InterContinental Hayman Island Resort, an IHG Hotel

I had not been to Hayman Island for nearly 20 years and after staying there last week , I keep asking the question - why ? This was a last minute trip on a " Luxury Escapes" package and despite the glowing reviews , I still had some doubts . My package included boat transfers , daily breakfast and a 3 course meal each night for my wife and myself.|In more recent years I have stayed at Qualia , Kokomo in Fiji and Park Hyatt Hadahha in the Maldives so the bar was set pretty high.| From the time we landed until we were shown to our room ( an ocean/pool view suite ) , the entire process was seamless. In the week before we arrived , I was contacted by guest relations and asked of any special requirements . At that time I booked several activities and also made my restaurant bookings ( which turned out to be a good idea as the restaurants were on a rotation with 2 of the 3 being open for dinner each night ) . |The room was a great size . If I had to be "picky" my only criticism is a lack of sun on the balcony given the way the resort faces . That problem would be common in all rooms , although in summer , that would be a relief.|The resort was only 50% capacity which added to the feeling of luxury as there were no problems getting a pool or beach lounge at any time. There were plenty of staff around .|As we wanted a "winter escape " , I was concerned with the predicted temperatures of between 20 - 23 each day however that was not an issue and I was frequently looking for shade as it was too hot in the sun. |We did a few hikes after breakfast each day with the longest one being to Blue Pearl Bay ( which became a lot longer after we missed the turnoff! ) .We are in our 60's and the walk was pretty easy but as it is a track , you need to watch where you are going as it would be very easy to " turn an ankle". The following day we did the snorkel tour to the next bay which was surprisingly good. Whilst the coral was not up to Maldives standards it was still pretty good as were the colourful fish. |The staff - universally first class . There are a significant number of Fijians on staff and if there is a more friendly race on the planet , I am yet to meet them. All staff were highly trained and very professional |The restaurants . Very good. Bam Bam and Pacific were both very good an all nights we went ( although on one night my wife said her meal at Bam Bam ( Thai Beef salad) was "pretty ordinary ". Additionally on one night in Amici we both had the slipper lobster and prawn lasagne , which was served warm/cold . we asked for it to be heated up and it came back the same temperature. On another night , my wife had the T-bone steak which was superb .|The facilities. Very good. I think our stay was enhanced by the occupancy rate being around 50% . The main pool was pretty fresh to swim in and it is good you have the option of a heated pool just near Bam Bam. The ocean was warmer than the main pool although it is tidal out the front.|Overall impression . In terms of value for money , this resort represents terrific value . As stated above , I booked on Luxury escapes deal which was obviously a good deal due to the occupancy rate being quite low. The meals package is great value .Whilst it is not a Qualia or Kokomo , it does not pretend to be . What Hayman is , is a 5 star resort that should meet all your expectations ( and in our case exceeded them ) . The cost of 6 nights at Hayman was the equivalent of less than 2 nights at Qualia Kokomo or Park Hyatt Hadahaa.|Would I return to Hayman? In a heartbeat if the same sort of deal was on offer . I would probably come a month earlier in May

**Review for Hayman Island Resort** Our recent stay at Hayman Island Resort was absolutely outstanding, and we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire team for making our visit so memorable. From the moment we arrived, everyone made us feel incredibly welcome and were consistently supportive and helpful. The warm hospitality of every staff member was truly remarkable. A special mention goes to the housekeeping team. Their attention to detail and the small touches they added to our room elevated our experience to an even higher level of comfort and delight. The kitchen and restaurant staff also deserve major thanks for their excellent service and the delicious meals that we enjoyed throughout our stay. Additionally, the live music was amazing and added a wonderful ambiance to our evenings. The natural beauty of the island is a treasure in itself. Even when the weather wasn’t perfect, the stunning surroundings made every moment enjoyable. Despite being a small island, it never felt crowded, and there were plenty of activities to engage in, offering a perfect blend of harmony and happiness. This was not our first visit to Hayman Island Resort, and it certainly won’t be our last. We look forward to returning again and again. Thank you all for creating such a special place.

