Western Australia’s finest luxury resorts are as diverse and captivating as its geography. Mal Chenu looks at ten of the best.
Crown Metropol, Perth
Crown Metropol, Perth
Recently renovated, and winner of the Best Luxury Accommodation award at the 2013 WA Tourism Awards, Crown is the paramount Perth stay. Choose from a cornucopia of fine dining options including Nobu Perth, Bistro Guillaume and Modo Mio and relax at ISIKA Spa overlooking the Swan River.
Injidup Spa Retreat, Injidup
Injidup Spa Retreat, Injidup
Just south of Yallingup, this luxe beach resort of ten immaculately designed and finished villas – each with its own plunge pool – is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Enjoy a serene spa treatment, lunch at nearby Margaret River wineries and stroll on the beach at sunset.
Cape Lodge (The Vineyard Residence), Margaret River
Cape Lodge (The Vineyard Residence), Margaret River
Part of the multi-award winning Cape Lodge complex, The Residence can accommodate up to four couples and is a short walk to all the facilities of Cape Lodge, including the fine-dining lakeside Cape Lodge Restaurant. This is a supreme gourmet experience just minutes from the beach, karri forests and wineries.
Maitraya, Albany
Maitraya, Albany
The weather-beaten south coast, carpets of wildflowers and whale watching on the ‘Humpback Highway’ are on offer when you stay at Maitraya, twenty minutes from pretty, historic Albany. Set among 500 acres of private bushland, Maitraya is a self-catering, family-friendly residence for up to 16 people.
Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa, Broome
Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa, Broome
The bucket-list essential of the Kimberley meets endless pristine beach at this celebrated resort. With two lagoon-style pools, three restaurants, a couple bars and the Chahoya Spa, Cable Beach Club blends Asian quietude with modern comforts and broad, blazing sunsets, best viewed from the back of a camel.
Eco Beach, Broome
Eco Beach, Broome
Just over an hour’s drive south of Broome, this eco-resort offers villa, safari-style tent and beach house accommodations with an endless Indian Ocean view. Wake up with a yoga class, walk along the beach or cliff-top, enjoy a massage, and watch migrating whales from a table at Jack’s Bar and Grill or a day bed at the infinity pool.
Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef
Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef
Barefoot and exclusive, Sal Salis is a camp of nine luxury tents on the beach just south of Exmouth. Roll out of bed and snorkel on the coral just metres from the shore or swim with whale sharks between April and July. The chef incorporates bush tucker and fresh fish (of course) into meals, paired with premium WA wines.
El Questro Wilderness Park, Kimberley
El Questro Wilderness Park, Kimberley
Need room to stretch? World-renowned El Questro has four accommodation options and a million acres in the East Kimberley. Four river systems, gorges, waterfalls, rainforest and tidal flats comprise the diverse richness that you can explore by 4WD, helicopter or horseback.
Berkeley River Lodge, Kimberley
Berkeley River Lodge, Kimberley
This secluded wilderness resort of twenty free-standing luxury villas on a 65-metre-high sand dune on Joseph Bonaparte Gulf in the north Kimberley is only accessible by ocean and air. Berkeley‘s most pleasant surprise is Dunes Restaurant, where the menu is as gratifying as the view over the Timor Sea.
True North Kimberley Wilderness Cruises
True North Kimberley Wilderness Cruises
A floating resort with its own helicopter, the 50-metre, 36 passenger True North takes you up close to the billion year old gorges, waterfalls and indigenous rock art of the Kimberley. The galley will prepare plump black-lip oysters, Spanish mackerel sashimi, mud crabs on the beach at sunset and even the barramundi you caught yourself.