As we all know, Australia is a famous tourist country, attracting tourists worldwide for sightseeing and holidays every year. Especially after returning to everyday life, many nationals also can’t wait for a trip to Australia! Whether you go to Australia from China or work or study in Australia, you must be very concerned about how you can book a cost-effective hotel when travelling in Australia. So, in Australia, which website do you use to book your hotel? How to book a hotel in Australia? What software do you use to book hotels in Australia? What app do you use to book hotels in Australia? Which website is better for booking Australian hotels? How can you choose an Australian hotel that is more cost-effective? Today, I’ve compiled a list of 12 more well-known hotel booking sites and apps in Australia for you.
What are the Websites for Booking Hotels in Australia?
Uhomes
[Website address] https://en.uhomes.com/
【Basic Information】Uhomes has 3 million housing units near 900 major cities and 2,700 colleges and universities worldwide and is committed to building a service platform exclusively for Chinese international students so that every international student can have a good home in a foreign country. The services of Uhomes include hotel booking, overseas rentals, booking of international student flats for rent, matching of needs and renting of overseas B&Bs, matching of needs for homestays, buying a room overseas, paying for a room and renting a room. Matching, overseas house purchase, rent payment, and airport pick-up service.
Through its mobile application and WeChat public account, the platform provides users with a simple and intelligent service to browse and learn about property listings online. In addition, Stranger Homes has established extensive strategic partnerships with many property developers, property management companies, and student accommodation providers. It is committed to creating excellent value for all partners through sustainable cooperation and innovative solutions.
[Payment Methods]
Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Paypal, etc.
Main advantages
Not only can you book hotels, but you can also rent a variety of room types.
Support Alipay payment.
The website page is simple and comfortable to look at.
Expedia AU
[Website Address] https://www.expedia.com.au/
【Basic Information】The world’s largest online travel company’s business volume accounts for about one-third of the global online travel market. Expedia AU offers hotels in more than 3,000 locations worldwide, with great room rates and detailed information on hotels available online. Travellers need to enter their ideal price and region, and in the shortest possible time, they can get the most instant and correct quote.
Expedia AU is Australia’s largest integrated platform for booking flights and hotels, with hotels and B&Bs from all over the world and many hotels to choose from. Expedia provides hotel filters, allowing users to change the filters to look for specific amenities, such as breakfast or swimming pools, etc. Therefore, the hotel filter can be changed depending on individual needs and conditions. Therefore, according to individual needs and conditions, Expedia has an excellent function. Some hotels support pay later, and price matching is also possible.
Payment Methods
Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Paypal, etc. (Accepted debit/credit cards vary by hotel).
Main Advantages
The advantage of the “air ticket + hotel” package booking price is obvious when booking air tickets.
Support Alipay payment.
The website page is simple and comfortable to look at.
Members have bonus points, can be exchanged for free travel, and there is no limit to the date.
The price has some advantages after using the discount code.
Booking.com
[Website Address] https://www.booking.com
【Basic Information】 Booking.com B.V., founded in 1996 and part of the Booking Holdings Group (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s largest online hotel booking company in terms of room sales. Booking.com B.V. is the world’s largest online hotel booking company, offering more than 1 million hotels, from luxury five-star hotels to budget homestays and special offers in more than 220 countries, with an average of over 1.2 million room nights booked daily. The official website of Booking.com has three significant highlights: excellent user experience, a wide selection of hotels, and free cancellation without pre-payment.
Booking.com has a high user review rating globally and in Australia. With its powerful filters, users can look for top-rated hotels, resorts and flats here; more actual reviews and feedback between users, forwarding common and valuable suggestions to each other.
Payment Methods
Support Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay credit cards and other payments; some also support debit cards. You can also pay in the shop, but you need a credit card as a guarantee.
Main Advantages
Prices are displayed automatically.
There are 23 categories, so it’s easy to narrow your search to include specific neighbourhoods and landmarks.
Prices listed are for the entire stay, not just per night. They also specify taxes and fees under the price—one of the only sites transparent about pricing.
