Looking for a stylish place to stay on Queensland’s coast? Here are three of Lauren Monaghan gold-class picks. 

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort

If ever a resort was made for swanning around, this is it. Throw on a breezy caftan and stroll along the boardwalk that runs above the Mirage’s glistening lagoon, lounge by the pool then indulge in a sumptuous high tea, served daily at Pearls Bar overlooking the ocean. When you’re ready, the pristine beach isn’t far away – the Mirage is the Gold Coast’s only absolute-beachfront five-star resort so it’s just a few steps before your feet are sinking into sand.

The Mirage is among only a handful of Sheraton “Grand” hotels and resorts across the globe; a tag that signals a little extra luxury. Even the base-level rooms here are impressive and generously sized (each room is at least 43 square metres). Options go all the way up to the opulent Royal and Presidential suites, where rich furnishings and sprawling rooms promise the ultimate beachside stay. All rooms feature massive windows with views of the ocean, the lagoon or lush gardens, plus signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Beds so popular you can buy them online.

When hunger hits, the seafood buffet at the resort’s Terraces Restaurant beckons. Be sure to wear something loose-fitting so you can make the most of the fresh locally-sourced bounty on offer. 

Jupiters Gold Coast

Jupiters Gold Coast hotel and casino is in the midst of a massive overhaul, with old rooms being given chic facelifts and a new six-star hotel tower on its way up. The latter is scheduled to be ready when the Gold Coast hosts the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the meantime, enjoy your stay in a luxuriously refurbished room on one of the hotel’s executive floors.

When you first enter your elegantly automated room, the blinds instantly raise and the curtains artfully draw to reveal a view of either the ocean or hinterland. The rooms are spacious, with sink-right-in beds and a diverse pillow menu, while works from local artists decorate the walls. The bathrooms are roomy, too, and it’s sinfully easy to linger under the rain shower with divine-smelling toiletries from French beauty company L’Occitane.

Being a guest on an executive floor has extra privileges as well, including free wi-fi and access to the Executive Lounge that’s complete with business facilities and help-yourself refreshments, plus drinks and canapés served in the afternoons.

Beyond all this, Jupiters’ gaming floors, vibrant nightlife and restaurants call – read our write-up of food venues Kiyomi and Cucina Vivo here.

QT Gold Coast

Quirky, playful and just the right amount of retro, this is where the cool kids stay on the Gold Coast. Describing its own vibe as “nostalgic surfer chic meets Miami catwalk cool”, the QT hotel is an immersive experience from the moment you step inside the lobby, which is decked out in eye-popping colours, funky art and staff members wearing 1950s- and ’60s-inspired get-ups.

The rooms are equally bold and fun, with vibrant hues and cheeky little touches to make you smile, including cockatoo-shaped lamps and pineapple-shaped candles. The views are nothing to sneeze at, either – pull up a chair and soak in the sights of the hinterland or ocean from your balcony.

The beds, of course, are plush and inviting but there’s so much going on at the QT that you might not be spending a lot of time there. The pool is the place to be seen during the day (when you’re not just down the road in the heart of Surfers Paradise) but at night the hotel’s Stingray lounge is pumping. It offers Mexican food and drink, including 50 tequilas and a mouth-tingling, chilli-infused Day of the Dead cocktail. For something more substantial, QT’s Bazaar is an up-market buffet serving foods from around the world. 

SEE ALSO: Our guide to the best places to eat, shop, stay and play on the Gold Coast

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