Best Family Hotels on the Gold Coast

This upscale property on Broadwater is a slam dunk with families for one big reason: its unbeatable direct access to Sea World and its monorail, with longer stays getting free admission to the Dolphin Discovery. As if that weren't enough, the resort offers a wide range of activities to entertain kids and parents, including face painting and SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer activities at the kids’ club. Small slides and a dump bucket at the water play area appeal to younger children. Bigger slides at the free water park are geared toward adults and older kids. Spacious, modern rooms have mini-fridges, and balconies or patios; some have kitchenettes (nice for offsetting the high prices at the hotel's four restaurants). 

Peppers Broadbeach is an upscale, family-friendly apartment-style hotel, a short walk from area restaurants and the beach. Its 177 suites and apartments all come with private balconies and lovely kitchens complete with gas stoves and high-end appliances. Standard amenities found across room types include air-conditioning, minibars, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, and washing machines. Modern bathrooms have walk-in rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs. Peppers doesn't have on-site restaurants like Sea World Resort, though there are a few barbecue grills set up in the lovely gardens. As an aparthotel, Peppers also lacks Sea World's glut of kid-friendly activities, but features here do include a beautiful pool with a shallow section, a kids' playground, free hotel-wide Wi-Fi (although it's limited to one device per room), and free parking. Babysitting is available.

A full-service resort a short drive from Surfers Paradise, RACV Royal Pines is an upscale golf resort that attracts a mix of travelers, including families requiring larger suites and extensive kid-friendly amenities. Many of the 333 spacious rooms and suites have fully equipped kitchens and a few even have separate whirlpool tubs. The facilities are particularly noteworthy and include a large lagoon pool with a waterslide, five tennis courts, a playground, and kid-friendly restaurants. Peppers is closer to the beach and has bathtubs in every room; RACV has more (and splashier) features, but it is about 15 minutes inland and only some rooms have tubs.

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort stands out for its direct access to the beach and Marina Mirage mall, enormous pool complex (including a kids' pool) that seems to go on forever, and multiple on-site food and drink spots. Elegant rooms have minibars, and some have ocean views or poolside terraces. Suites and two-bedroom villas come with kitchens. Rates here don't include Wi-Fi (which is free at Sea World Resort, Peppers, and RACV); free in-room Wi-Fi is only available for Starwood Preferred Guest online bookings.

While Sheraton offers direct access to an exclusive beach, Marriott Resort & Spa requires crossing busy roads to reach the sand. However, the high-end hotel, located just outside the busy center of Surfers Paradise, offers an extensive pool area and 216 fresh and spacious rooms with walk-in wardrobes and balconies overlooking the river or ocean. Great amenities like tennis courts, bike rentals, and a kids' club make this a popular pick for families. 

The 360-room Mantra Twin Towns is a large, resort-style aparthotel five minutes from the beach. Standard hotel rooms are bright but slightly dated, while the apartments are more modern and have full kitchens and separate bedrooms. All units here are a big step down from the ones at Marriott, but then again, this isn't an upscale property like Marriott. There are several resort-level features on-site, including two pools, tennis courts, mini-golf, and a game room. Note that housekeeping is weekly, not daily. Wi-Fi costs a fee, but covered parking is free (the opposite is true Marriott: Wi-Fi is free, but on-site parking costs a fee).