It’s a well-reviewed hotel booking app.
Airbnb Host Australia and New Zealand
[Website Address] https://www.airbnb.com.au/host/homes
【Basic Information】Airbnb is a service website for travellers and homeowners with empty rooms to rent and is one of the fastest-growing home rental platforms popular among travellers. Airbnb offers many accommodations, including flats, detached cabins, travel trailers, and private homes. Convenient search and filter criteria by price, area, location, room type, and many other forms of filtering allow residents to choose a listing that suits their needs for a more extended period.
Airbnb is very popular in Australia, especially for poor travellers; it is a must-have website for travelling and has been called the eBay of housing by The Age. The main categories that can be booked are tourist accommodation, B&Bs, homestays and short-term rentals. It is worth mentioning that Airbnb has many not-to-be-missed memorable B&B experiences, such as tree houses, caravans, star bubble houses, and cave hotels……
Payment Methods
Alipay, UnionPay Card
Main Advantages
Many and wide range of housing, good selectivity;
For diversified housing types, you can choose a small farmhouse, a large country house, or a city centre flat;
Two-way choice between customers and landlords, ensuring fairness and credibility for both parties;
A way to make money for international students is to rent a big house, make the extra room into a B&B and rent it out to earn some living expenses.
Agoda
【Website Address】https://www.agoda.com/
【Basic Information】Agoda is a subsidiary of Booking Holdings Group (formerly Priceline), a professional online travel service company providing online hotel reservation services. In recent years, Agoda has become the fastest-growing online booking platform with low prices and a wide range of choices. Agoda is especially popular among free travellers, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, where it is the first choice for tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan because of its obvious price advantage. It is also one of the most well-known and most-used online booking websites in Greater China.
Agoda allows users to search for hotels, holiday flats and other unique accommodations worldwide. In Australia, it brings users a lot of cut-price and special offers, especially for Asian users. In addition to this, there are usually more discounts at the right price, and AfterPay is also available. It is a very commonly used hotel booking website for Australians, with many hotel rooms available within Australia.
Payment Methods
WeChat, Alipay, and UnionPay can be used.
Main Advantage
You can accumulate rebate points.
Accumulation of rebate points, according to the proportion of the amount of redemption
Payment can be deferred: when booking is completed, the deduction date will be deferred to 2~3 days before the booking takes effect.
Agoda partners provide the lowest price discount orders, which can be paid directly to the hotel after check-in
Best Price Guarantee
24-hour customer service, including a dedicated customer service line (international long-distance charges)
Invoices are available (not reimbursable)
Online credit cards can be A gold card way to refund the transaction fee
Wotif
【Website Address】 https://www.wotif.com/
【Basic Information】Because it mainly advertises the Australian market, Wotif ensures you can get the best hotel booking service in Australia. Wotif provides various types of accommodation, including hotels, holiday flats, hostels, etc., and you can click on “Specials” to start booking a room at a lower price.
It is the Australian equivalent of a travel agent, with no fees, many listings in Australia, and usually several discounted packages in Australia. This website can inspire you when you don’t know where to go.
Payment Methods
Credit card, debit card and China UnionPay online payment
Key Advantages
Bountiful offers and superb value for money
Great value airfares to thousands of destinations, fully customisable flight + wine packages, plus extras like travel insurance, car hire and sightseeing activities.
Wotif Daily Deals, open 24 hours a time, allows hotels to attract customers quickly and effectively.
HotelTonight
【Website Address】 https://www.hoteltonight.com/
【Basic Information】HotelTonight is an Australian app that provides a same-day hotel booking service, specialising in hotel bookings for those who are on the go or have an urgent need for a room booked on the same day or tomorrow morning. This allows hotels to utilise rooms not yet booked in advance. With more than 10,000 hotels in over 200 cities, HotelTonight offers rooms in various price ranges, including standard, deluxe, and suites. It’s a relatively quick and efficient booking app that caters to the needs of travellers looking for temporary accommodation.
