How would you want to experience the wondrous coral spread of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia? Scuba or snorkel through the vivid and eclectic marine life or cruise on a sail boat sipping on a Strawberry Daiquiri? Take a hot-air balloon ride over the 2,300 kilometer of beauty or admire the fascinating corals through a glass bottomed boat?
We say, whatever you do at the world’s largest coral reef system, it’s best to do it in style. And that begins with where you stay. Here are the most luxury-soaked accommodations at the World Heritage site that have got the best rating on TripAdvisor by guests. Feast your eyes and feel the sun kissing your cheek.
Best Luxury Hotels Great Barrier Reef: Qualia Resorts
This is the by far, the most luxurious property in the Great Barrier Reef. Qualia resorts offers everything a luxury traveller can ask for, jet skies, private aircrafts, infinity pool, spa and celebrity footprints. Yep, Oprah Winfrey and Taylor Swift have been here! This place has views that make the best Instagram luxury pictures in the Great Barrier Reef area!
At rates starting AU$4000, the beach house is our favourite of all the luxe rooms. For Indian tourists, this property can best be described at power with the Lake Palace in Udaipur, ditto luxury and price tag. If luxury can be offered in generosity, this is where you will find it, accompanied with bliss and nature’s best under water experiences.
Best Luxury Hotels Great Barrier Reef : Bedarra Island Resort, Mission Beach, Queensland
Just the right place for those, who want to slip ‘off the grid’. This all-inclusive, private, tropical paradise falls under one of Australia’s most unique resorts. For one, it is super exclusive. There are just nine Villas hidden amidst 45 hectares of tropical rainforest. We chose the Bedarra island resort as one of the best luxury hotel Great Barrier Reef has to offer, simply because this place offers unparalleled access and views of the pristine waters. Visitors can actually take a heli-transfer from Mission Beach or Cairns Airport and land like royalty on the beachside helipad at Bedarra resort. One of their most recommended Villa is the Point Villa. This luxury Australian Villa is located at the northern most tip of the Hernandia Beach and allows privacy like no other accommodation around the waters. Split over two levels, the Villa is known for outstanding views. There are luxury indulgences like a gorgeous outdoor deck, private plunge pool, daybeds and sun-loungers. The lush green that envelops this adds to the exoticness.
Want to do something more adventurous? The resort arranges exciting activities at the Reef too. Priced at a staggering AU$1,980 per night, the exclusivity of stay makes it all well worth it.
Best Luxury Hotels Great Barrier Reef : Haggerstone Island Resort, Queensland
If you wish to castaway with a special someone, this all-inclusive boutique resort bang on the Great Barrier Reef is your dream destination. Blending island life with rustic luxury, the resort is a private hideaway with individually designed lodges. While each villa exudes a charm of its own, the most sought after is the House of Mawu. It is the largest and most luxurious accommodation and is set atop the hillside overlooking the big lagoon. Its surreal interiors are to die for. The mud walls, thatched roofs, the use of wood and bamboo and the play of natural light is simply dramatic. The villa boasts two starlit bathrooms, open kitchen, lounge area with a stone fire place and even a library. So worth the $850 per person, per night!
This top rated Australian beach resort also offers the untouched side of the Great Barrier Reef. Guests can snorkel, dive and soak in the virgin areas of the coral system and even a 1840s shipwreck. Guests have to take a private charter from Cairns or Wepia and witness magnificent views of the Reef while entering the island. As one thrilled reviewer puts in, “It’s glamping at its finest.” Oh yes!
Top Rated Luxury Hotels Great Barrier Reef: Akama Resort, Hervey Bay
The gorgeous Akama Resort located at the Marina Precinct in Hervey Bay received the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award for 2015 and 2016. Not surprising at all! The designer accommodation defines luxury in a pure Australian way and knows how to maintain it. We especially love the Deluxe Penthouse. It oozes comfort with a bunch of luxury amenities like a spa bath, sun loungers and state of the art kitchen. You can even barbeque in the private balcony while soaking in the stunning ocean views. Getting to the resort is easy and that’s what makes it so popular. It is accessible by road from Brisbane and Sunshine Coast and is just 4.5 Kms away from Hervey Bay Airport. A 35-minute flight to the delightful Lady Elliot Island, the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef makes for an exciting trip, too. At AU$360 a night, the pricing is great for the experience that Akama brings to you.
*With Inputs from Anushya