TLDR: Exceptional accommodation, great activities (yoga, guided tours, beach activities, hikes, good gym, beautiful pools, stunning beach), top-notch cuisine with a solid wine list, coupled with genuinely warm service.||Our seven-night stay in a Premium King Ocean View Room in the lagoon wing was wonderful.||ARRIVAL, LAUNCH, AND FACILITIES were seamless and luxurious.||After being greeted by the friendly and helpful staff at the Hayman Island reception desk at Hamilton Island Airport, our bags were taken care of and we were quickly guided to the launch where freshly poured bubbly (or beer and non-alcoholic drinks) awaited. After a short and comfortable wait for a few more arrivals, with a few glasses of bubbly and some great views of the harbour and arriving flights, we were whisked away for a scenic 50-minute cruise to Hayman Island. They call it a luxury launch, and it certainly is. Spacious with plenty of indoor (air-conditioned) and outdoor seating options, and premium finishes.||On the Island, after a quick buggy ride to the Central Lanai, we were given a guided tour of the key facilities before being shown to our room, where a glorious view of Hayman’s spectacular bay across to Hook Island awaited our eyes! ||Our guide showed genuine care, even noticing housekeeping forgot to bring bathrobes, and rectifying it with ease. ||The 52m2 room, with separate dressing room and bathroom was more than enough for the two of us. Impeccably clean, well-furnished, with all required conveniences (including a great coffee machine with heaps of Vittoria pods).||ACTIVITIES have the perfect balance.||Hayman Island offers ample opportunity to be super-active or spend your day(s) being super-chilled.||On active days, we enjoyed early morning round-Island hikes for stunning views, got a few work-out sessions done in the very well-equipped gym (Technogym equipment), and enjoyed an adrenaline inducing jet ski tour of the island.||We loved our guided hike and snorkel tour to Blue Pearl Bay where we swam with turtles and saw abundant coral and fish and a sensational peddle-board tour to the Coral Gardens, seeing rays, turtles, and beautiful coral. Thanks to Albert for being a wonderful guide on both of these adventures. ||On more relaxing days, yoga with Jamie was a true highlight. Patient and caring, Yin yoga was calming, grounding, and restorative and Vinyasa yoga was energising and fun. Thanks Jamie – we look forward to yoga with you again next time we visit.||DINING OPTIONS are varied, generous, and well-executed.||We dined in all four of the resort’s restaurants and recommend the Indulgence Package, which includes an expansive buffet breakfast with stunning beach views as well as a three-course dinner each night in any of the restaurants. The signature seafood buffet on Friday night was beyond belief. We also enjoyed exceptional pan-Asian cuisine in Bam Bam (Lobster and Pomelo salad was a stand-out), well-executed Mediterranean-influenced (largely Italian) food in Amici (sensational seafood pastas), perfectly prepared wood-fired steaks in Pacific, and delightful omelets made by Rieta at breakfast!||While the food was great, it was the service that made the experience – all of the team members were genuinely warm and attentive. Three team members stood out for going above and beyond. Thank you Atama, Irene, and Eduardo for your exceptional service, care, and attention to detail.||IN CONCLUSION, we can’t wait to go back!!!

We’ve been coming to Hayman regularly over the past 53 years. This visit we were blown away with the improved standard of Accomodation, Restaurants and Facilities on Hayman - now absolutely First Class. |All the Staff we came in contact with, knew everything about what we enquired about, but more importantly, went out of their way to help and guide us to places of interest & venues, making worthwhile suggestions |The Food in all the Restaurants were 5 star with ‘Amici’ being the standout! The Italian head chef there should be so very proud of what he produces. Congratulations to him! Sorry we don’t know his name. Hope he stays till our next annual visit |Other Standout Employees were:-|Marie at ‘Aqua’. Her knowledge of wines is incredible, obviously an experienced sommelier with great service and attention to detail. |Thomas & Claudia at ‘Pacific’ both offering friendly great Service and caring attention with nothing too much trouble!! |Emellie at ‘Amici’ so helpful and knowledgeable offering first class attention and genuinely inspiring with food offerings. |Emma at ‘Bar 50’ so eager to source any special wine from the Islands enormous and comprehensive Cellar |Overall we enjoyed a wonderful unforgettable experience meeting up with another 2 special Families who no doubt, we keep in contact with that enjoyed everything we have mentioned. |Almost everyone we briefly met on Hayman Island ‘s trip had similar comments too Ours!!

Intercontinental Hayman Island is a paradise resort in the Great Barrier Reef, the hotel itself, and the grounds of the hotel are spectacular, there are lots of things to do on the island such as helicopter rides over the great barrier, jet skiing, snorkeling, day, trips to beautiful islands, the resort itself has lots of activities, both for kids and adults, game rooms, basketball tennis courts pool tables ping-pong tables just really a wonderful, relaxing place to be, the rooms themselves are beautiful and in great condition, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Shawn from the my Concierge team who was exceptionally helpful in booking all of our excursions and dinners at the resort thank you for all you did for us. The resort itself is extremely beautiful and they’re a wonderful places to hike on the island. Thank you for a great stay.

Absolutely faultless!||This resort is a dream, every comfort and need has been thought of. |The complimentary water bottles with the filtered water stations are such a great idea. |The rooms are spacious, clean and modern, the bed is extremely comfortable. |Breakfast and all the food in general is exceptional, the pizzas at amici and the seafood buffet is a MUST but everything we ate was delicious. |The staff are all so professional and bend over backwards to attend to every need, the rec centre js the best equipped I’ve seen at any resort.|There isn’t much “nightly entertainment” as such so if you’re looking for ambience and a party vibe you may be disappointed, however this was the perfect, relaxed holiday for our family and we cannot wait to return! ||Thank you Intercon for the perfect family holiday!

We were in the beach pavilion, so the room and the facilities were amazing. Housekeeping is also great. We had the private concierge service, which was absolutely fantastic. The restaurants in the resort were not what you would expect in a 5 star chain. There are birds everywhere in all the restaurants ready to attack your food and staff just ignore this and do not do much about it.

Most travel experiences come down to the team and people looking after you. 10/10 at every level.|The nature around Hayman speaks for itself. We like escaping and the swimming at Blue Pearl Bay, walk at low tide and Island trails made for a perfect recharge. A special mention to Sofia our waitress at Amici Saturday 1/6/24 and the manager Ansel. Apart from a memorable dinner, the service was very genuinely personal and caring. A recharge and night to remember - thanks team Hayman😁👋👋