14 April 2025
9 mins Read
It’s hard to go wrong when booking Hamilton Island accommodation, no matter your budget. Salty beach air and glimpses of twinkling Whitsunday 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 to enjoy that offer idyllic swimming pools and fantastic restaurants. 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.
The beachfront rooms offer spectacular water views. (Image: The Sundays)
Price: $$$$
Instagram-perfect from every angle while also welcoming children with open arms (hello, hireable prams and cots)? The Sundays is shaping up to be Hamilton Island’s ultimate family-friendly choice. Set to open its doors at the end of April 2025, the highly anticipated boutique stay will serve as the first new hotel to open on the island in more than 15 years. While interconnected rooms and school holiday programs will certainly dazzle parents, the 59-room luxury accommodation at the end of Catseye Beach also features grown-up indulgences like private cabanas dotted about a water’s edge pool, a signature bar and restaurant from restauranteur royalty Josh and Julia Niland of Sydney’s Saint Peter, and yoga classes overlooking the beach itself. The cherry on top is the fit out, a refined and masterful blend of textural beach tones and soothing sea greens.
Other inclusions: Airport transfers, transport around the island, wi-fi, beach water sports, kids’ activities and Ice Cream Happy Hour (a cone or cup per person)
Reef View Hotel offers absolute beachfront bliss. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)
Price: $$$
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, it’s Eat, Sleep, Swim on repeat.
With every room offering a view of either the Coral Sea or tropical gardens, private balconies provide the perfect opportunity for uninterrupted paradise gazing. 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 eatery, the Pool Terrace Restaurant, and bar, the Reef Lounge, to help you unwind.
Other inclusions: Return airport or marina transfers, use of the Island Shuttle, buffet breakfast with every Suite booking, use of gym, spa, sauna and tennis court hire, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program and wi-fi.
Palm Bungalows are a tranquil oasis on the island. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)
Price: $$$
You’ll be forgiven for mistaking Hamilton Island for a lush south-east Asian destination at the wonderful Palm Bungalows, set in a landscaped tropical garden within walking distance from Catseye Beach. In the bedrooms, everything is warm wood and cool white while hammocks are strung on balconies to further entice city slickers to slow down.
Each bungalow comes complete with a kitchenette, microwave, bar fridge and tea and coffee-making facilities, making for luxe Hamilton Island accommodation for families. Just a touch pricier than Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows offers some of the most value-for-money digs on the island. Kangaroos are also known to drop into the property’s large front lawn, and you can casually spy them from each room’s private balcony.
Other inclusions: Return airport or marina transfers, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sport’s water sports equipment, use of the Island Shuttle, access to a gym, spa, sauna and tennis court and access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program.
If you’re travelling with your tribe, locking down a self-contained, air-conditioned house, apartment, or Airbnb with loads of space is always a smart move.
Relax with a good book on your private balcony. (Image: Hamilton Island Holiday Homes)
Price: $$$—$$$$$
Offering all-inclusive Hamilton Island accommodation, often with your very own electric golf buggy (a must while visiting this extremely hilly, five-square-kilometre stretch of heaven), Hamilton Island Holiday Homes is just the ticket for groups and families. Serving as the Island’s main rental operator, the company boasts a portfolio of homes ranging from apartments to mega-mansions catering to more than two dozen.
Those who value privacy will appreciate that many properties take advantage of the outlook (think painted-on blue skies and sunlight that dances over the sea) without sitting right on your neighbour’s doorstep. Self-catering is easy thanks to Hamilton Island’s IGA supermarket and bottle shop, located down at the end of the marina village.
Other inclusions: Complimentary linen, bath and beach towels, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sport’s water sport equipment and wi-fi.
Luxuriate in the heated spa set in tropical gardens. (Image: Whitsunday Apartments)
Price: $$$
Right off Catseye Beach is Whitsunday Apartments, an impressive collection of self-contained lodgings. Accommodating up to five guests per room, the apartments are clean and tidy with some offering sensational views over the Coral Sea. Choose from a Garden View, Sea View or Deluxe Coral Sea View room, each fitted with a private balcony and a separate bedroom to the living area. There’s also a lagoon-style swimming pool and heated spa available to guests.
