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In Australia, summer signals two things. Christmas is coming and it’s time to unwind with family and friends before diving into another year. One thing’s for sure, as 2020 draws to a close (with the world still emerging from COVID-19), slow travel – placing an emphasis on quality time with loved ones and the joy of responsibly and sustainably discovering and supporting local ventures – is here to stay. 

More than ever, ‘Summer of 2020’ is about holding onto the promise of endless days and quintessential Aussie values. Nature. Good mates. Family. Beach life. Food, glorious food. Sunshine. Laid-back luxe. Gratitude. 

Indeed, all the things Australia is famous for, and precisely the reason global travel bible Travel + Leisure recently named ‘the land Down Under’ its 2020 Destination of the Year. 

Insider tip: Pack your bags for an immersive Adina Apartment Hotel escape, with all the comforts of home, and enough room for family and friends. Adina apartment-style lifestyle properties (25 and counting) are in every state and territory, except Tasmania.  Not sure where to start? Make tracks to the following Fab Five destinations, where Adina properties well and truly shine:

Brisbane, Queensland

Where better to welcome summer than Australia’s Sunshine State? Bookended by national parks and more than 100km of idyllic beaches (on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts), Brisbane won Lonely Planet’s vote as the nation’s ‘hippest city’ in 2014. The River City continues to flourish, with a bevy of funky cafes, restaurants, breweries and bars, alongside zen green spaces, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and the nation’s only CBD beach. 

Something for everyone? You can bank on it! Speaking of which, Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane offers the unique opportunity to take up residence in a grand old Heritage-listed building that once housed the Queensland Government Savings Bank (circa 1922). 

Perfectly positioned on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets – within easy walking distance of everything, including South Bank cultural precinct – the 220-room property is a destination in its own right, boasting river views; a ‘dining experience for the senses’ at Donna Chang (already an institution in ‘Modern Chinese’ dining, fusing Sichuan flavours and authentic Cantonese cuisine); and the aptly entitled Boom Boom Room Izakaya, which transforms basement-level bank vaults into an opulent lounge bar. 

Don’t miss cuddling a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary (recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records), accessible by river cruise, just steps from Adina Hotel Brisbane. 

Adelaide, South Australia

A different kind of subterranean adventure awaits guests at Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury. Tucked below one of South Australia’s oldest and most historically significant buildings in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD, lie the ‘Treasury Tunnels’ – a labyrinth of underground passageways and storage spaces, once used to stash nearly 13 tonnes of gold in the 1850s, and, famously, an escape route for The Beatles to dodge fans in 1964. Find out more HERE.

Of course, in Australia’s ‘Foodie Capital’, what sprouts above ground is arguably more tantalising. Staking prime position on Victoria Square, Adina Adelaide Treasury is a stone’s throw from Adelaide Central Market (a must-visit for every foodie) and an enviable line-up of Michelin-star worthy restaurants (that is, if the rating existed in Australia). The 79-room hotel also doubles as an ideal base to explore South Australia’s four world-famous wine regions (Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley), within an hour’s drive of the city.

Insider Tip: a visit to Cleland Wildlife Park in Adelaide Hills, just 20 minutes from the CBD, will also put a smile on your face. 

Wollongong, New South Wales

Surf’s up! While the world waits for surfing to make its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – now postponed until 2021 – Australia’s 10th largest city, Wollongong (just 90-minutes’ drive south of Sydney), is blessed with 17 surf beaches and home to Illawara Surf Academy. Wake up – or fall asleep – to the soothing sound of the ocean in any one of 72 spacious rooms at Adina Apartment Hotel Wollongong, within ‘Cooee!’ of rainforest trails (make tracks to Illawarra Escarpment), 42km of shared cycle/walking pathways, two Insta-worthy lighthouses, and the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere (Nan Tien Temple).

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Pretty much everything in Canberra is within strolling – or cycling – distance of the capital’s centrepiece. Not Parliament House, but Lake Burley Griffin. An 11km-long, man-made lake that holds 33,0000,000 cubic metres of water and covers a surface area of 6.64 square km. Situated at Lake Burley Griffin’s eastern end, Adina Serviced Apartments Canberra Kingston resides in one of the city’s oldest suburbs. A magnet for Canberrans on weekends, the Kingston Foreshore is packed with funky cafes, restaurants and bars, not forgetting the city’s iconic Old Bus Depot Markets (open on Sundays), and Canberra Glassworks, a working artist space/showroom located in the capital’s oldest permanent public building (open Wednesday to Sunday). 

The 35-room Adina property is also close to Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve, a birder’s paradise in neighbouring Fyshwick. 

Darwin, Northern Territory

Chances are, Darwin has been on your bucket list for some time. With international travel on the back burner, now’s the time to venture to Australia’s northernmost tropical capital. Perched on the edge of a harbour bigger than Sydney’s, Darwin offers the best of all worlds: laid-back lifestyle, a melting pot of people and cultures (soak up the vibe at Mindil Beach Sunset Market), world-class attractions (get up close and personal with Top End ‘salties’ at Crocosaurus Cove), and outrageously beautiful sunsets. Every day.   

Situated where locals come to safely swim and play, Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront forms part of the heart and soul of the city’s $1 billion  waterfront precinct, complete with a wave pool, retail and relaxed eateries. Pull up a seat at Adina Darwin Waterfront’s Curve Restaurant & Bar.   The 121-room property also provides front-row seats to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks, and a springboard to the Northern Territory’s breathtaking national parks, packed with swimming holes and waterfalls. Tip: Litchfield National Park is closest to Darwin, about an hour’s drive south.

Are you ready to welcome summer? Stay longer and save up to 20% at Adina Apartment Hotels.

Peace of mind when you stay with us: Introducing Clean Touch.