Choosing long-stay accommodation is no easy task. You want all the comforts of home, and then some (laundry, daily housekeeping, gym). These are some of our favourite addresses for extended spells away, whether for work or play.[
Sydney’s Fraser Suites](http://sydney.frasershospitality.com) sets the sort of five-star standards we like to see in a serviced apartment. The 201 suites, ranging from studios to two-bedroom loft penthouses, occupy a 42-storey CBD tower designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster. The accommodation – muted and thoroughly modern – comes with designer kitchens, DVD library, coffee machines, gym and pool. Inner-city Surry Hills has a hip alternative for extended stays in the neon-bright Adge Boutique Apartment Hotel. Two-bedroom apartments offer European appliances, smart TVs, turn-down service, and pole position for exploring Sydney’s hottest dining precinct.
In Melbourne’s CBD, Citadines on Bourke is a sharp-looking tower of black glass encasing 380 apartments from studio to two-bedroom. Trams are on the doorstep; the MCG and the Melbourne Park tennis centre are within strolling distance. Breakfast, laundry, parking and airport transfers on request – which, when you think about, is better than staying at home.
When it’s all play and no work, we like Smiths Beach Resort on Western Australia’s idyllic southern coastline, near Yallingup and handy to Margaret River wineries. Accommodation ranges from one to four bedrooms in apartments and beach houses; the resort has a deli, restaurant, bar, cellar door, pool and a gorgeous sweep of Indian Ocean. A step down from Qualia, but far more sensible for extended stays, Hamilton Island’s Yacht Club Villas have three or four bedrooms, all mod cons and ocean views. Oh, and a four-person golf buggy for island excursions.
Peppers Group properties are a good choice for prolonged breaks. Some are smarter than others; Peppers Broadbeach on the Gold Coast has impressive tech specs – iPad check-in, WiFi, complimentary new-release films – and guest facilities including resort pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and tai chi lawn.
In winter, with the ski season in full swing, QT Falls Creek offers stylish lodgings among the snow gums. One- and three-bedroom apartments have the best alpine views (not all are equal – do your homework) but all have balcony hot tubs. There are limited services outside the ski season.