Whitsunday Islands Accommodation – Where to Stay in The Whitsundays

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I first visited the Whitsundays in 2008, while travelling the east coast of Australia with my sister. A boozy night in Airlie Beach followed by some rough weather conditions meant that I spent my first day in the Whitsunday Islands being sick over the side of our boat. Far from ideal. However, I do remember it being extremely beautiful, despite the bad weather and sickness, and I have been looking forward to returning to the Whitsundays (hopefully with less vomit and more sunshine). This time I tried out a few different Whitsunday Islands accommodation options and explored the best places to stay in the Whitsundays.

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Whitsunday Islands Accommodation

There are plenty of options when it comes to accommodation in the Whitsundays, from sleeping on a yacht to staying on an island resort or even in an underwater hotel! I have now tried all of these, so read on for my thoughts on each.

Charter a Yacht / Join a Boat Trip

Many people choose to stay in Airlie Beach or on Hamilton Island, but in my opinion, the best way to explore the Whitsunday Islands is by staying on a boat. There are plenty of options. On my first trip, I joined an organised boat tour, which spent 3 days sailing around the islands. This time, we had a yacht charter, where you hire out an entire boat, with or without a skipper/guide. The latter option is known as ‘bareboating’ and you’re given a full safety briefing prior to departure.

Airlie Beach

As mentioned, I spent a very drunken night in Airlie Beach on my first visit to the Whitsundays and the town is famous for its late-night bars and clubs. However, it also has a lovely harbour and some really nice restaurants if you’re not after the party scene. We had a couple of great meals at Hemingway’s restaurant and Northerlies. Definitely recommended! There is a good selection of hotels in Airlie Beach and lots of affordable Whitsunday accommodation options including backpackers and self-catering apartments. Most boats leave from Airlie Beach, and you can stay on the mainland and take day trips to the islands.

I’ve stayed at a few hostels and hotels in Airlie Beach and my favourite is Mantra Boathouse Apartments, which is right on the water. 

Find accommodation in Airlie Beach

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island is a very glamorous spot with some high-end hotels. A favourite with celebrities, there are lots of fancy restaurants, as well as a great bakery which has delicious pies. Yum! For those who don’t want to sleep on a boat (or camp), this is one of the best places to stay in terms of access to the other islands and the reef, but budget accommodation on Hamilton Island is very limited.

We have stayed at The Beach Club which is lovely. It has rooms, a restaurant and pool overlooking the beach and lots of equipment available such as kayaks, snorkelling gear and stinger suits.

Find Hamilton Island accommodation

Reefsleep

For something a bit different, try Reefsleep. This involves spending the night in a swag (tent) on a pontoon, way out in Hardy Reef. Heart Pontoon is 39 nautical miles from shore and the stargazing here is incredible, possibly the clearest skies I’ve seen (and I’ve been to the dark sky reserve in NZ!). As the sun goes down the reef comes alive and a number of different fish come to feed around the pontoon.

Reef Sleep costs $650pp AUD for two people sharing a swag. This includes two lunches, dinner and breakfast, as well as snorkelling equipment and access to the underwater observatory and semi-submarine.

You can also visit the pontoon on a day trip and go diving and snorkelling. And if you don’t fancy getting wet, there is a semi-submarine and an underwater observatory.

Reefsuites

Another incredible overnight experience you can have on Heart Pontoon is Reefsuites. This is an underwater bedroom with incredible views of marine life below the surface. There are only two rooms available, each with an ensuite bathroom (also with an underwater view).

You have the same experience during the day as the Reef sleep guests, but then head below deck once the sun goes down! From $1050pp AUD.

Things to Do in The Whitsundays

Whitehaven Beach

If you’re only going to visit one beach in the Whitsundays, it really should be Whitehaven. The 7km stretch of white silica sand is stunningly beautiful, combine this with the crystal clear turquoise water, and it’s no surprise that Whitehaven is often voted the world’s best beach. You can sail into the bay and take a tender to shore or camp overnight on Whitsunday Island.

Dive or Snorkel The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world and is even visible from space! The 74 Whitsunday Islands are located in the central section of the reef. The snorkelling and diving are incredible, with giant Maori wrasse, grouper, turtles, incredible corals, sea stars and reef sharks (they are small and won’t eat you, hopefully). In the summer season, it’s advised that you wear a stinger suit (essentially a morph suit), which is not exactly attractive but will protect you from Irukandji jellyfish.

Heart Reef

One of the most photographed spots in the Whitsundays, Heart Reef is a beautiful coral naturally formed in the shape of a heart. The best way to see the reef is by helicopter or seaplane; it is protected so snorkelling and diving are not allowed.

How to Get to The Whitsundays

There are two airports servicing the Whitsundays; Proserpine, on the mainland, and Hamilton Island. Both have direct flight connections to the major Australian cities. If you’re coming from the UK, the easiest route is to fly to Sydney or Brisbane and then up to Proserpine/Hamilton Island from there.