The dazzling strip of sand that is the Gold Coast in Australia’s Queensland is the country’s most iconic holiday destination. It begins a little south-southeast of Brisbane and continues almost till Coolangatta, which is the last town before New South Wales. With shimmering high-rises, pristine white sands, and the blue waters of the Coral Sea, the hedonistic Gold Coast almost seems like a mirage. But, this slice of beach paradise dedicated to beautiful bodies is very real and unsurprisingly, welcoming towards the LGBTQ set. There are many gay accommodations and hotels in Gold Coast, Australia. And even though they aren’t exclusive, they more than welcome LGBTQ travelers.
The focal point of all gay friendly activity is the glittering Surfers Paradise, which sits smack dab in the center. There are also other popular towns like Coolangatta and Broadbeach, which are very gay-popular too. Even though the gay scene isn’t as out-and-about like that of Sydney or even the neighboring Brisbane, there are gay friendly bars and clubs with events throughout the year. The best part is that from 2021, Gold Coast is even getting its very own Pride! Tacky as it might be, the region’s youthful spirit and astounding physical beauty are one to behold. Add to that 300 days of sun and the blissful blue waters of the ocean, and it only makes it all better. To that end, here are the best gay accommodations in Gold Coast, Australia.
Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise
11
It’s hard to beat the location of Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise, one of the best gay accommodations in Gold Coast. The apart-hotel sits smack dab in the heart of Surfers Paradise, right across from the beach. Besides dining and shopping options, it’s also surrounded by some of the best nightlife in the Gold Coast. In fact, the amazing SinCity Nightclub is right one street down.
Everything about Peppers Soul is stylish, right from the stunning floor-to-ceiling glass windows to the dreamy and sparkling interiors. Everything about it says luxury, right from the artwork to the gold and silver floors and wall features. There’s even a small library off the lobby where you can enjoy a good read while taking in the views. The piece de resistance is the rooftop, which has not only a gorgeous infinity pool but also a Zen Garden. Plus, there are also lots of cozy private nooks, romantic water features, and even barbecues for grilling. What’s more, the hotel’s restaurant, aptly named Seaduction, is one of the most romantic dining spots on the entire coast. Rounding up the features are a gym, steam room, sauna, plunge pool hot tub, and heated lap pool. If this isn’t steamy, I don’t know what is.
There’s something about the panoramic views of the ocean that spells romance here. Besides the balcony, you can enjoy this view even from your plush bed! When you’re in the mood for something more intimate, the bathrooms have spa baths.
Check Rates on:
voco Gold Coast
10
If you want to explore the Top 12 Things To Do In Gold Coast, then there cannot be a better accommodation than voco Gold Coast. It sits overlooking the Nerang River, right in the heart of the entertainment, shopping, and dining district in Surfers Paradise, and the beach is just a block away. What’s more, it also happens to be one of the most popular gay hotels in Gold Coast.
This breezy, casual hotel is perfect for the younger LGBTQ set, whether you’re traveling solo or with your partner. In fact, the name is Latin for ‘come together’ or ‘to invite,’ which means these are the ideal digs to have some fun. To that end, even the communal areas feature a thorough ‘social’ theme. Right in the light-filled lobby sit both the lobby lounge and the Social House bar. The white, blue, and yellow decor fits right with the beach vibe, and you’re even welcomed with a bag of shortbread. If you want to relax, then you have the option of two small outdoor swimming pools, complete with a hot tub. Those into fitness will love the good-sized gym while earning a spot of unwinding at the day spa. Begin your day with a hearty breakfast spread, which features honey from the hotel’s very own beehives!
White, yellow, and blue are the colors in the contemporary rooms, complete with plush beds, modern bathrooms, and seating/dining areas. What’s more, the hotel even provides slippers, robes, tea/coffee-making facilities, along with sweeping views of the mountains or the ocean from the windows.
Check Rates on:
Hilton Surfers Paradise
9
The Hilton Surfers Paradise is one of the original best gay accommodations in Gold Coast, Australia. This amazing gay friendly Gold Coast hotel sits barely a block from the ‘glitter strip’ at Surfers Paradise and is one solid option for all LGBTQ travelers. Whether you want to explore the sights and enjoy water activities or delve into the gay nightlife, everything is a stone’s throw away.
