15 Best Hotels in North of Cairns, Great Barrier Reef

Fine landscaping, pools, barbecues, and sunny areas for relaxation enhance this classy colonial-style vacation complex fronting a palm-shaded white-sand beach. The resort's vast apartment-style suites have large verandas, comfortable lounging and dining areas, large flat-screen TVs, and up to four capacious bedrooms. There are also full kitchens and laundry facilities. The spa's open-air and indoor pavilions offer several soothing treatments. Nu Nu Restaurant serves fine modern international cuisine, excellent wines, and tropical cocktails.

A handful of simple but comfortable, solar-powered cabins sit among rambutan, mangosteen, and breadfruit trees on this 40-hectare exotic fruit farm. Each cabin has an en suite bathroom, insect screens, and a veranda with rain forest and mountain views. Three are air-conditioned—though as cooling breezes blow off Mount Sorrow, you may not need it. In the central farmhouse are a guest lounge, kitchen, and laundry. There is also a communal kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven for guests' use and a shed full of free coconuts (if you can crack them). Commune with fellow guests around the nightly campfire, and wake to a chorus of birdsong.

The elegant solar-powered tree houses at this impeccably run boutique retreat invite relaxation and romance. All come with king-size, Balinese-style beds swathed in white mosquito-netting, under-floor lighting, fridges, and sea-breezy balconies overlooking the rain forest and out to the Coral Sea. There are no TVs or karaoke nights here; just a cacophony of birdcalls and several quiet walking trails, rain-forest waterholes, and unspoiled beaches to explore. Mingle with fellow guests around the infinity-edge pool and at low-key evenings around the Lodge's Python Bar, crafted from rosewood mahogany. Continental breakfasts include tropical fruit salad, cereals, organic yogurt, and warm croissants with homemade jams, but after that you're on your own foodwise, though there are several restaurants and cafés in the vicinity (bringing a vehicle, or at least provisions, is a must). Your host can arrange tours, reef trips, jungle surfing, horse-riding, rain forest walks, and restaurant bookings.  For best results, book your stay directly through the property's website.

These well-appointed luxe apartments and penthouses perched above Port Douglas's main strip have state-of-the-art furnishings and appliances, freestanding spa baths, and large entertaining spaces including big, furnished balconies or decks, some with outdoor barbecues and plunge pools. For couples and small groups, the three-bedroom set-ups can be reconfigured as one- or two-bedroom accommodations. In-house massages and tours are easily arranged and there are catering options—from having your fridge stocked on arrival to arranging a special dinner (and, if you like, a chef to cook it). There's a helpful reception and tour desk, undercover parking, and a 20-meter (66-foot) lap pool in the compact but landscaped grounds. Cafés, bars, boutiques, and the beach are a mere stroll away.

At this 30-acre boutique eco-resort in the ancient Daintree rain forest, elevated boardwalks protect the fragile environs and link the day spa, heated pool, restaurant/bar, and 15 freestanding tree houses or "bayans." All are air-conditioned and equipped with ceiling fans, satellite TVs, and king-size canopy beds. Every bayan has a balcony with mosquito screens. Julaymba Restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serves modern Australian food (average main course A$38) incorporating local seafood and fresh seasonal produce. There's an adjoining bar/lounge, a small gallery-gift shop, and a large outdoor dining deck. Activities here include guided rain-forest walks, relaxing treatments in the day spa, longer excursions with Indigenous-owned Walkabout Cultural Adventures, and Daintree River wildlife-spotting cruises. Note that no kids under six are allowed at the resort.

The well-appointed studio rooms and apartments at Pullman’s gorgeous Palm Cove property have private balcony or terrace areas, high-definition flat-screen TVs, and comfortable beds with memory-foam pillows. Those who have business to do will appreciate the in-room work desk, ergonomic rolling chair, and free Wi-Fi access. The resort has a state-of-the-art business lounge, a well-equipped gym, and day spa. There's a golf course and a beach with jet-skis nearby. You can rent bicycles from reception.

This beachfront property just south of Palm Cove has its priorities right: Kewarra's sensitively designed bungalows and restored pioneer's cottage overlook rain forests teeming with wildlife, free-form pools, or a private white-sand beach. The eco-friendly lodgings bring comfort with their silky wood floors, custom furnishings, high-tech appointments, and simply furnished balconies or terraces. There's a glorious restaurant, bar, and airy lobby; a beach shack; and a lovely day spa, and there are various on-site activities such as guided morning nature walks, sunrise yoga, and tai chi sessions. Browse the boutiques, book a spa treatment, take a dip, go sea kayaking, or do some serious lounging. If you must venture off-site, the helpful concierge and Adventure Desk can arrange customized excursions and transfers via car or helicopter to Cairns, Palm Cove, and the airport. The resort also offers good-value multiday packages, some including dinners with wine, spa treatments, and reef, rain-forest, and tablelands tours.

