a private laundry offer further comfort. Prices start from $1,440 per night.
There’s plenty of room for the whole family inside.
Other inclusions: Use of the Yacht Club Villas pool, a welcome hamper including wine and treats, use of the Island Shuttle, use of up to two golf buggies, a mid-stay clean if you’re there for more than five nights, use of sporting equipment including catamarans, stand-up paddleboards, windsurfers and snorkel gear, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program.
Have lunch outside with the whole crew.
Price: $$$$$
Some of the most exclusive homes on Hamilton Island are now available for rent. For those seeking barefoot luxury, check out Hamilton Island Luxury Homes which features exclusive, rentable real estate with a range of high-end amenities. The portfolio of multi-million dollar homes includes The Glasshouse, located on the highly sought-after Melaleuca Drive, housing up to 16 guests, and priced from $7,500 per night, the Pavillions Penthouse, which sleeps a maximum of 10 guests, occupies prime real estate during Hamilton Island Race Week and is priced from $1,700 per night, and Sunset Point, which sleeps eight guests, has its own private tennis court and pool, and is priced from $1,300 per night. If you’re dreaming of something unforgettable, your one-stop shop is here.
Other inclusions: Golf buggies, unbeatable views, open plan living and dining areas and undisputed Island living bragging rights.
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