The website is straightforward and has very few filtering options. And because it’s a last-minute specials site, there are few options if you book months in advance. Sometimes, Hotel Tonight has information on rooms with temporarily cancelled bookings at super low discounts, so grabbing them is a bonus.
Payment Methods
Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and other credit cards.
Main Advantages
Prices are listed automatically in AUD.
It focuses on last-minute prices so that you can find great deals quickly.
It is a highly-rated app, especially the Apple version.
Lastminute AU
[Website Address] https://www.lastminute.com.au/
【Basic Information】LastMinute is an excellent hotel booking app, extremely popular in Australia due to its extensive network and unique discounted rates.LastMinute offers price filtering to help users filter out hotels that fit their budget. If the selection is good, the hotel can provide the topmost variety of hotels and special discounted rates to incentivise travellers to book.
Hotel prices on this site are usually lower! It’s great for students on a low budget! Hotels on the site are generally cheaper and at essentially the lowest prices. Sometimes, there are discounted rates for website members so that you can pay at the hotel.
Payment Methods
Visa, Mastercard, Paypal and so on!
Main advantages
The most significant feature is that it provides accommodation with big discounts. For example, for hotels participating in the Top Secret Hotel campaign, booking on the Lastminute website may be 40% cheaper than other websites.
It also offers cycling tours, travel tips and tourist attraction tickets for popular city destinations, special packages for Eurostar train hotel bookings, special offers for theatres with a British feel, memorable experiences such as spas and afternoon teas, and essential car rental services for travellers.
Hostelworld
【Website Address】https://www.hostelworld.com/
Hostelworld is Ireland’s largest online hostel booking platform, and it’s a great place to make friends while saving money on accommodation. Hostelworld is the world’s largest online hostel booking platform, originating in Ireland. You can find the best hostels in all major cities, and they operate in over 180 countries worldwide.
Hostelworld is an accommodation booking platform and a community of young people. By downloading the app, you can find travel inspiration in the community and like-minded friends to travel with. This site is very suitable for students, for finding travelling companions and making friends with a suitable helper.
Payment Methods
Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, etc. Allow to view and collect deposits and booking fees in US Dollars (US$), Euros (€) and Pounds Sterling (GBP£).
Key Benefits
World’s leading travel app and trip planner for backpackers on a budget
Use super social features to meet new travelling buddies
Connect and chat with hostel travellers immediately after booking
Luxury Escapes
【Website Address】https://luxuryescapes.com/au/australia.d1
【Basic Information】Established in Australia in 2013, Luxury Escapes is a laid-back five-star luxury resort booking website and online travel agency offering accommodation and flight bookings with over 3.2 million members in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, the United States and the United Kingdom, offering limited-time travel packages at discounted rates. Escapes has partnered with the world’s top hotels, resorts and cruise lines, including Grand Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Oberoi, Royal Caribbean International Cruises and more, to give you the best deals at these most fabulous venues.
Luxury Escapes is similar to a boutique hotel group-buying site, with many packages and great discounts on travel dates! Often, there are also packages for luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, and you can use accumulated Qantas points.
Payment Methods
Major credit cards
Main advantages
Luxury Escapes is not just booking rooms. It will be a travel package, package or combination (i.e. Package) form of sale; services include breakfast, lunch and dinner, bar dining, spa treatments, massages, exceptional experiences or airport transfers, such as VIP-style luxury benefits. Sometimes, Luxury Escapes will launch a limited-time offer. Still, if you do not yet have the date of stay, you can first If you don’t have a date yet, you can book and pay for your stay at the prevailing rate and confirm with Luxury Escapes when you have a confirmed arrival date – Buy now, choose dates later.
Luxury Escapes also allows you to book a “flight + hotel” package, which gives you only one hotel to choose from, unlike other hotel booking sites that offer many options.
Trivago
【Website Address】https://www.trivago.com/
Trivago is the world’s leading online price comparison platform for hotels and accommodations. As one of Australia’s most popular travel booking apps, Trivago provides travellers with tens of thousands of luxury hotels, filters out hotels and hostels that are geographically close to attractions, and provides users with destination-related information and suggestions for restaurants and activities. Trivago also provides users with destination-related information, offering suggestions for restaurants and activities.
It compares prices from Booking, Agoda and other online hotel platforms to help you find the lowest-priced hotels. Trivago’s price comparison search is straightforward, so you can see which hotels are the lowest priced instead of searching across multiple platforms. “Trivago is an essential tool for saving money before travelling.
Payment Methods
Major credit cards
Main Advantages
Prices are listed automatically.
You can see different price comparisons for different dates in the calendar view.
Compare the best prices from major hotel booking sites.
Shows the distance from the hotel to major airports.
It is a highly-rated app.
Tripadvisor
[Website Address] https://www.tripadvisor.com/
【Basic Information】 The famous Tripadvisor, known as Catwalk in China, is believed to have been used by many students. It is an international travel review website and one of the world’s largest social travel websites, where tourists can choose their favourite hotels based on their ratings, images, reviews or other suggestions.TripAdvisor brings together hotel reviews from all over the world written by users so that tourists can have a more detailed understanding of the quality of the hotel service and situation before using it.
Simply put, Catwalk is a travel review site, and the reviews are generally of high quality. Travellers can all use Tripadvisor to compare super-low prices on hotels, flights and cruises, book popular excursions and attractions, and reserve tables at desirable restaurants—Tripadvisor partners with domestic and international hotel groups and OTAs to provide hotel comparison and skip-the-line booking features. Users can search for hotels based on location, hotel star rating, price and other criteria, then refer to other travellers’ reviews, ratings and photos to select hotels.
Payment Methods
Credit card, UnionPay card, etc.
Main Advantages
Showed the lowest price dates in the calendar tool.
Compares prices from many booking sites.
Prices are listed automatically in AUD.
It’s a well-reviewed app.
How to Choose the Right Hotel in Australia?
When travelling in Australia, the cost of hotel accommodation takes up a large part of the travel expenses, so choosing a reliable hotel booking platform and the correct type of hotel becomes a must-do homework before travelling. However, there are many things you need to pay attention to when choosing a hotel in Australia, including location, price, facilities and conditions, etc. The following is a summary of the factors you need to consider when choosing a hotel in Australia:
Location
When choosing a hotel, the first thing to consider is the geographical location. Generally speaking, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and other tourist hotspots such as the city’s hotel prices are higher. However, the traffic is convenient, rich in tourism resources, and suitable for short-term travel. For travellers who want to escape the busyness of the city and enjoy nature, hotels in Tasmania, Nelson Bay, Broome and other places will be a good choice.
Types of Hotels
At the beginning of the article, there are various types of hotels in Australia, including five-star luxury hotels, flat hotels, resorts, backpacker hostels and so on, with a big difference in price.
Five-star luxury hotels are good choices for tourists with a specific travel budget; they have complete facilities, excellent service and a comfortable environment. Flat hotels are moderately priced and more suitable for long-term stays. Holiday villages focus on holidays and leisure, with a beautiful environment and warm service. Backpacker hostels are the most affordable and ideal for young people with limited budgets.
Hotel Facilities
Hotel facilities are one of the critical factors for tourists when choosing hotels. Australia’s hotel facilities are relatively complete, and five-star luxury hotels have the most complete facilities, such as indoor swimming pools, gyms, SPA centres, etc. Aparthotel facilities are relatively simple, but there are basic kitchens, washing machines, etc. Conversely, resorts focus on facilities such as golf courses, water sports, and natural landscapes. The richness of hotel facilities also directly affects the price of the hotel.
The Hotel Price
Hotel price is one of the factors that tourists can not ignore when choosing a hotel. Australia’s hotel room prices vary greatly, and the exact hotel price difference between different types of rooms is also huge.
Five-star luxury hotels have higher room prices, but special room offers exist. Aparthotel rooms are more moderately priced and often have discounts for more extended stays. Resort hotels may have higher room prices for those on a budget but also have better surroundings and facilities. Backpacker hostels have the most affordable room rates.
