Bush League

We recently added a load of new Australian hotels to our selection — proof the country is stepping up its hospitality game. To celebrate: fourteen hotels outside the cities, but in a league of their own.

You don’t have to travel very far outside an urban area in Australia before you’re in the bush. Nearly 90% of the country’s population lives along the coast — a few dozen miles inland and you’re suddenly in some serious wilderness. It’s that lovely natural landscape, along with a handful of unspoiled islands, that this list of hotels is focused on.

In the past year we’ve greatly increased the number of Australian hotels in our selection. Some part of that only happening now could be put down to us being a bit behind, but much of it is because there are so many terrific hotels opening up these days. The hotels below aren’t all brand new by any means, but they are new to our selection, and they represent some of the most interesting places you could hope to stay.

Need more? Check out our full selection of hotels in Australia.

Bullo River Station

Baines, Australia

The name is no exaggeration — Bullo River Station is in fact a working cattle station and homestead in the outback of the Northern Territory of Australia. Thus it’s environmentally friendly by necessity, and while the experience involves some luxury it’s also remarkably authentic to the life of a cattle rancher. Activities run the gamut from a gentle swim in the pool to a helicopter ride over the bush.

Lizard Island Resort

Lizard Island, Australia

Surrounded by coral reefs and 24 white-sand beaches, Lizard Island sits 240 kilometres from the Queensland coast, closer to the continental shelf than the mainland. Villas and suites are tucked into the landscape with bleached timbers, soft linens, and open-plan layouts that pull the outside in. There are no locks, no schedules, and no need to keep track of time.

The Sanctuary at Alba

Fingal, Australia

On a ridge above Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, The Sanctuary at Alba offers five freestanding villas surrounded by native bushland. Each is designed as a private retreat, with soft-toned interiors that mirror the spa’s focus on calm and restoration. Floor-to-ceiling views look out toward the bay, while the sense of seclusion makes the villas a natural extension of Alba’s thermal springs and wellness ethos.

Bamurru Plains

Point Stuart, Australia

The traditional luxury safari experience has its origins in Africa, for obvious reasons, but if you’re willing to look beyond the Big Five, you’ll find Bamurru Plains a worthy entry in the genre. Set at the edge of the Kakadu National Park, in Australia’s Top End — check the map and you’ll understand — it specializes in so-called “Wild Bush Luxury,” offering vast tented bungalows surrounding a lavishly outfitted central lodge.

Ardour Milton Park

Bowral, Australia

Housed in an early 20th century mansion on a verdant private estate, Ardour Milton Park’s natural setting has inspired its slow down and switch off philosophy. Rooms combine both style and comfort with soft shades, tactile materials and natural wood, and large windows look across or even open onto the manicured garden and fountain outside.

Spicers Tamarind Retreat

Maleny, Australia

When you think of Australia’s natural beauty, stretches of golden sand and surf usually comes to mind. But head away from the coastline to the Sunshine Coast hinterland and you’ll find Maleny, home to lush green hills, Australian rainforest, and Spicers Tamarind Retreat. The hotel’s verdant setting makes it a true R&R haven, especially for travellers who have already hit up the big cities.

The Mitchelton Hotel

Nagambie, Australia

Sitting by the banks of the Goulburn River, The Mitchelton Hotel Nagambie makes a striking sight amongst the sprawling vineyards of the Mitchelton Winery Estate. Australian design duo Hecker Guthrie imagined the hotel’s graphic blocky structure as a modern ode to nature, creating a harmonious link with the natural surroundings, which can be enjoyed from balconies overlooking the river or vineyards.

El Questro – The Homestead

Kununurra, Australia

The all-inclusive, adults-only concept of El Questro – The Homestead means guests don’t have much more to think about than kicking back and enjoying the view of the wild Kimberley landscape. Rooms and suites immerse guests in The Homestead’s 700,000 acres of nature with huge windows and private terraces, and the variety of experiences encourages getting out to explore it.

Lon Retreat & Spa

Point Lonsdale, Australia

The picturesque Bellarine Peninsula makes for an easy break from Melbourne, and Lon Retreat & Spa makes it a proper escape — set on some 200 pastoral acres, it’s as quiet as can be, and its vision of luxury is decidedly wellness-oriented. The suites feel more like self-contained residences than hotel rooms, and come complete with kitchenettes as well as an interior style that’s both stylish and welcoming.

Chalets at Blackheath

Blackheath, Australia

When a bushfire tore through this 17-acre Blue Mountains site in 2019, it left little standing. The new owners rebuilt with purpose, bringing in local conservationists to restore the land before construction began. Four chalets now stand among regenerating eucalyptus forest, each built with rammed-earth walls and finished with Italian linen, soaking tubs, wood-burning stoves, and stocked wine fridges.

Le Mas Barossa

Rowland Flat, Australia

Fifty minutes north of Adelaide, this small French-inflected property plants itself in the middle of one of Australia’s most celebrated wine regions. The Barossa needs little introduction, and Le Mas has the address to match: some of the world’s oldest Grenache vines grow nearby, and the valley’s most storied producers are minutes away by car.

Blackbird Byron Bay

Mullumbimby Creek, Australia

Step away from the coast and Australia gets wild very quickly. Though Blackbird Byron is just half an hour inland from Byron Bay, this three-room escape is immersed in the spectacular setting of Mount Koonyum. The hotel itself is a stunner as well, crafted from weathered, reclaimed metal and wood; its three pavilions warm their poured concrete floors with vintage rugs.

Casa Renoir

Eumundi, Australia

A tribute to Southern Italy in the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, Casa Renoir stands just 20 minutes inland from Noosa Main Beach — close enough to participate in the coastal Queensland version of easy living, and remote enough to establish an air of tranquil seclusion. At the moment a single two-bedroom villa makes up the whole of the accommodation selection, though more are in the works.

InterContinental Hayman Island Resort

Hayman Island, Australia

Among the Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef is Hayman Island, a private island that’s been a luxe escape for well-heeled Australians since at least 1950, when the original Royal Hayman Hotel opened on this spectacular site. Through decades of expansions and improvements it’s slowly evolved into what it is today: the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort.