12 quirky stays along the Pacific Coast Way

Pack your sense of adventure – and your camera – because the Pacific Coast Way is filled with stays as memorable as the journey itself.

From neon-lit retro motels and treetop hideaways to churches turned into heavenly retreats and underwater reef sleepovers, this coastal road trip isn’t just about the destinations, it’s about the Instagram-worthy places you’ll call home along the way.

1. The Pink Hotel, Gold Coast

Dripping with retro vibes and bursting in bright pink, Coolangatta’s The Pink Hotel is hard to miss and arguably one of the coolest stays on the Gold Coast with flamingo murals, neon signs and rooftop cocktails. Each room is a quirky mix of custom art, mid-century furniture and comfy beds – a vibe that feels both wow-worthy and totally relaxed. Positioned across the road from the Coolangatta Beach shoreline, guests easily saunter across the Norfolk Pine-lined park and straight onto the sand for sunrise surf sessions. It’s a bold and cheeky accommodation that stands out from the crowd.

2. Gold Coast Tree Houses, Gold Coast

Gold Coast Tree Houses offers a whimsical escape in nature with a luxurious twist. These three-level eco-friendly treehouses just minutes from Currumbin Beach feature spiral staircases, rainwater showers, and soaring 180-degree views of the Gold Coast skyline, plus the company of free-ranging farm animals. Entirely off-grid yet rich in creature comforts, each elevated cabin feels like a private forest nook where guests enjoy solar-powered amenities, a jetted spa, and a communal pool deck.

3. Miss Midgley's, Brisbane

Miss Midgley's is the revitalisation of one of Brisbane's oldest heritage homes into chic lodgings on popular James Street. Once a colonial home and later a school, this heritage gem now houses five self-contained apartments with clever design touches, leafy courtyards and a heated pool, while ground-floor suites welcome four-legged mates too. Originally constructed 160 years ago, this adaptive reuse project is owned and designed by mother-daughter duo, Lisa and Isabella White, just steps from James Street’s best cafes, galleries and shops.

4. Crocodile Cabins, Sunshine Coast

Adventure and comfort combine at the Crocodile Cabins, adjacent to Steve Irwin’s iconic Australia Zoo, where your friendly neighbours are kangaroos, emus, koalas, freshwater crocodiles and turtles. The new two-storey Crocodile Cabins opened in 2024 and are the latest additions to the Crocodile Hunter Lodge. Each offers private plunge pools and exclusive viewing of the croc habitat, blending luxury with the thrill of the wild. Every stay includes unlimited Australia Zoo entry, a shuttle, breakfast and access to the stunning infinity pool.

Restored train carriages at Glass House Mountains Ecolodge.

5. Glass House Mountains Ecolodge, Sunshine Coast

Huddled in the lush green majestic Glass House Mountains, Glass House Mountains Ecolodge is a train spotters’ dream. Lovers of rail can choose to sleep in two lovingly restored train carriages. There’s a 140-year-old Victorian train carriage and a 60-year-old Queensland train carriage that comes with a separate living space opening onto a cosy deck and views of the coffee orchard. If that’s not enough quirkiness for a cosy getaway, the ecolodge is also home to a charming bungalow recreated from a timber church.

6. Mango Lodge, Fraser Coast

Mango Lodge is the kind of place people quietly recommend to friends. Set across 70 acres at River Heads on the Fraser Coast, this solid timber cabin has been welcoming guests since 2018 and delivers an easygoing Queensland stay. There’s an outdoor claw-foot bath beneath a century-old mango tree, kangaroos wandering past at dusk and space to truly switch off. The lodge is fully self-contained, wheelchair-accessible and just minutes from the ferry to K’gari.

7. Lady Musgrave HQ, Bundaberg

Don’t just dive below the surface when visiting the Great Barrier Reef – sleep on top of it. Lady Musgrave HQ offers a rare chance to stay overnight on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, floating in the calm lagoon of Lady Musgrave Island off the Bundaberg coast. Launched in 2021, this three-level, eco-powered pontoon runs on solar and wind, with snorkelling straight off the deck, glass-bottom boat tours, diving and reef discovery by day. By night, guests settle into glamping tents above the water or drift off in the underwater observatory below.

8. High Valley Dawn, Capricorn

Featuring four custom-built off-grid tiny homes, High Valley Dawn, just 15 minutes south of Yeppoon is the perfect blend of farm stay and sustainable getaway. Sitting snug within 140 acres of permaculture gardens, the property focuses on growing produce using regenerative farming practices and is all powered by solar energy, rainwater harvesting and composting systems that ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment. Guests join owner and founder Ross O'Reilly for hands-on workshops and guided farm tours to learn about sustainable permaculture.

9. Freedom Shores, Whitsundays

Freedom Shores is a sneaky stunner nestled by the water just north of Airlie Beach. Overlooking Pioneer Bay, the resort’s signature boat-bungalow cabins are inspired by classic vessels with rooms designed to replicate the boats docked at the marina (and some made from the hulls of real vessels). A cocktail bar crafted from General Douglas MacArthur's World War 2 vessel and palm trees sourced from the set of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie filmed in Queensland can also be found next door, are all packaged up in one quirky nautical-themed stay.

10. Mt Jukes Eco Retreat, Mackay Isaac Region

Mt Jukes Eco Retreat is where busy people go to remember how to chill. Nestled into the hills just outside Mackay, this off-grid escape swaps noise for birdsong and deadlines for dips in spring-fed water. Days are blissfully unstructured – yoga if the mood strikes, slow walks through the gardens, or absolutely nothing at all. Guests sleep in luxe glamping tents or timber cabins, some with outdoor baths that make stargazing feel productive.

11. Maggie A-Frame Hideaway, Magnetic Island

Tucked away at Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island, the Maggie A-Frame Hideaway is a triangular cabin wrapped in timber and glass that is part treehouse, part cozy modern haven. Island seclusion for five guests to relax among palm and mango trees with a hammock and private garden to complete the island vibes. Tropical gardens draw in native birds, adding a gentle soundtrack to slow mornings and balmy evenings by the water.

12. The Old Church, Tropical North Queensland

Once a house of worship, The Old Church in Mena Creek is now a heavenly mix of history, character and sleek modern touches. Original stained glass, soaring ceilings and timber pew details are heroed among modern design updates, creating a lodging that feels both reverent and relaxed. French doors open to rainforest gardens, where misty mornings and cicada evenings set the tone, just a few steps walk from the magic of Paronella Park.

For more scroll-stopping accommodation options along the Pacific Coast Way visit www.queensland.com.