Kathryn W.
Yelp
Like some of the previous reviewers, I checked Yelp and TripAdvisor, many of which mentioned this hotel was old, and had slightly mixed reviews. I have to say that my experience was extremely positive for a number of reasons, including that the property is quite spacious and nice. It was built in the 70's and a few tour guides told us it was the first resort in Port Douglass, so for it to still look this good, and feel this comfortable, spacious, and luxurious, is a testament to how well it was built and maintained over the years.
1) Granted the property could use some renovations, but that's happening next year so you can pretty much bet that this won't be an issue by the time you book a reservation... Personally, I found the grounds to be really wonderful. The lobby and main building is super spacious, and it looks out into 3 huge lagoons that wrap around the entire complex. The property is very clean, smells nice, and our rooms were stocked with tons of amenities. We also got upgraded to a suite and had more room than we knew what to do with... a very pleasant surprise upon arrival.
2) Service, all the service in Port Douglass was great, but this resort in particular is truly worth noting. I know it's not customary to tip in Australia unless you receive exceptional service, and let's just say I was all too happy to tip these guys on account of their attentiveness! Several of the front desk folks knew me by name, and acknowledged me when passing by. Michael, and Matthew at the front desk are the duty managers, both of whom basically helped us plan our entire week in Port Douglas, thanks to all the amazing recommendations. They told us which places to check out, which tours they liked the most, what to avoid during stinger season, etc. Liam at the porter desk was also super awesome. Gave us great tips and by the end of our trip, we were cracking jokes at each other, such a great team of people!
3) It's well located in that it's 1/2 way between the downtown and 1/2 way to the Wildlife Habitat and the Daintree rainforrest/Mossman gorge. This meant that all we needed to do is rent bikes (which I would highly recommend doing downtown because they're cheaper and can rent for multiple days) to head into town for dinners etc, or take the shuttle or taxi. It was also a short bus ride to Daintree, Mossman, and the Wildlife Habitat. Ideally, It would be great to be slightly closer to downtown, but it actually didn't bother us that much because we got to enjoy a nice bike ride in between meals and not have to walk in the hot weather, or wait forever for a taxi.
4) if I had to complain about anything, I'd say the food at the resort is a bit expensive for what it is, then again it is resort food. Which made getting bikes that much more helpful so we could get some variety and our money would go a lot further at the restaurants downtown than in the resort. Much of the food there was buffet style, so if you're not a huge eater, it wasn't a great value. They did have a-la-carte entrees/meals too. The best part though, was the swim-up bar in the lagoons. :)
All in all, I was every happy with this place. They have a wonderful team of people and I would absolutely stay here again when we come back to visit!