The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Gold Coast

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Gold Coast

Are you looking for a hotel for your first trip to Gold Coast? With plenty of activities and sites, this is a great destination for first-time visitors. So if you're deciding where to stay on your first trip to Gold Coast, don't worry, we've got you covered. We've analyzed the hotels in Gold Coast to find out which are the best for first timers based on price, amenities, location, reviews, and guest ratings. In this guide, we'll be showcasing the best hotels for first-time visitors in Gold Coast, taking into consideration all of these important factors. Whether you're traveling solo, with family, or with friends, there's a hotel that caters to every traveler's needs to make the most of your first trip here. So, if you're visiting Gold Coast for the first time, the hotels below will be great options, as many of them have pools, breakfast, and plenty of comforts to help you relax. So, here they are, the best hotels in Gold Coast for first time visitors.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $262 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Gold Coast
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Located at 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa has great rooms from $262 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a casino, and a restaurant. It has a terrific 8.90 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.6 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a fitness center, snorkeling, a bar, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet at this relaxing hotel. You'll enjoy relaxing while having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Saltwater pool


RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast

5-star Resort with prices starting at $162 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

A great place to stay is RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast which has nice rooms starting at $162. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a water park, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also has a great guest rating of 8.80 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at Ross Street. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers a bar, mountain views, child care, laundry services, and golf which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 5 km from the city center. The kids will love the water park, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Water park
  • Spa
  • Child pool
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Playground
  • Breakfast in the room


InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort

5-star Resort with prices starting at $230 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Gold Coast
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

We found InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $230. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.60 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at Manor Circle. You'll also find a bar, child care, laundry services, golf, and a hot tub which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 19.1 km from the center of town. The heated pool is comfortable, relaxing, and fun for everyone.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Saltwater pool
  • Kids' club


Ocean Plaza Resort

4-star Resort with prices starting at $149 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $149, Ocean Plaza Resort, at 80 Marine Parade provides an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Its terrific guest rating is 8.50 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers mountain views, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, and city views. It's located just 20.4 km from the city center, too. Make sure to set aside some time for swimming in the pool, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snorkeling
  • Kitchen
  • Child pool
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Q1 Resort and Spa

5-star Resort with prices starting at $136 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Gold Coast
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Q1 Resort and Spa has a great guest rating of 8.40 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. The great rooms here start at $136 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 9 Hamilton Avenue. Furthermore, it also offers rooms with kitchens, child care, laundry services, city views, and a hot tub, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 1 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Having the delicious restaurant in the hotel is an added bonus.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Indoor pool
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Private pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Palazzo Versace

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $275 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Palazzo Versace is 8.20 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a casino, and a restaurant. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $275, and it's located at Seaworld Drive. We also love the a fitness center, a bar, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, and child care which are great for visitors. And since it's just 5.2 km from the center of the town, the location is great, too. You'll love relaxing in the hot tub at the end of the day, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Private pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


QT Gold Coast

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $169 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is QT Gold Coast because it has great rooms that start at $169. It has an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 7 Staghorn Avenue. Only 2.2 km from the city center, travelers will especially love a bar, parking, a kid-friendly buffet, mountain views, and child care at this convenient hotel. Don't forget to spend some time at the terrific pool bar where you can unwind and relax.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $103 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Gold Coast
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Beach

Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $103 (before taxes). It's located at 2807 Gold Coast Highway and has earned a guest rating of 8.10/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers parking, outdoor tennis, child care, laundry services, and city views which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.5 km from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


The Island Gold Coast

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $115 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

Located at 3128 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, The Island Gold Coast has great rooms from $115 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a bar. It has a terrific 8.70 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find parking, a kid-friendly buffet, mountain views, rooms with kitchenettes, and laundry services which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 1.3 km from the center of town. We always love being able to prepare simple meals in a hotel room, and the kitchenette here was teriffic. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Saltwater pool


The Star Grand at The Star Gold Coast

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $147 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Gold Coast
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is The Star Grand at The Star Gold Coast which has nice rooms starting at $147. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also has a great guest rating of 8.50 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 8 Casino Drive. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a bar, mountain views, rooms with kitchenettes, laundry services, and golf. It's located just 2 km from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Child pool
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Brisbane, Byron Bay, Logan City, and Redland.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Gold Coast, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Gold Coast, Best Beach Hotels in Gold Coast, Best Cheap Hotels in Gold Coast, Best Luxury Hotels in Gold Coast, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Gold Coast, Best Hotels for One Week in Gold Coast, Best Hotels for One Night in Gold Coast, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Gold Coast, or Best Business Hotels in Gold Coast.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Gold Coast?

Gold Coast Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$127

Travelers to Gold Coast will have a large number of terrific first time trip accommodation options with a variety of great prices. The price of first time trip hotels here can vary by amenities, dates, and the neighborhood. Based on thorough data from 76 first time trip hotels, their average price is a very reasonable $127. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Gold Coast.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $161
  • 4-star hotels: $119
  • 3-star hotels: $116


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