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Looking for a secret getaway with a special someone this Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone. This year, despite the travel restrictions, many Australians have planned a romantic weekend away for a Valentine’s Day staycation.

Here are the cities and towns with the greatest share of hotel reservations within their state for this year’s Valentine’s Day weekend, according to data from SiteMinder, the world’s leading guest acquisition platform for hotels.

New South Wales Victoria Queensland
1. Sydney CBD

2. Byron Bay
3. Port Macquarie

4. Pokolbin

5. Newcastle

6. Nelson Bay

7. North Sydney

8. Dubbo

9. Katoomba

10. Salamander Bay

11. Haymarket

12. Rothbury

13. The Entrance

14. Mudgee

15. Corlette

 1. Melbourne CBD

2. Southbank

3. Warrnambool

4. San Remo

5. Apollo Bay

6. Yarra Glen

7. Daylesford

8. Ballarat

9. Bendigo

10. Hepburn Springs

11. Werribee

12. Shepparton

13. Echuca

14. Port Campbell

15. Lorne

 1. Gold Coast

2. Brisbane CBD

3. Cairns

4. Noosa

5. Airlie Beach

6. Fortitude Valley

7. Port Douglas

8. Caloundra

9. Townsville

10. Toowoomba

11. South Brisbane

12. Coolum Beach

13. Mackay

14. Redcliffe

15. Hamilton Island

 Lovers escaping the city lights

Many Australians are heading into regional and rural areas for a romantic holiday away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Compared to last year’s Valentine’s Day bookings, the share of reservations made in the Sydney CBD has significantly decreased, Brisbane CBD has dropped, and the share of bookings in the Melbourne CBD has more than halved.

Long drives to lover’s paradise

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, lovers are far more likely to be spending their weekend doing a road trip, in comparison to last year. Corlette, which is 2.5 hours from the Sydney CBD, has approximately a two-and-a-half times higher share of bookings, while Lorne and Ballarat in Victoria have increased their share by two times respectively, and Coolum Beach in Queensland is taking up over three times the share of hotel reservations of last year.

Looking for some privacy? Not-so-hidden gems might be your best bet

For couples in New South Wales wanting to avoid the tourist crowds and get a good last-minute deal on hotels, surprisingly, heading to Manly, Bondi, or North Sydney could be the answer. All locations in Sydney have a significantly lower share of bookings in comparison to 2020, making hotels in these areas more likely to be offering competitive pricing.

In Victoria, Apollo Bay and Bendigo are also down from last year in share of bookings, making them great options for a potentially crowd-free weekend trip with your loved one.

While booking trends are generally showing fewer major changes across Queensland, there are still some shifts that could signal the perfect and more affordable Valentine’s Day trip. The share of bookings in Kangaroo Point, for example, is slightly down, making it a great staycation option for Brissy dwellers.

Love is patient… but hotels will book out quick!

According to SiteMinder’s data from 2020, Valentine’s Day hotel bookings were left to the last-minute across the East Coast, with just over 30% of hotel bookings for Valentine’s Day made by January 26, 2020.

Mark Renshaw, CMO of SiteMinder, commented, “Just because you can’t go to Paris or Fiji this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful holiday this Valentine’s Day. We’re seeing more and more Australians wanting to venture across their state, to visit new beaches, coastlines, national parks and more. For hotels, the last-minute rush is yet to come, and it’s likely going to be a competitive race among couples for the best deals between now and Valentine’s Day.”