Set your sights on Australia this year as Queensland prepares to welcome several notable hotels and experiences in 2024. It’s easier than ever to reach the region with a new non-stop American Airlines flight from Dallas (DFW) to Brisbane (BNE) beginning this October.
Pelorus Private Island © Jason Ierace
Pelorus Private Island
Opened in January, Pelorus Private Island is a single expansive residence with four luxurious suites and is accessible only by helicopter or private yacht. Guests stay amid pristine habitats and thriving coral gardens, enjoying intimate, secluded luxury and tailored experiences focused on relaxation and nature.
Ardo Townsville
Ardo Townsville, which opened last December, is Townsville’s first five-star waterfront hotel. The 132-room property features two restaurants, a day spa, a rooftop pool and bar, plus sweeping views of Magnetic Island, making it an appealing base for both relaxation and island excursions.
Elandra Mission Beach
Elandra Mission Beach, also launched last December, is a boutique luxury resort overlooking the Coral Sea. The property comprises 20 villas, several two-story apartments and an elevated pool deck. Recent multimillion-dollar upgrades enhance its on-site restaurant, bar and event venue, giving visitors a refined coastal escape.
© Elandra Mission Beach Pty Ltd.
Queen’s Wharf
Opening this August, Queen’s Wharf on Brisbane’s waterfront brings a major uplift to the city with a selection of new restaurants, bars and hotels. The precinct will host the Rosewood Hotel—Rosewood’s first Australian property—alongside Dorsett Brisbane and The Star Grand, adding luxury accommodation and lively dining options to Brisbane City’s riverside scene.
Cunnamulla Hot Springs
Queensland’s newest artesian-bath destination opened this January in the Australian Outback. Located along the Warrego River, the site offers seven hot-spring pools fed by the Great Artesian Basin, one of the world’s largest and deepest underground freshwater sources. Surrounding gardens are used for cultural events where local Indigenous groups lead food and storytelling sessions.
Lady Musgrave Experience
Launched this April, the Lady Musgrave Experience is an innovative research and conservation platform on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. It provides low-impact, hands-on opportunities for visitors to contribute to reef protection through experiential learning, data collection, marine-biologist-for-a-day programs, guided snorkel safaris, coral adoption and transplanting, and reef health surveys.