Top 5 child-free resorts in Queensland
You won’t have to worry about kids dive-bombing in the pool from daybreak at these tranquil retreats.
You won’t have to worry about children dive-bombing in the pool from 8am at these relaxing resorts in Queensland.
1. The Reef House, Palm Cove
I normally shun rooms overlooking the hotel pool, but they’re much more appealing when you won’t be woken by children dive-bombing at daybreak. And when the tropical sorbet trolley rolls around poolside, as it does at 3pm every day at The Reef House, there are no fights over flavours, or who got the biggest scoop (though I’m sure the woman at the next lounger had second helpings).
It’s ironic that The Reef House, which started out as a family holiday home, is now child-free. But the relaxed atmosphere speaks for itself. Guests can hire bicycles, explore local restaurants, or saunter across the street to what Conde Nast Traveler magazine calls the “Best Beach in the World”. You don’t even need to leave the resort: join yoga or aqua aerobics classes, participate in wine tasting or mixology sessions, and enjoy punch and canapes in The Brigadier’s Bar at sundown.
2. Bedarra Island Resort
Ever wanted to be a castaway on a deserted island? Bedarra Island Resort can place you in that role, at least for a few hours, with gourmet picnics or candlelit dinners for two on private beaches, where the only footprints are your own. Guests can also snorkel, dive, go deep sea fishing, or explore the local bays and reefs via a kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or motorised dinghy.
A 45-minute helicopter flight from Cairns, or a 30-minute launch transfer from Mission Beach, deposits you at this 12-villa retreat. When the eye of Cyclone Yasi passed over Bedarra Island in 2011, it left behind a “tangled mess” of buildings, fallen trees and debris. Undeterred, Sam and Kerri-Ann Charlton purchased the battered resort, remaking it into an all-inclusive adults-only sanctuary. The property recently weathered Cyclone Jasper passing through.
“There was a lot of rain and wind, but that was all,” says Kerri-Ann.
3. Narrows Escape, Sunshine Coast
Tucked away at the edge of Kondalilla National Park in Montville, Narrows Escape is an adults-only retreat set amid rainforest. After being named Tripadvisor’s Most Romantic Hotel in the World in 2021, and with packages named “honeymoon heaven”, “romantic cocoon” and “babymoon”, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s just for loved-up couples. However, Narrows Escape is a good spot for a girls’ getaway, and is popular with (well-heeled) hikers, due to its proximity to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk.Narrows Escape has eight luxurious villas and two with heated private plunge pools. Owners Ali Khan and Xochi Lindholm spoil guests with artisan chocolates, fresh flowers, gourmet cheese platters and home-baked croissants. Lindholm says people are often surprised by their ability to sleep in once they press pause on their busy lives. “They catch-up on some much-needed downtime,” she adds. “It is a bit of a sensory reset.”
4. Beach Club, Hamilton Island
If the number of zinc-smeared toddlers at Hamilton Island airport is any indication, this island caters well to families – which makes retreating to the adults-only Beach Club such a balm. Nestled on Catseye Beach, the Beach Club is often overshadowed by Qualia luxury resort, which is also child-free. But with a private restaurant and lounge, captivating Coral Sea views, and a heated infinity pool, the Beach Club has tranquillity in spades. In this low-slung boutique hotel, 57 rooms have a nautical palette. I spend most of my time by the pool watching the island’s yellow-crested cockatoos wheel overhead. After dark, I’m led to a table perched at the pool’s edge, where I work through the sublime tasting menu to a symphony of beach stone-curlews.
5. The Pavilions, Hayman Island
Hayman Island has a longstanding reputation as a sun-kissed family destination. Yet in 2022, to capitalise on post-pandemic demand for luxury travel, the InterContinental Hayman Island Resort opened 12 adults-only beachfront pavilions in a secluded cove 10 minutes’ walk from the main resort. It has been hugely popular for marriage proposals, romantic retreats, or those who like more privacy. Each pavilion has a calming coastal palette that creates a warm and intimate cocoon from which guests need not emerge until check-out. You can cool off in your private plunge pool or dip in the Coral Sea at the doorstep, arrange dinner under the stars and soak in a bathtub with water views.
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