Our pick of the best romantic getaways in Australia
Looking for a couples' retreat in Australia? Grab your partner, pack your bags and get ready to discover some of the most amazing romantic getaways and luxury escapes in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.
Eos by SkyCity | Adelaide, South Australia
It might be for a birthday, an anniversary, a surprise proposal or other special occasion. Or it could be for an earlymoon — a kind of pre-wedding honeymoon that’s becoming popular with nearly-weds. Or perhaps it’s just a much-needed weekend away to reconnect with quality time spent together. Whatever your reason — and frankly, we don’t think you need one — at ABIA we’re always up for planning a romantic holiday. And, as one of Australia’s most-trusted wedding planning platforms and longest-standing industry award hosts, we know a thing or two about romance.
So, we sent Tanya Bywater in search of some of the country’s best five-star city breaks, intimate love nests and wonder-filled romantic getaways.
qtQT Gold Coast | Gold Coast, Queensland
qtQT Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Known throughout Australasia for its signature swank and on-point décor, the QT Hotels brand’s Gold Coast location has recently upped the ante in the romantic getaway stakes. Building on the popularity of its existing stable of stylish hotel suites, QT Gold Coast has risen to new heights — quite literally — with the transformation of a section of its rooftop into an urban oasis.
Called qtQT, the space combines six cosy coastal cabins set amidst landscaped lawns and lush tropical foliage, creating an elevated escape that belies the convenience of the hotel’s five-star facilities and Surfers Paradise location. It’s not just the surreal setting encouraging retreat though. Inside each little love shack, couples are invited to cocoon with luxuriant, locally-sourced linens and a swathe of carefully-curated comforts like coffee-table books, board games and scented candles.
There’s no television by intent, instead a hanging chair calls from a private deck, a communal firepit prompts sunset rendezvous and quiet reflection and the lawns offer themselves up for yoga or pilates sessions. And, for those willing to venture, qtQT guests have access to QT Gold Coast’s outstanding amenities — think Japanese izakaya dining at Yamagen, sublime self-care at spaQ and relaxation by The Spring, the hotel’s much-coveted poolside precinct.
Images courtesy QT Gold Coast
Crown Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales
With its Opera House, Harbour Bridge and fleets of silently-gliding ferries, there’s no denying the romance of Sydney Harbour. And from its prime position on the water’s edge, Crown Sydney promises lovers a stay that captures that magic.
Crown Towers’ assortment of individually-adorned rooms and luxury suites each echo the harbour's palette of blues and neutrals and showcase the world-renowned vistas with walls of windows. Meanwhile, Frette-linen-clad king-size beds, plush upholstered furnishings, state-of-the-art tech, walk-in-robes and marble ensuites — with rain showers, dual vanities and freestanding baths — cater to comfort.
There’s 24-hour room service available for couples reluctant to leave, but with more water views visible from the harbourside infinity pool and well-fitted fitness centre, plus open-air tennis courts, a sigh-worthy Crown Spa menu and onsite dining and drink options galore — more within walking distance at Barangaroo entertainment precinct — most will be tempted to explore a little more.
Images courtesy Crown Resorts
The Tasman
Hobart, Tasmania
Adam Gibson
From those seduced by history to twosomes with a taste for the contemporary, romantics of all persuasions will find something to suit at The Tasman. A relative newcomer to Hobart’s historic waterfront precinct, The Luxury Collection hotel proffers 152 rooms and suites with décor spanning the site’s extraordinary architectural narrative.
Adam Gibson
Heritage rooms hark back to the property’s 1842 origins, showcasing the likes of Georgian details, vaulted doors and restored fireplaces. Rich textures and geometric detailing define the Art Deco spaces and the floor-to-ceiling windows of modern Pavilion rooms embrace the hotel’s harbourfront location.
Adam Gibson
In room, Tasmanian materials and ingredients are highlighted in everything from the fitout — think sandstone and native timbers — to the indulgent bathroom amenities and minibar selection. The celebration continues with local and Italian flavours melded at onsite Peppina restaurant, indigenous botanicals infused into the spirits and cocktails mixed at Mary Mary and regional wines showcased in intimate, Sommelier-hosted private tastings held within the hotel’s impressive cellar.
Sean Fennessy
RACV Torquay Resort
Torquay, Victoria
At one end of the iconic Great Ocean Road the sweeping arcs of RACV Torquay Resort, and the undulating greens of its adjoining golf course, follow the curve of the coast, presenting an awe-inspiring setting for relaxation and reconnection.
Here salty sea breezes and generously-sized guest rooms ease couples into a quieter pace, where beach walks are encouraged and downtime is dictated.