In spite of being a chain hotel, there’s a lot to love about the Hilton. The four-tower hotel offers four huge swimming pools with sun loungers and umbrellas where you can laze. This includes a lovely heated indoor pool, complete with a sauna and a hot tub, as well as an adult plunge pool where you can order cocktails off a pool bar! What’s more, you can even enjoy a picnic in the gardens or spend an evening enjoying grilling with your partner or new friends. Besides a day spa, the hotel even has two gyms and an excellent check-out time of noon. The wide, open restaurant that serves all meals and the FX cocktail bar are excellent places to enjoy romantic meals or sundowners.
Two towers offer everything from rooms to suites to self-contained apartments, all with different views. While some enjoy partial to complete beach views, other rooms have views of Gold Coast and the Australian hinterland. Despite all rooms having a slew of mod-cons, the rooms that are level six and above are the most luxurious. What’s more, this gay friendly hotel is not just Gold Coast’s but Australia’s first Hilton offering one/two/three-bedroom apartments.
Check Rates on:
QT Gold Coast
8
Lying right on the ‘glitter strip’ of Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, QT Gold Coast is retro-chic at its very best. Its easily one of the most glamorous gay accommodations in Gold Coast, Australia. It’s kitschy at best, but the fabulous beachside setting works. Additionally, the fact that it’s surrounded by some of the best entertainment in Gold Coast helps too.
You’re welcomed with bottled homemade lemonade with cutesy straws, oozing a very 1950s-60s beachside vibe. The theme extends to the lobby too. Think photographic mosaics on the ceilings, surfboards, and a VW Kombi van at the entrance. The open-plan lobby is one massive Instagram story, whether its the vibrant seating or the huge digital light installation. The theme extends to the lifts, what with the 1950s-style murals of classic cars and bikini-clad girls. Lounge by the heated outdoor pool and sip on cocktails from the swim-up pool bar, before heading for a soak in the whirlpool tub. In the afternoons, you could grab the free vintage-style bikes to go exploring on your own. Or, you could head to the SpaQ for some serious pampering. While the market-style restaurant serves excellent meals, it’s the buzzing Stingray lounge where the party monsters are at.
The rooms emanate a fun-filled, sexy vibe, complete with tropical beach, and pop-art design features. Besides being spacious and having mod-cons, all rooms have plush beds and lovely river, ocean, or mountain views. We’d recommend getting the suite which also has a decadent deep Japanese-style bathtub.
Check Rates on:
InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort
7
It’s hard to imagine a sprawling resort to be intimate, but the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort manages to do so. The resort is one of the most luxurious gay accommodations in Gold Coast’s Sanctuary Cove residential community on Hope Island. With the Coomera River flowing right beside and Surfers Paradise just half-an-hour south, this makes for one hell of a gay getaway on Gold Coast.
The nucleus of the resort is the classic Queenslander dwelling in the center, aptly named ‘The Great House.’ Low-rise living blocks sit at the end of winding paths that are lined with tropical foliage, lending an ethereal look to the place. Right in front of the Great House sits an equally grand fountain court and a huge lagoon-style pool, complete with a sandy beach. When you enter, you’ll be enamored by the massive fireplaces, chandeliers, and high ceilings, lending the place an imposing yet Instagrammable look. Lounge by the lagoon pool, or the terrace pool with a heated hot tub right next to it. This resort is a fitness freak’s dream, with two golf courses, a heated lap pool, a gym, and a whopping five tennis courts! Besides extensive breakfasts and afternoon teas, and decadent dinners, the resort even has a day spa for unwinding.
You’ll love everything about the resort’s expansive and light-filled rooms, which have balconies with superb views of the river, the lagoon pool, and the gardens. A relaxed tropical feel radiates throughout, thanks to the sliding shutters, parquetry floors, and wicker furniture. Apart from a slew of mod-cons that include stocked minibars, the bathrooms are especially sexy with deep bathtubs.
