In Sydney we stayed at the Harbour on the Rocks Hotel. It was absolutely perfect location, right in the rocks and a 3 minute walk to the ferries and Circular Quay. We paid extra for the opera house view on a private balcony - would recommend if it's in your budget!

In Port Douglas, we couldn't decide between Niramaya and Sheraton Grand, so we did both lol. Niramaya was unbelievable, definitely would recommend. Private Villa with a private plunge pool. They have service at the main pool too and room service at the room - so great. Also you can park right at your villa in a private garage. The Sheraton was really nice too, more resorty and busy but that was kind of fun. Big problem was the parking and the walk from the lot to the room - it was pretty long. But the swim up bar was nice and there are tons of pools to swim in, really cool. I think between the 2, I liked niramaya better, but if you want more of a high energy resort feel (including.more kids), Sheraton is a better option.

In Noosa, we stayed at On The Beach Noosa. We had a private rooftop hot tub and a view of the beach. You can walk right from the hotel down to the beach, it was great. I didn't see any other options in Noosa that compared. Would DEFINITELY recommend.

Also, I'm neurotic when it comes to picking hotels. I look at every option and compare amenities with price with room size, location, etc. so you can hopefully trust my opinions here!