Other inclusions: Use of the Island Shuttle, wi-fi, on-site laundry and a guest lounge fitted with a flat-screen TV.
Hidden Cove features a resort-style infinity pool and a private beach.
Price: $$$$
Private group living doesn’t get much more glamorous than Hidden Cove Hamilton Island. Housing just 17 individual two-bedroom apartments, this Hamilton Island accommodation is designed so that no two spots are less than four metres away from one another. Each featuring jaw-dropping views across the Dent Passage to Dent Island, Hidden Cove features a resort-style infinity pool and a private beach. There are also wrap-around timber decks and state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms, giving you barely any reason to leave your apartment.
Other inclusions: Private golf buggy, tea and coffee making facilities and a private BBQ.
You’ve come for a taste of the good life so find a Hamilton Island accommodation option complete with million-dollar views, private pools, child-free entertainment, and world-class architecture.
Take in incredible views of the Whitsundays from your private tub. (Image: Qualia)
Price: $$$$$
The most luxurious resort option on Hamilton Island is qualia, which combines exceptional design flair with a contemporary clubhouse feel and five-star amenities. Half of the suites at this exclusive resort, located on the northern-most point of the Island, feature their very own ocean-facing plunge pool. The resort is split into two, the south-west facing Leeward Pavillions and the north-facing Windward Pavillions, with the latter home to those ritzy pools.
Regardless of where you’re sleeping, expect hardwood polished floors, sundecks, stone ensuite bathrooms, central heating, gourmet mini bars, a la carte breakfast daily at the exquisite on-site Long Pavilion restaurant and so much more. Level your stay up at the exclusive qualia Beach House, which offers panoramic views, a ten-person dining room, a 12-metre infinity pool, and a separate guesthouse for guests of your own. Guests must be aged 16 and over.
Other inclusions: Private golf buggy, daily breakfast, 24-hour chauffeur service around Hamilton Island, all non-alcoholic beverages, return VIP transfers to the airport or marina, use of the gym, spa, sauna and tennis court.
A stay at Beach Club will reward you with magnificent views of Catseye Beach.
Price: $$$$
On an island packed to the brim with families, the 5-star Beach Club is an adults-only oasis, making it popular with babymooners desperate to lap up luxury without the soundtrack of squealing children. The low-slung hotel tumbles directly down to Catseye Beach and each of the 57 rooms, sprawled across the two-storey property, feature their own private terrace or balcony. On the ground level, an infinity pool is cool in the summer and heated in the winter. Floating right off Catseye Beach, pool dips at this Hamilton Island accommodation are the envy of every passerby.
Other inclusions: Daily a la carte breakfast, TVs with surround sound in each room, wi-fi, use of Hamilton Island Beach Sports equipment, return transfers from the airport or marina, VIP point-to-point chauffeur service, tea and coffee throughout your stay.
Join sunrise yoga sessions at Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas. (Image: Tourism & Events Queensland)
Price: $$$$$
The Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas offer high-rolling yachties a tranquil island escape. Located alongside the exclusive Hamilton Island Yacht Club, the high-end villas designed by architect Walter Barda offer sophisticated self-contained living with four luxurious bedrooms.
Each stay looks out over Dent Passage and towards Dent Island, spread out over three to four levels and featuring four bathrooms. Miele appliances dot the kitchen, while fully ducted heating and a private laundry provide further comfort.
Other inclusions: Use of the Yacht Club Villas pool, a welcome hamper including wine and treats, use of the Island Shuttle, up to two golf buggies, a mid-stay clean if you’re there for more than five nights, sporting equipment including catamarans, stand-up paddleboards, windsurfers and snorkel gear, access to Hamilton Island’s Kids Stay & Eat Free program, wi-fi.
Trisara redefines island luxury with its private infinity pool. (Image: Hamilton Island Luxury Homes)
Price: $$$$$
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, the Pavillions Penthouse, which sleeps up to 10 guests and occupies prime real estate during Hamilton Island Race Week, plus Trisara, a four-bedroom stunner that sleeps up to 10 people and throws up some of the most spectacular sunsets on the island.
Other inclusions: Golf buggies, open-plan living and dining areas and just general bragging rights.
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