The big cities offer the high-end chains as well as boutique hotels. The resorts on the Great Barrier Reef, both onshore and on their own islands, are gorgeous and loaded with amenities as well as natural beauty. Park Hyatt Sydney (Sydney, New South Wales): This artistically curving property on The Rocks foreshore is the best-positioned hotel in town. It’s right on the water, and some rooms have views across the harbor to the Sydney Opera House. The building is a pleasure to look at, and from a ferry on the harbor, it looks like a wonderful addition to the toy-town landscape of The Rocks. Each of the 33 executive suites has two balconies equipped with a telescope.
- Sebel Reef House (Cairns, Queensland): Drop-dead gorgeous — that’s the only way to describe this period piece from the colonial era. This is one of the most romantic hotels in Australia. The white walls are swathed in bougainvillea, and the beds with mosquito netting. Airy interiors feature rustic handmade artifacts and white wicker furniture. The Verandah Spa rooms, which have Jacuzzis on the balconies within earshot of the ocean, overlook the pool, waterfalls, and lush gardens.
- Longitude 131 (Uluru/Ayers Rock, Red Centre): You can find this African-style luxury safari camp, with perfect views of Uluru, in the sand dunes a mile or two from the main complex. It offers 15 topclass air-conditioned tents, each with a private bathroom and a balcony overlooking the Rock. The resort is promoting them as “six star.” A central facility, Dune House, holds a restaurant (with superb food), bar, library, and shop.
- Hayman Island Resort (Whitsunday Islands, Queensland): This is the most luxurious and glamorous resort in Australia. Check-in is done over a glass of bubbly aboard the resort’s sleek launch as you travel from Hamilton Island Airport. You soon find your way through the open-air sandstone lanais, cascading ponds, and tropical foliage to the fabulous hexagonal complex of swimming pools by the sea. Dress is beachwear by day, smart casual at night. Every room, suite, villa, and penthouse has a balcony or terrace, bathrobes, and valet service (and butler service in the penthouses).
