Discover Your Ideal Gold Coast Accommodation: From Beachfront Luxury to Budget Stays

By Josh •  Updated: 08/01/23 •  7 min read

When you travel it can be hard to find where you want to stay and where you will get the experience you are looking for. For many this can be luxury, for others it will be beaches or maybe partying, today we are digging in on these.

For those who don’t know Australia well, the Gold Coast is an extremely popular beach and resort area in South East Queensland, which is close to Brisbane.

Your choice of where to stay will heavily depend on what factors you are personally interested in for your trip.

That reason will differ for each person traveling, so we have chosen to break this list down to the following activities to help you figure out your choice.

  • Beach Experience
  • Shopping
  • Partying
  • Gambling
  • Dining Experience
  • Holiday “Vacation” Feel
  • Family Oriented
  • Budget Conscious
  • First Timer

The main hub of the Gold Coast is centered around Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, two incredibly busy and bustling resort towns about 4km apart.

As you can see there are many things that may heavily influence where you want to stay when you travel to the Gold Coast, we are going to dive into each to present some opinions and areas to stay to maximize each.

City skyline on the Gold Coast beach from an aerial shot by a drone above the buildings
City skyline on the Gold Coast beach

Best Options To Stay at the Gold Coast

There are many places someone can stay when they visit the Gold Coast, we are going to highlight some of the best options we see for travel for someone looking to enjoy the Gold Coast to the maximum.

City Proper

Many travelers love staying in high-rise hotels to get those absolutely amazing views that are offered by this super close proximity to the beach, our favorite choice is the Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel.

This is an amazing way to be able to view the ocean and just enjoy your time in the Gold Coast.

On the Beach

For people who are wanting to stay as on the beach as possible, there are a few options available that will allow you the ability to walk out to the beach each morning.

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Staying directly on the beach is going to need to be investigated closer to the time of travel to find good prices on unsold rooms.

Staying on the beach is an amazing experience that allows you to walk out to the beach at any time or retreat when tired and exhausted from your day of play.

Family Accommodations

When trying to choose a place to head to for your family finding a location that works for many ages is vital to the overall success of a trip and the enjoyment for all involved.

One good place for you should you have young kids is Paradise Resort, they are good for younger families as they have an on-site kids area and swimming pool.

These things help cut costs for a family when they don’t need to keep kids entertained the entire time.

If you are in the mood for a room with a view then you can look to places like the Breakfree Moroccan which offer amazing self-contained apartments, most of which have ocean views!

The last in the list would be a highlight for most kids, the Ruby Collection. They offer a water play area along with activities like cooking classes and Build a Bear.

Adults have awesome live entertainment along with shopping options.

Budget Option

For the budget-based traveler there are many options available in the Hostels on the Gold Coast, one of the favorites is Aquarius Gold Coast.

They offer high-class areas to socialize along with bunk beds to give a good place for a bed which allows for the ultimate experience at one of the best costs available.

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Goals For Staying At Gold Coast

There are many reasons for you to visit the Gold Coast, finding what you want to do will ensure you chose the right accommodations to allow you to have fun and enjoy your visit!

Gold Coast Beach Experience

This is for the true beach people, who stay near the beach for the entire trip. This group loves to surf and will never want the beach more than a few heartbeats away.

This experience is about living the life of someone in the area, lots of sun, beach, nightlife, and partying enjoying each day to the max!

Next, we will discuss shopping and where you can find shopping options within the Gold Coast while on holiday.

Gold Coast Shopping

For some having access to the stores to look and find clothing, goods, and other items will be one of the most important things.

These are a few of the best places to shop in the area, so you can use this to help you find where you want to stay in relation to the shopping areas.

After shopping is done and the night is setting many starts to look to where they can hang out and get a drink or even dance or relax.

Gold Coast Partying

The Gold Coast is bustling with life in the daytime and at night, if you are interested in parties then you will have the opportunity to enjoy the night at numerous locations.

The Gold Coast is full of spots that run long and hard into the night to give you the opportunity to dance your night away without having to quit until the early morning.

Gold Coast Dining Experience

There is no lack of options when it comes to dining facilities in the Gold Coast, whatever strikes your fancy will probably exist here in some form for you to enjoy.

Gold Coast Family Oriented Experiences

Family-oriented holidays will typically involve ways to get the family together to experience the trip and fewer individual experiences.

These tend to follow along with beaches, dining, and entertainment options like parks and similar will be important to your choice.

Gold Coast Budget Conscious

There are many attractions that are available to those coming to the Gold Coast that can be done for very little costs or no cost.

This allows people traveling on a thin budget to still enjoy themselves while on the beach and around the town.

Gold Coast First Timer

For the first-time traveler to the Gold Coast, you are looking to get a chance to experience many different facets of the area. For this, I feel you should choose Broadbeach, a suburb on the Gold Coast which is much more laid back.

Broadbeach is set just south of Surfers Paradise and offers a laidback and relaxed beachy atmosphere perfect for someone looking to explore the area.

Most first-timers on a holiday will be without family which means they will enjoy taking in the nightlife along with enjoying the sun and beach life.

Final Verdict: For Me Its Beaches and Enjoyment Overall with Family

As I grow older having a chance to sit back on the beach and enjoy the sun and view is key to my enjoyment.

This is something that pairs well with bringing a family along too as there is something for everyone to do on the beach!

There is no right or wrong place to stay, but when planning a trip from 3000 miles away it can help to make a decision to have context as to each type of stay to ensure you enjoy your experience!

Josh

Josh is a loving dad and husband, writer, business owner, and someone who loves to explore the world. He last travelled to Australia to visit Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns and am looking to head back soon to see more! He is a huge fan of hiking, drawing, and so much more!

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