Review: The new Mondrian Gold Coast brings 5-star glamour to Burleigh Heads

The newly minted Mondrian Gold Coast adds 5-star glamour to the once-sleepy surf town of Burleigh Heads.

After a stay here, you won't want to go home.

Glamourous LA-born lifestyle hotel brand Mondrian has arrived on Queensland’s shores, debuting its first Australian outpost at Burleigh Heads. 

It’s the latest addition to a global portfolio of glitzy locations including Los Angeles, Ibiza and Cannes. Known for their distinctive, design-led hospitality, it seamlessly blends into the relaxed, beachy charm of Burleigh while simultaneously setting a new benchmark for luxury on the southern Gold Coast.

Location

Just steps from the pine and pandanus-fringed sands of Burleigh Beach, the gleaming 24-storey tower is perfectly placed for a seaside escape just 25-minutes from the airport. Located a short stroll from the main drag James Street, lined with breezy eateries, wine bars, bakeries, and boho boutiques, the neighbourhood is known locally as the “Byron Bay of the Gold Coast”. The famous Burleigh surf break, national park and the Gold Coast’s best sunset spot, ‘The Point’, is right on your doorstep.

Not a bad backyard... Picture: Justin Nicholas

Set the scene

The Mondrian Gold Coast is more than just a place to sleep – the hotel is part social hub, part lifestyle precinct with contemporary art-adorned walls, coastal-chic restaurants, buzzy bars and a cutting-edge spa.

Beyond the soaring white arches and sliding glass doors, the Mondrian’s open-plan lobby is inviting and full of life. The all-day Italian eatery LiTO entices a rolling crowd from post-surf cappuccinos to after dark aperitivos. 

You'll spot locals at the ground-level LiTO.

In the morning, sunlight spills in from the beachfront promenade lined with potted palms, pink umbrellas and alfresco seating where locals queue for takeaway coffees and freshly baked croissants. Arrive in the evening and the energy shifts – diners drip with designer handbags, and the shimmering lobby bar is alive with clinking cocktails and DJ-spun tunes.

It's way more than a place to sleep. Picture: Justin Nicholas

The room

Mondrian boasts it has “rooms twice the size of the national average”. There are 208 in total, including 132 studios and 76 suites, private beach houses and the ‘Sky House’ presidential suite on the 24th floor with panoramic views over the Pacific Ocean, Burleigh Headland and hinterland.

I’m in a one-bedroom suite with ocean views where sheer curtains peel away with the press of a button to reveal a backdrop of endless blue from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The open-plan living space with a balcony is flooded with golden light, illuminating the earthy tones, limewashed walls, dark green marble, and a curvaceous boucle lounge chair. There’s a king size bed, a generous ensuite bathroom, with a terracotta marble sink and spacious shower, stocked with iconic Le Labo Santal 33 amenities. 

A fully equipped kitchen is perfect for longer stays.

The self-contained set up suits longer stays, with an equipped kitchen (stovetop oven, full-sized fridge, cooking utensils), Nespresso coffee machine, and laundry amenities. The fit-out includes one-touch controls, a Bose Bluetooth speaker, Smart TV, and a QR-code for in-suite dining.  A curated mini bar stocks locally made snacks, while the amply supplied cocktail station is an invitation for sundowners.

The rooms are spacious and well-appointed. Picture: Justin Nicholas

The extras

CIEL Spa’s bio-wellness therapies go beyond the basics. Book in for the ‘Zerobody dry float’ session, where you lay suspended in a weightless state enveloped by a sci-fi style bed - it’s a game changer for jetlag. There’s a 24/7 fitness centre, magnesium plunge pools and a 24-metre resort style pool to soak up the Queensland sun. 

Order light bites from Haven poolside.

Food and drinks

The Med meets Burleigh Heads at LiTO, helmed by Italian chef Andrea Morigi (ex-Merivale’s Uccello), where stylish interiors evoke a 1950s Milanese cafe with a pastel-green colour palette, warm timber tones and terrazzo-patterned tabletops. 

The dynamic ground-floor eatery serves Aussie-style brekkies and produce-forward Italian fare from lunch to dinner. Think Byron Bay burrata with rockmelon, slow-cooked lamb ragu and tableside tiramisu. 

LiTO evolves from morning to evening.

The inside-outside poolside restaurant, Haven, exudes Australian coastal elegance with polished concrete floors and Athenian white decor. Executive Chef Aaron Teece (formerly Est., Felix, Manly Pavilion) showcases sophisticated sea-to-plate dining including a Yamba prawn cocktail and hand-picked spanner crab with savoury waffles. Basque-born pâtissier Johann Vanier makes a decadent wood-fired cheesecake, however his signature pavlova – with coconut and citrus-scented lemon verbena – steals the show.

A lighter version of Haven’s menu for poolside grazing stars the Fillet “OH” Fish sandwich; a nostalgic nod to the Macca’s classic. As the sun dips, coastal-themed cocktails flow, DJ music plays and revellers mingle at the Pool Club.

Sea-to-plate dining at Haven.

What's hot

Location, location, location. If loud luxury or the razzle dazzle of the Glitter Strip isn’t your speed, this newcomer is the prestige property for those wanting to embrace the slower pace of the southern Gold Coast. 

Ocean views makes the balcony hard to leave.

What's not

Paper coffee cups around the pool? Proper coffees served poolside would certainly be chicer.

The verdict: 9/10

The Mondrian Gold Coast is shaping up to be an ‘it’ holiday destination this summer, poised to become the next hotspot for Australian sunseekers. 

The writer was a guest of Mondrian Gold Coast. Rooms start at $749 per night in a ‘Studio King’.

Originally published as Review: The new Mondrian Gold Coast brings 5-star glamour to Burleigh Heads