The Best Pet-Friendly Hotels to Book on Australia's Sunshine Coast

Nicely positioned on a picturesque canal in Mooloolaba, the four villas and three studios we recommend here are all ideal for a dog-friendly Sunshine Coast stay. Even bigger canines will be warmly welcomed. Do you need your pet minded while you indulge or relax? Just ask. Then settle in and enjoy – perhaps a day spa treatment or idle hours in your private courtyard or on your balcony. For a little limb-stretching, there’s swimming in the blue-lit lap pool, a date with a kayak or a stroll to Mooloolaba’s cafés and beaches.

Owner of a small-sized pooch? Here’s the cue for the two of you to retreat into nature, among cuddly koala-populated rainforest. The Hinterland Suite occupies the ground floor of a classic Queenslander – timber, wraparound verandah, corrugated-iron roof – and has a fenced yard for your beloved Fido. Or consider the Orchid Villa with a Balinese wood-panelled vibe and tree-surrounded deck. Both structures are self-contained and environmentally friendly with solar power and filtered rainwater. Hosts Russ and Robert will take you for a tour of their tea and coffee farm. Then you may strike out for Noosa and the Eumundi artisan markets, both an easy 20 minutes away.

Dotted around freshwater Lake Weyba are eight hand-crafted cedar cottages with eye-catching, exposed-beam ceilings, polished hardwood floors and muslin-draped beds. Resolve to do nothing more than lounge in the beautiful gardens, with their waterlily-speckled pond and meandering paths. If you’ve an itch to scratch, head out on one of the complimentary canoes or mountain bikes with a fishing rod (bait supplied). Or simply swim in the lake. Each cottage has a spa and private outdoor space for BBQs or relaxing with your pet while enjoying the views – paradise for people and pooches.

Enter a Balinese-style oasis with just four bungalows amid a profusion of palms. Checked in, it’s practically de rigueur to plunge straight into the inviting pool or, in cooler weather, hunker down by your fireplace. Alternatively, sweat out your stress in the hot-rock sauna and liberate your senses in the floatation tank. Check ahead whether your pup can be accommodated during your travel dates and, if the green light is given, your best friend will end up just relaxed as you.

Pet-friendly accommodation on the Sunshine Coast is particularly good fun when the owners have plenty of animals of their own. You and your four-legged pal might choose to stay in one of two tiny, locally built houses – or how about a self-contained rainforest cabin? You’re more than welcome to join feeding time for the farm animals, including alpacas and diminutive pigs, spotting the wild parrots and eagles that swoop by regularly. If you need more animal action, it’s only 10 minutes to the late, lamented TV presenter Steve Irwin’s iconic Australia Zoo.

After your short drive from the Sunshine Coast Airport, you and your pet may not want to leave Rivershore for the rest of your holiday. Here’s why: there’s a pool big enough for lap swimming, two waterslides, mini-golf, paddleboard opportunities and a river pontoon – the set-up stands on the banks of the Maroochy. Accommodation-wise, bring your own tent or van, or upgrade to glamping in a permanently constructed multi-roomed tent that truly stands out with its four-poster bed, French doors and en-suite with a claw-foot bath.

Staying here, you and your bright-eyed, bushy-tailed best friend have the chance to meet local dogs out for their morning puppacino (it’s actually a thing). That’s because this motel is a quick walk from Moffat Beach, Caloundra’s only dog-friendly strand. The sea-themed rooms welcome small, non-hair-shedding dogs, for instance, poodles. The pool is a great alternative to the beach for a swim. And, when it’s time for dinner, make use of the motel’s courtesy bus that will take you to a local club for a meal and a drink.

Friendly hosts Brett and Tina will welcome you and your small dog when you book a double room at this seven-room motel. As it happens, it’s only seven minutes from the Big Pineapple, a 16m (52ft), startlingly realistic homage to the Sunshine Coast’s favourite fruit. The rooms are refreshingly quiet – at a safe remove from the bustle of the coastal action, about 10 minutes away. For a splash of shady greenery and a cool-down, stake your claim on a patch of the grassy garden and take routine dips in the kidney-shaped retro pool.