Where to stay in Port Douglas

By Paul Chai

Whether you want to stay in a boutique hotel with ocean views, a treehouse hidden in the canopy of the Daintree Rainforest or a sprawling resort known for putting Port Douglas on the map, there are plenty of great accommodation options in this pocket of Tropical North Queensland.

Peppers Beach Club

Where: 20-22 Davidson Street, Port Douglas

A short walk from popular Four Mile Beach, Peppers Beach Club is a contemporary resort with gardens full of tropical palms. Opt for the one-bedroom lagoon suites around the calm waters of the resort lagoon and you can jump into the water via your own private pontoon. Enjoy dinner at the poolside KOKO, which has an emphasis on fresh local flavours.

Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort

Where: Port Douglas Road, Port Douglas

This is the resort that put the town of Port Douglas on the map back when it was built by Australian tycoon Christopher Skase in the 1980s. The 294-room Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, in the centre of town, is set in 147 hectares (363 acres) of lush tropical garden. Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, lagoon pools and dining on the deck of Feast Restaurant, where you can sample the area's amazing fresh seafood. The resort is also home to Harrisons by Spencer Patrick, one of the area's most awarded restaurants.

Thala Beach Nature Reserve, Port Douglas

Where: Private Road Oak Beach, Port Douglas

Thala Beach Nature Reserve offers an immersive eco experience in a prime location. A short drive from Cairns airport, Thala Beach Nature Reserve is a family-owned haven offering a series of bungalows – and a large main building – that have been built to blend in with the surrounding forest. The emphasis here is definitely on nature. The resort helps you tune in to the natural surrounds with guided nature walks as well as information sessions run by the local Aboriginal community, the Kuku Yalanji. 

Hotel Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa

Where: Mitre Street, Port Douglas

Plunge straight into the 3000-square metre (32,000-square foot) pool from the patio in your room at the Hotel Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa. Or head to the Vie Spa for the signature Heaven on Earth treatment, a combination of organic facial, body exfoliation, massage and foot treatment. Guests can dine in Aluco Restaurant for the sophisticated seafood menu or keep things casual at the Sea Temple Pool Bar.

Silky Oaks Lodge

Where: Finlayvale Road, Mossman

Spend the night in a tree house hidden in the thick canopy of the Daintree Rainforest at Silky Oaks Lodge, just under half an hour inland from Port Douglas. Each dark wood cabin, accented with pillows and soft furnishings in the natural greens of the surrounding forest, has a rain shower and balcony that looks out on to the natural surrounds. Guests can have a cocktail or meal at the open-sided restaurant, perched high above the Mossman River. Try the private riverside dining option if you want to get even closer to nature.

Port Douglas Peninsula Boutique Hotel

Where: 9-13 The Esplanade, Port Douglas

This small property offers an intimate counterpoint to the larger resorts in the area and has some of the region's best beach and ocean views. The Port Douglas Peninsula Boutique Hotel has just 34 one-bedroom beachfront suites. The Oceanview Suites offer balconies looking out onto the Coral Sea as well as floor-to-ceiling windows, luxury soft furnishings and a two-person tub. This is seaside romance at its finest. Dine at Hi Tide Café-Bar-Restaurant, the only licensed restaurant right on Four Mile Beach, and raise a glass to paradise.

Niramaya Villas and Spa

Where: 1 Bale Drive, Port Douglas

Pavilions with high ceilings, private courtyards and lush, frangipani-filled gardens are hallmarks of Niramaya Villas and Spa, a short walk from Four Mile Beach and the town of Port Douglas. This self-contained accommodation offers villas with up to four bedrooms. They have limestone feature walls, indoor-outdoor bathrooms, and decor and design inspired by the Indonesian island of Bali.

Mantra

Where: Multiple locations

Mantra offers families and groups a handful of properties in Port Douglas, including Mantra Aqueous on Port, which has balconies with spa baths, four lagoon pools and a barbecue area, set in tropical gardens. Mantra Heritage is just minutes from Port Douglas’s busy dining precinct on Macrossan Street. Mantra on the Inlet is a smaller, colonial-style stay in the popular marina precinct, the step-off point for exploration of the Great Barrier Reef.