Energetic pairs can take to the fairways, try out the tennis courts, hit the gym or seek out the hotel’s heated indoor swimming area. Those with more indolent tastes can satiate them within One Spa’s hammam-style haven — which features a floatation pool, steam room and thermal stone room — or languish over carefully-crafted drinks and dishes at onsite Harding’s Lounge, White’s Paddock or Number One restaurant. And, for couples content to stay in, room service can be ordered from king-size beds, from which those in Ocean View Rooms or Ocean Spa Suites can enjoy the blue-green expanse of Bass Straight viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Images courtesy RACV Torquay Resort
COMO The Treasury
Perth, Western Australia
The grand edifice of Perth’s historic State Buildings has hosted government meetings, a post office and a treasury over the years, but these days it serves those with a more amorous agenda as five-star hotel COMO The Treasury.
Within each of the luxury hotel’s 48 rooms and suites, couples are immediately soothed with a symphony of biscuit, buttermilk and limewashed hues, which simultaneously underscore the ornate architecture of the buildings’ original interiors. Each room is unique and, depending on position, the likes of vaulted-ceilings, French doors, sash windows, fireplaces and balcony access feature, though spacious layouts, king-size beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, up-to-the-minute tech and bathrooms with freestanding tubs and heated travertine floors are ‘standard’.
Beyond these calming couples’ oases, COMO Shambhala — a wellness centre with heated indoor pool, fitness centre, steam room and holistic spa menu — calls. So too do the local and international delights dished up at onsite Post café and Wildflower restaurant, artful afternoon teas offered in the Cape Arid Rooms and the sightseeing spectacle of Perth’s city centre, located right on the doorstep.
Images courtesy COMO The Treasury
W Brisbane
Brisbane, Queensland
A circular turquoise ‘Mix Bar’, complete with cocktail shaker, immediately catches the eye upon entering a room at W Brisbane, hinting at the fun to be had inside. It’s one of many whimsical elements that add to the laid-back vibe amplified throughout the 312 guest rooms and assorted ‘Wow Suites’ of the riverside venue, but couples looking for a luxe romantic escape will discover the hotel also boasts a serious side when it comes to pleasure and rejuvenation.
In addition to W’s signature in-room comforts — plush bathrobes, designer amenities, LED TVs, high-tech specs, 24-hour room service, deep baths and snuggle-worthy beds — the hotel combines a heated rooftop swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and elegant semi-alfresco dining — complete with Brisbane River and city vistas — at The Lex.
The rooftop Wet Deck and ambient Living Room Bar offer drink and dining options too, but it’s the relaxation pods and couples’ treatment rooms at onsite Away Spa that invite extreme indulgence, combining the likes of gem massages and acupressure facials with complimentary access to saunas, aromatherapy steam rooms and mineral-rich vitality pools.
Images courtesy W Brisbane
Eos by SkyCity
Adelaide, South Australia
Stepney Studios
You know a hotel’s beds are good when they’re available for purchase from the online store, but the ‘must-have’ mattresses offer just a hint of the attention to detail at play within the selection of rooms and suites available at Eos by SkyCity.
Sam Noonan
The high-end accommodation annex of the central Adelaide casino, drinking, dining and entertainment precinct, Eos merges the convenience of its location with carefully-curated in-room comforts, which extend from complimentary movies and wi-fi, to the latest tech, an above-and-beyond pillow menu and on-call cocktail mixologists.
Sam Noonan
Doting duos can take their pick of rooms, suites or villas with cityscapes, rolling hills or River Torrens vistas, ride the elevator to the heated swimming pool and spa, cedarwood sauna and eucalyptus steam room on the Leisure Deck, sample the spoils of the Eos Spa menu or dress up and step out into the SkyCity social scene. And for those seeking the ultimate passion package Ever After Eos blends all of the above with champagne, breakfast, late-checkout and Ecuadorian red roses.
Image courtesy EOS by SkyCity
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales
Ascend The Grand Staircase, inside The Fullerton Hotel Sydney, and it’s easy to imagine the countless love letters that originated here. The former General Post Office building, in Sydney’s Martin Place, is steeped in romance, from its ornate Italian Renaissance-inspired façade to the intricate interior mouldings which span from floor to ceiling.
Within the hotel’s rooms and suites though, these nods to the heritage-listed building’s history are balanced with 21st Century convenience in the form of elegant modern furnishings, deep-soaking baths, smart TVs, complimentary wi-fi and Balmain bathroom amenities.
Tower view rooms or suites — like the Heritage Long Suite housed within the former postmaster’s office — are the pick for couples seeking to retreat. While those looking for eats and entertainment can indulge in modern Australian and Southeast Asian fare at The Place, partake of cocktails and elegant afternoon tea at The Bar, work it all off at the onsite fitness centre, or take advantage of the hotel’s iconic Sydney CBD address to explore further.
