The Sunshine Coast hasn’t seen a full-service internationally branded hotel open in more than four decades. Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel, which recently opened on the Mooloolaba Esplanade, is that long-awaited arrival, and the interiors are very much worth talking about.
The 180-room, 12-storey property was designed by Queensland interior designer Taryn Raso of Studio Raso Interior Design, whose brief was to translate the Avani brand’s global identity into something that felt unmistakably connected to the Sunshine Coast. The result is a hotel that feels sophisticated without feeling imported, relaxed without feeling underdone.
A Palette Drawn From the Coast and the Hinterland
The design direction of Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel is rooted in the natural tones and textures of the Sunshine Coast region. Warm timber finishes, travertine stone, tactile fabrics, and curved architectural detailing run through the property from arrival to rooftop, creating a visual language that feels cohesive and deeply considered.
Arched mirrors, custom joinery, textured wallpapers, and concealed lighting maintain visual continuity while adding the depth and softness that keep a large hotel from feeling corporate. Guest rooms reference both ocean and hinterland through subtle tonal shifts and natural finishes, with the palette shifting gently depending on orientation and aspect.
“We wanted guests to walk in and immediately feel a sense of escape,” Raso says. “The Sunshine Coast has such a beautiful natural softness to it, so we leaned into organic textures, coastal tones and curved forms to create spaces that feel warm, welcoming and connected to the environment.”
Sully’s Rooftop: Where the View Leads and the Interiors Follow
The hotel’s most talked-about space is Sully’s Rooftop on level 12, a dining and bar destination overlooking Mooloolaba Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Led by Executive Chef Mark Godbeer, formerly of The Calile Hotel in Brisbane, the food offering is serious. But it’s the interior design that sets the scene.
Raso describes the brief as Mediterranean-inspired with subtle nods to Sunshine Coast surf culture. Oversized greenery, ribbed velvet upholstery, amber glass accents, and intimate lounge-style seating areas create a space that is social and relaxed without sacrificing sophistication.
“The views are obviously the hero at Sully’s, so the interiors needed to complement rather than compete with that,” Raso says. “We wanted it to feel social, relaxed and slightly nostalgic, somewhere people could settle in for a long lunch or sunset drinks and feel completely immersed in the atmosphere of the coast.”
It’s a brief that’s harder to execute than it sounds, and Sully’s lands it well.
The Details That Make a Hotel Feel Like a Place
Beyond the headline spaces, the property extends through a rooftop pool deck featuring Spanish mosaics and striped cabanas, a softly lit spa designed as a calming sanctuary, and a street-level lobby bar that anchors the building’s connection to the Esplanade.
Local craftsmanship and Australian suppliers were prioritised throughout Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel, with local trades and artisans contributing to custom detailing and furniture pieces across the property. When global supply chain constraints forced design pivots, Raso says the result was often a stronger, more locally grounded outcome.
“There were definitely moments where we had to rethink and adapt, but in many ways it pushed us toward more local craftsmanship and smarter design solutions,” she says. “The end result feels layered, authentic and very grounded in place.”
For a Sunshine Coast that has long deserved a hotel of this calibre, Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel feels like a very welcome arrival.
Discover more at www.avanihotels.com