Check Rates on:
Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach
6
If you want to stay slightly away from the bustle, then we’d highly recommend Broadbeach. This lovely slice of coast sits just 10 minutes south of Surfers Paradise. And there’s no better gay accommodation in Gold Coast, Australia’s Broadbeach than the Sofitel Gold Coast. Sweeping river and beach views and a central location sans all the scramble, and the Sofitel is a cinch for leisure LGBTQ holidaymakers.
Magnificent topiary pots and huge white pillars make a great first impression, heralding all the special things that are lying in wait. There’s no mistaking the knockout lobby, which features a large silver ball with hanging lights, flowers, and lots of indigenous art. Coming to the amenities, there are a lot of things to keep you busy here. To begin with, you can choose from two outdoor swimming pools (one heated) peppered with sun loungers, cabanas, and a hot tub. If you’re a fitness fanatic, then you’ll like the fact that you not only have the option of the gym, but also skipping ropes, yoga mats, and more. The standout is the breakfast buffet, which is probably the best in all of the Gold Coast. From dim sums and congee to pastries, eggs, and juices, the spread has it all.
Rooms are sleek and modern, just like the rest of the place, and have either river or ocean views. Plush beds, Coffeemakers, bathrobes, and minibars are mainstays in all, as are super-comfy beds, pillow menus, and lavish bathrooms.
Check Rates on:
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast
5
The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is the only absolute beachfront Gold Coast resort. It was, and remains to this day, the epitome of luxurious gay accommodations in Gold Coast and boasts some of the largest rooms on the strip. Its unusual location does help – it sits on the narrow strip of land on the Southport Broadwater and is a mere five-minute drive to Surfers Paradise.
Right from the outset, you’re going to be wowed here. Think cascading fountains in the lobby, palm trees swaying at the beach, and a heavenly pool area. The horseshoe-shaped resort sits with terraces, gardens, fountains, and pools in the center, with a gate leading to the beach beyond. (patrolled year-round). The Oasis Pool is the beating heart of the hotel, complete with a pool bar and a whopping 250 sun loungers. If you’re a villa guest, then you have an exclusive pool all to yourself! Even the gym has a heated lap pool if you don’t want to miss your workout regimen. Breakfast is one hearty and delicious affair, but its the Pearls Bar that locals and tourists flock to. Enjoy a sundowner before heading out to Gold Coast’s nightlife.
25 different room configurations are sure to leave your head spinning! Nevertheless, they’re all huge, larger than any other hotel on the coast. While the ground-level rooms open to the pool or the gardens, the ocean-view ones have complete views of the beach and the sea. If you want to splurge, then go for one of the 18 luxury villas.
Check Rates on:
Artique Resort
4
The Artique Resort is one of the best gay hotels in Gold Coast. Located in the heart of Surfers Paradise, this 30-storied apart-hotel boasts one of the best views in the region. For from its balconied units, you can not only see the Nerang River and the Gold Coast beach strip, but even the mountains of the great Australian hinterland. What’s more, it sits at a peaceful end of Surfers Paradise, just a short stroll from its gay nightlife. So, this place is perfect if you want the flexibility of having guests over at any time.
A white-and-gold lobby beckons you within the place, which has a plethora of amenities despite being an apart-hotel. For one, there’s a splendid heated lap pool, complete with a steam room, sauna, and a hot tub. It’s the perfect place to unwind and enjoy a laidback day. Make new friends at the poolside or the barbecue area in the manicured gardens and sprawl on the sun loungers while soaking in the sun. In fact, the place even has a golf driving range simulator and a 12-seater cinema. Even though there’s no in-house restaurant, the staff is superb and there’s even free security basement parking if you have your own car.
Neutral hues of creams, blues, and greys dot the one/two/three-bedroom apartments. All enjoy spectacular views from floor-to-ceiling windows, have balconies with alfresco seating, and a slew of mod-cons. The highlight is the availability of full kitchens in all of them, which allows you to store leftovers and whip up meals to your heart’s content.
Check Rates on:
Down Under Hostels – Surfers Paradise
3
Are you looking for a pocket-friendly gay accommodation in Gold Coast, Australia? Then why not choose one of the best hostels in the region? Welcome to Down Under Hostels in Surfers Paradise, which is heralded as the best hostel in Gold Coast! What’s more, it’s a younger-crowd hostel, not allowing anymore below 18 or above 35 years of age. So, if you’re a single gay traveler, then you’re guaranteed to have a lot of fun at this amazing youthful and vibrant place in the heart of Surfers Paradise.