Images courtesy The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
Crown Melbourne
Melbourne, Victoria
Couples enticed by the assorted amusements of metropolitan Melbourne’s Southbank area can choose their own accommodation adventure from the choice of three standout hotels — Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade — on offer at Crown Melbourne.
Those with a yearning for five-star service and views of the Yarra River though need look no further than Crown Towers, where the selection of rooms, suites and villas merge their sophisticated neutral colour palettes with city skyline vistas, the latest in-room technology, walk-in-robes and sparkling marble bathrooms, complete with television screens, deep bubble-worthy bathtubs and generous double vanities.
Onsite, one of Australia’s largest indoor swimming pools tempts with refreshments served at private cabanas and daybeds, a state-of-the-art fitness centre caters to active types and Crown Spa serves up the ultimate in indulgence and wellness, while steps away restaurants like Rockpool Bar & Grill, Bistro Guillaume, Nobu, Silks, Spice Temple and the buzz of Southbank’s waterfront precinct beckon.
Images courtesy Crown Resorts
Emporium Hotel
Brisbane, Queensland
Loved-up pairs who envisage an infinity pool — hovering 21 floors above the Brisbane River, taking in the city skyline’s panorama — as part of their ultimate romantic escape, should make a beeline for the giant red letter ‘E’ that marks the Emporium Hotel on Brisbane’s South Bank.
Beyond the flamboyant signage, flashy lobby, high-end drink and dining offerings, well-fitted gym and wellness-inspired steam room and sauna, retreat awaits in the form of 143 dazzlingly-appointed suites, adorned in a calming combination of textured neutrals with a sprinkling of golden accents.
Rooms with an assortment of views feature sumptuous bedding, the latest tech, mirror-finish television screens and large ensuites — replete with double vanities, marble walls and Tom Dixon amenities — as standard. Meanwhile Exquisite, Emporium and Frangipani Suites offer something extra, as does the Poolside Cabana Suite which is located just footsteps from ‘that’ swimming pool edge.
Images courtesy Emporium Hotel
Château Élan at The Vintage
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
The promise of vineyard samplings and foodie finds have long drawn couples to the Hunter Valley wine region, but Château Élan at The Vintage’s luxurious lodgings in Pokolbin hit a hole-in-one with outdoorsy types and golf-loving couples.
Set on a Greg Norman-designed golf course, the Château merges the elegance of Legends Restaurant and the laid-back atmosphere of Spike Bar with a sparkling outdoor swimming pool, well-fitted gymnasium, The Spa — complete with float tank and outdoor mineral baths — and scores of thoughtfully-appointed sleeping spaces.
Couples can choose to cosy up in one of 20 spa suites contained within the main complex here, or spread out in one of the private self-contained villas, with doors opening to views of rolling vineyards and manicured fairways. Either way, they can relax between tee-offs and wine tastings — at neighbouring cellar doors like Pepper Tree Wines, Peterson House and Bimbadgen — with complimentary wi-fi, luxe bathroom amenities, lazy picnics and lawn games.
Images courtesy Château Élan at The Vintage
InterContinental Adelaide
Adelaide, South Australia
Situated betwixt the winding grassy banks of the River Torrens and vibrant inner-city shopping, sporting, entertainment and cultural attractions, the InterContinental Adelaide has been luring lovers with its location for more than three decades.
Of course, the iconic hotel’s 367 guestrooms and suites add to the appeal, with elegantly upholstered furnishings, sumptuous king beds, flat-screen televisions with Chromecast streaming, classic marble bathrooms — with deep-soak baths and walk-in showers — and views of either the city skyline or the meandering river beneath.
There’s no need to leave the room, thanks to a curated selection of South Australian delicacies suggested on the room service menu, but high-calibre teppanyaki at Shiki, elegant cocktails swilled in The Atrium Lounge, High Tea taken in Riverside Restaurant and a dip in the heated outdoor swimming pool await for couples who do venture out.
Images courtesy InterContinental Adelaide
Brimming with more than 600,000 reviews, provided by recently-married wedding couples, ABIA is one of Australia's favourite wedding planning platforms. Newly-engaged couples head straight for the ABIA Directory to research a range of wedding services and wedding vendors located throughout Australia, including ceremony and reception venues, celebrants, photographers, caterers, decorators, florists, planners and coordinators, transport providers, hair stylists, make-up artists, videographers, cake designers, live music and even dance teachers and photo booth hire. Within the ABIA website couples also discover the latest wedding inspiration and ideas, informative articles on wedding-related topics from sustainable wedding suggestions to gift ideas, destination wedding venues, multi-day wedding planning and the best honeymoon destinations in Australia. There's also an online wedding registry, that allows guest to contribute to a chosen holiday or experience in place of a traditional wedding gift. ABIA's aim is to provide an easy, accessible and essential resource for anyone planning a wedding in Australia.
