The Best Family-Friendly Hotels to Book on the Gold Coast, Australia

Enjoy city views from your room at Peppers Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, Australia
Enjoy city views from your room at Peppers Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, Australia | Courtesy of Peppers Broadbeach / Booking.com
Nick Dauk

Any time of the year is the best time to visit the Gold Coast when you’ve got the ones you love the most by your side. From roller-coaster riding at Sea World to wave riding at Surfers Paradise Beach, there is something to enjoy for everyone here. These family-friendly hotels on the Gold Coast – bookable with Culture Trip – will keep everyone in the clan happy.

The Island Gold Coast, for family-friendly fun

Boutique Hotel

Birds-eye view of the restaurant and the adjacent outdoor pool at the Island Gold Coast
Courtesy of The Island Gold Coast / Booking.com

With the beach one block away from the Island, the best time to visit the Gold Coast is whenever you can get your kids to put their phones down long enough to jump in the waves. Your normally unimpressed children will think that this boutique hotel is actually cool – thanks to the gaming lounge, kids activities and mocktails available at the rooftop bar. Score a few extra points by letting them order popcorn chicken through room service and have full reign of the TV.

Sea World Resort, for jam-packed water adventures

Resort, Hotel

Balcony view of the pools at Sea World Resort
Courtesy of Sea World Resort / Booking.com

Sea World Resort is primed to reel in a boatload of fond memories for your family. Sleep right next door to the park so you can be first in line for the Vortex. After you close down the park, splash into all of the family-friendly activities at the resort – including a SpongeBob Light Show, games and movies at the kids centre and meet and greets with your favourite Bikini Bottom residents.

Q1 Resort & Spa, for sweeping balcony views

Resort, Spa Hotel

Turquoise outdoor pool at the Q1 Resort and Spa, with skyscrapers in the background
Courtesy of Q1 Resort and Spa / Booking.com

The little ones will stare with their jaws dropped to the floor when they see that they’re staying at the tallest residential tower in Australia. They’ll be giddy watching the elevator numbers go up, up, up, before opening to an apartment with their own rooms. The glass-enclosed balcony lets them safely enjoy playtime with a view while you get laundry, dishes and other chores done. Tired from a long day at the beach? Rent out the private cinema room, and doze off while they watch the film about the animated rabbit for the millionth time.

Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and Residences, for surf lovers and beachgoers

Chain Hotel

Suite at the Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and Residences, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the surrounding skyscrapers
Courtesy of Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel and Residences / Booking.com

When the day comes for your big kid to ride their first wave, the two-bedroom ocean-view suite at Hilton will let you watch the swell from above. Surfers Paradise Beach is a 10-minute walk from this accommodation on the Gold Coast – and a concierge wake-up call will ensure you both get out there early enough to make memories that’ll last a lifetime.

The Star Grand at the Star Gold Coast, for tech-forward amenities

Hotel

Large living room at the Star Grand at the Star Gold Coast, with a floral carpet in shades of blue, cream and green and large windows offering views of the blue evening sky
Courtesy of The Star Grand at the Star Gold Coast / Booking.com

Staying at one of the hotels on the Gold Coast with state-of-the-art technology integrated into its suites, you’ll be glad you brought your tech-savvy kids with you to the Star Grand. It may be just a “touch of a button”, but the kids will ensure that you aren’t opening the blinds when you mean to adjust the temperature or playing music – when all you want to do is dim the lights. Let them fiddle with the remotes and get your phone all squared away with the wifi while you disconnect with a skincare treatment down at the spa.

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, for luxury for all the family

Resort, Hotel

Large pool with palms and a boardwalk at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast
Courtesy of Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort / Booking.com

The Grand Mirage Resort is one of the family-friendly hotels on the Gold Coast that gets it: it delivers the five-star experience parents want and the must-haves kids need. You can dive into Tasmanian oysters and Moreton Bay bugs at Terraces while the joeys order hot dogs and fries from the children’s menu. They’ll splash with glee playing Marco Polo in the pool – while you wade over to the swim-up bar trying to shout “Polo” with a pina colada straw in your mouth.

Peppers Broadbeach, for a budget-friendly stay

Apartment

Balcony with skyline views at the Peppers Broadbeach, Gold Coast
Courtesy of Peppers Broadbeach / Booking.com

Peppers Broadbeach is one way to keep your budget tight with cheap accommodation on the Gold Coast. Your ocean-view suite has a fully equipped kitchen, where a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a few cans of soup and a little cheese can stretch 10 Australian dollars (£5.50) pretty far. Not only is the beach within walking distance – minimising the need for a rental car – but there are two playgrounds right there as well for all-day fun that’s free.

The Darling at the Star Gold Coast, for poolside privacy

Spa Hotel, Hotel

Luxurious living room at the Darling at the Star Gold Coast, with a large circular chandelier and champagne-coloured furniture
Courtesy of The Darling at the Star Gold Coast / Booking.com

You’ll get mega cool points when you book a room at the Darling for you and your teens. They’ll feel like true VIPs when they saunter down to the guests-only pool. Will they care that they can’t accompany you down to the casino floor? Probably not. Your little influencers will be too busy taking photos against the wide city-view windows and pool table in the Penthouse Deluxe Billiards Suite to notice.

Vue Broadbeach, for abundant views and family days out

Hotel

Bedroom at the Vue Broadbeach, Gold Coast, with floor-to-ceiling windows and an ocean-facing balcony
Courtesy of Vue Broadbeach / Booking.com

How’s the view from Vue? It depends on who you ask. Ocean, city, park or hinterland views out of the floor-to-ceiling windows will spoil any adult who appreciates a blue sky, white clouds and a bright yellow sun. These two- and three-bedroom units can fit families large and small. As for the kids? They’ll appreciate the Nikiforides Family Park 500m (1,640ft) away, but they might be a little less captivated by the views – it’s the same sky they have at home, after all.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article