The focus of this hostel is to get out and enjoy the true Australian life. So, while there are PS4 tournaments, movie nights and pub crawls, there are also day tours for exploring the region’s history. Get the most bang for your buck at this place, which has a superb common room with a flatscreen TV, game consoles, lots of comfy seating, and even a pool table. Besides complimentary laundry facilities (!), the place even has a shared modern kitchen. So, you can whip up quick and cheap meals right off the bat. Moreover, there are even computers for free use. A nice free breakfast rounds up the amazing facilities. Rooms are impressive for a budget hostel, which has options for 4/6/10/12/14-bed female-only and mixed dorms. What’s more, you even have the choice of private rooms if you want to splash a bit or want some privacy.
Check Rates on:
Meriton Suites Broadbeach
2
The Meriton Suites are one of the best options for gay accommodation in Gold Coast, Australia’s Broadbeach. The stunning, twin-tower, all-suites hotel sits right on the Gold Coast Highway and is within walking distance of the beachfront as well all surrounding shopping, dining, and entertainment. If you’re a larger group or looking for no ask-no tell privacy in Gold Coast, then the accommodations here are perfect. Choose from one/two/three-bedroom studios, all decked out in chic, contemporary décor. Besides a slew of mod-cons, all suites feature sprawling views of the ocean from the floor-to-ceiling windows, which is the standout feature here.
In spite of being an all-suite hotel, Meriton Suites has a host of amenities for its guests. There are two indoor and outdoor pools with loungers and umbrellas that are perfect for a swim or soaking up the sun. After a swim, a soak in the sauna sounds like the perfect way to unwind before stepping out to enjoy the Gold Coast nightlife. The outdoor deck is the perfect place to watch the sunrise, while the fitness center and barbeque areas round out the amenities here.
Check Rates on:
Coolangatta YHA Backpackers
1
What makes Coolangatta YHA Backpackers a great gay accommodation in Gold Coast? For one, it’s tucked away in the southernmost Gold Coast suburb of Coolangatta, which is away from the bustle but close enough to the action. Secondly, it sits right between the cool waters of Coolangatta Beach and the Gold Coast airport! What’s more, it has a bevy of free shuttles that take you all over the Gold Coast, ensuring that you’re not missing out on anything!
Coolangatta YHA puts the ‘cool’ in traditional hostel living and sits on lush green lawns surrounded by palm trees. It’s the most dreamy and un-setting for a hostel, and it works! Right from barbeque nights to movie evenings, the social roster of this hostel shines brighter than any other place around. What’s more, the beach stretch is away from the usual crowded ones, so you can lounge in serene settings. Moreover, the hostel even has a fabulous outdoor pool, which is its social heart and soul. The fully-equipped communal kitchen is perfect for whipping up quick and untimely meals. Strike interesting conversations with fellow travelers in the guest lounge or enjoy an evening of grilling in the barbeque area on the lawn. Besides bicycles and surfboards on hire, you can also book snorkeling and diving trips from the reception area.
You can choose from female-only and mixed dorms or private rooms at this place. All have immaculate bathrooms, both shared and private, and secure lockers. What’s more, you also have the option of rooms that enjoy direct access to the lush courtyard.
Check Rates on:
Get Some Culture in Gold Coast:
- Gold Coast Pride – Gold Coast launched its very own Pride festival in August 2020 and has exciting plans for 2021. In fact, the opening ceremony had famous drag queens also making an appearance. It ended with a special event at the rooftop bar at the Islander Resort.
Best Gay Bars / Clubs in Gold Coast:
- Sin City – This upscale LGBTQ-friendly nightclub is one of Australia’s best and even hosts gay nights.
- Tickle Nightclub @ Love Nightlife – For a fabulous LGBTQI+ night-out, head to the Tickle Nightclub for amazing drinks and a fabulous atmosphere.
Best Gay Saunas in Gold Coast:
- Club R 18+ – A private gay cruise club in Surfers Paradise, this one features everything from a sex shop and play areas to private cabins and video booths.