Catering
The quality of catering services in Australian hotels varies greatly, and the prices also vary greatly. Five-star luxury hotels have excellent buffet restaurants, Chinese restaurants, western restaurants and bars, but the prices are also higher. Aparthotels, on the other hand, focus more on self-catering and have several convenience stores and supermarkets to make it easier for tourists to cook on their own. Tourist villages, on the other hand, focus on dining and relaxation, with beautiful restaurants and unique flavours. Food and beverage services do not play an essential role in backpacker hostels.
Suggestions for Choosing Hotels in Australia:
In some big cities in Australia, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, etc., you can choose hotels or serviced flats, with good facilities and services; serviced flats have all the facilities, such as kitchen and bathing facilities, which are very suitable for families and multi-person travelling.
If you are travelling by car, you can choose to stay in a family hotel or motel in some small and medium-sized towns (such as the Great Ocean Road and Tower Island by car). Family hotels are generally unique, and the hosts provide breakfast and afternoon tea, but there are not many rooms, so it is best to book in advance. Motels have plenty of parking spaces and kitchens in which to cook.
If you are a backpacker or a student travelling in poverty, YHA Youth Hostel (backpacker hostel) beds are the cheapest. However, staying in a dormitory with a few people would be inconvenient if you travel as a couple or a family. In addition, it is not recommended to stay in a double room or single room in a hostel; the price is not cheap, so it is better to find an affordable hotel.
Check-in & Check-out in Australia:
Check-in & Check-out
You can book the time you need to stay on the hostel’s official website; after arriving at the destination, take your passport to confirm with the front desk; then you can check in and return the room card to the front desk when you check out. Australia is generally checked out before 10:00; more than this time will be counted as a new day. If you are not sure, you can check with the front desk.
Show Your Documents
When booking directly on the website, you need to show the same ID you provided when booking. For example, I need my passport, Australian driver’s licence, and student card. However, depending on the hostel, some do not require such proof of identity. Please don’t forget to bring a proof of identity with English written on it.
Facilities Provided
If you feel your room lacks essential supplies, such as a hair dryer, toaster, etc., you can contact the front desk. They will provide them. Some hotels charge for Wi-Fi, so it’s better to check with the front desk. Some hotels can provide pick-up service, we suggest you to find out before booking the room.
Deposit
The deposit will be deducted when you book the room, you can pay by credit card, some places support WeChat Alipay payment, we recommend that you ask in advance when you book the room. The deposit will be returned to you when you check out.
About Tipping
Australia does not have a tradition of tipping, but the hotel fee covers the service charge. Tipping is not mandatory in Australia, and hotels are generally not required to give it. Unlike the United States, Australian hotel waiters do not rely on tips to make a living, and they have their own fixed salary, so you can tip or choose not to give.
Accommodation Safety
When travelling in Australia, accommodation safety is an issue that requires special attention. Therefore, when choosing a hotel, you should pay attention to the following points:
Firstly, ensure the hotel’s entrance and stairs have safety measures, such as fire-fighting equipment and GPS monitoring.
Secondly, whether there are facilities such as police stations, hospitals and petrol stations near the hotel so that emergencies cannot be dealt with in time.
Lastly, when checking in, you can take photos of the hotel, record some crucial details, and carry your passport or ID card with you.
FAQ
Absolutely. Whether you’re looking for luxury resorts or cosy backpacker hostels, these platforms cater to all budgets, ensuring everyone can find the perfect stay to suit their financial comfort.
Indeed, many of these sites offer special discounts and exclusive deals that aren’t available elsewhere, encouraging savvy travellers to make the most of their travel budgets.
Yes, comprehensive customer support is provided, giving you peace of mind that assistance is just a call or a click away should you need help booking.
The reviews on these platforms are generally from other travellers like yourself, giving you an authentic glimpse into their experiences and helping you make an informed decision.
Yes, you can tailor your search with various filters to ensure the place you book meets all your specific requirements.
