Aria Mooloolaba

A 16-storey, 201-room tower on the Mooloolaba beachfront has cleared its final council approval, positioned as the Sunshine Coast's first international-standard 5-star hotel. The roughly $350m AUD project comes from independent developer Aria Property Group, with no builder or hotel operator yet confirmed.

The place

1 Mooloolaba Esplanade, on the beachfront in Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on a former foreshore commercial site.

The concept

First lodged in 2019 and approved in 2021, this beachfront tower has been redesigned and enlarged several times since — from an originally approved 139 rooms to 201, and from an initial height to 16 storeys (69.85m) endorsed by Sunshine Coast Council in June 2026. The roughly $350m AUD project, developed by independent Brisbane-based Aria Property Group, is billed locally as the region's first international-standard 5-star hotel, and includes a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant in the approved plans. Aria has committed to funding around $9m AUD of upgrades to the adjacent public foreshore as part of the approval. Planning documents note expressions of interest from Accor, Hyatt, Marriott and IHG, but no operator has been confirmed, and no construction start date or builder has been announced as of August 2026.

Dining & wellness

NC — a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant are part of the approved plans, but nothing is operating yet; the project has not begun construction.