The clean, spacious, self-contained studios at this friendly low-rise motel just outside of town make it a practical base for those who don't mind a short walk or cycle to Port Douglas's center. The studios come with fridges, microwaves, tea/coffeemaking facilities, and a minibar with milk and soft drinks, replenished daily. All are air-conditioned, with kitchenettes, desks, ceiling fans, free Wi-Fi, cool tile floors, and small patios. There's a spotless guest laundry, lovely tropical gardens, a free-form heated pool and bikes for guests' use. Continental breakfasts can be delivered to your door. Lazy Lizard is conveniently close to the beach, town, bars, and restaurants, but far enough away to be a restful retreat.

With beautiful Four-Mile Beach just outside and shops and eateries a brisk walk away, these comfortable, expansive, fully equipped apartments are in an excellent location. The regular units are large, but the pricier "Beachfront" units, which have two-person spa tubs and are closer to the shore, are huge. One-bedroom apartments are actually two-bedroom units with one bedroom locked off (available for the same rate as a two-bedroom during high season). Every apartment has a kitchen with all appliances, including a dishwasher, stove top, full-size refrigerator, and a washer-dryer. Families can rent strollers and highchairs. There are also two on-site pools and a tennis court. Make sure you meet Milo the dog, who might join you on a beach walk or curl up on your sofa if you want some company.

Its beachfront location, excellent on-site dining, and tropical suites make this laid-back resort popular with city dwellers seeking upscale relaxation. With three magnificent lagoon pools and a day spa, it's not hard to find a spot to relax. The open-air lobby opens onto compact but well-landscaped grounds and the largest of the Club's three pools, with a soothing waterfall nearby. All rooms and suites have contemporary furnishings, flat-screen TVs, ceiling fans, minibars and/or fridges, and large balconies or courtyards; spa rooms have balcony two-person spa baths, and deluxe rooms have rooftop Jacuzzis. You can rent a quad bike, chill out with a cocktail at the swim-up bar, or receive a treatment at the Day Spa, which does everything from detoxifying body treatments to Vichy showers and massage.

Centered on a complex of interconnecting saltwater lagoon pools, the Sheraton Grand Mirage is a good choice for families. Recently upgraded guest rooms, suites, and villas are light, modern, and beachy, with sleek wood furnishings and appointments, flat-screen TVs, and iPod docking stations. The landscaped grounds front a white-sand beach, and there are lots of on-site dining and drinking options. It's a big resort, with all the pluses and minuses size can offer, but thanks to the clever configuration of the pools, you can almost always find a lounge chair.

This beautiful, retreat-like resort and Advanced Ecotourism–certified hotel in the heart of the rain forest has luxe tree houses and suites clustered around an expansive open-sided lodge, day spa, and lagoon pool. All accommodations have recently been upgraded, and have minibars, aromatherapy-oil burners, and balconies. Tree houses and suites come with polished timber floors, large hot tubs, rain-forest showers, and bigger balconies with hammocks and daybeds. The Lodge's open-sided Tree House bar and restaurant serves gourmet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Full breakfasts and a raft of activities (river snorkeling, bicycles, tennis, and, in season, guided walks and morning yoga) are included in the price. The tour desk can arrange excursions by horseback, helicopter, or hot-air balloon, as well as cruises, Indigenous-guided rain-forest walks, and adventure activities.

Set on 145 acres of private beach, coconut groves, and forest, this eco-certified nature lodge is about low-key luxury. Guesthouses, linked by meandering, stone-lined paths, are comfy, eco-designed refuges with polished-wood floors and forest or ocean views. Open-sided, canopy-level Osprey's Restaurant, bar, lounge, and reading room have stupendous vistas of the Coral Sea and rain-forest-clad mountains. Sunset cocktails and buffet breakfasts here are accompanied by colorful parrots in the canopy and a cacophony of birdcalls. There are two natural swimming pools (one split-level, with waterfalls and grottoes), bush-walking trails, a serene wellness center, and areas for secluded sunbathing. Eco-friendly activities include wildlife, bird-watching, coconut plantation walks, cultural performances, and turtle-spotting from sea kayaks.

This centrally located small resort, once a private residence, feels positively quaint, and that's a good thing when you're looking for a low-key escape in this resort area. Gigantic rooms have expansive terraces or private patios (some with large spa tubs), large flat-screen LCD TVs, and minibars; some have separate lounge rooms and small kitchenettes. The well-regarded on-site restaurant predates the hotel and serves modern Australian cuisine with Asian influences and big buffet breakfasts. Light lunches are served alfresco, poolside. There's a tranquil guest lounge, and Brigadier's Bar, operated on an honor system (you sign for the drinks you pour yourself). There's also a lovely beach just across the street, but if the ocean doesn't call you or it's stinger season, there are two pools—one with a jacuzzi, the other with a waterfall and an outdoor spa.

This attractive, two-story colonial-style hotel in the heart of town is the best bet in Cooktown. There are plenty of on-site facilities, including a large swimming pool, laundry facilities, car rental outlet, free Wi-Fi, the town's most upscale restaurant, and a sociable bar. With a wide front veranda and horizontal wide-slat shutters, the resort has the air of a plantation house. Guest rooms and apartments are simply but smartly outfitted with tiled floors, lounge areas, flat-screen TVs, and balconies with views. The Balcony Restaurant and Cocktail Bar is particularly good, serving classic Aussie dishes and showcasing local seafood. À la carte breakfast is served daily on the veranda.