The Reef View Hotel is on Hamilton Island, in Queensland , Australia. Nice hotel, amazing views from the big room. We were on the 11th floor of 19 floors. Two big double beds, nice balcony and good bathroom with big shower and bath tub too. Nice big TV and the room had a safe. We went for B&B, the breakfast is a very good buffet with lots to choose from, hot and cold. It has a long, deep pool , with cushioned sun lounges, astride the restaurant.
You need to consider food on this island because it is not cheap. The Island I mean. Everything is expensive here. From $6.50 for a two scoop ice cream, to $7 for a beer stubbie at the pool. There is a bigger pool alongside the beach, opposite the hotel, twenty yards to the right, with the Bougainvilla Bar alongside. Beware of prices. Then 100 yards down to the left from the hotel is the Resort Centre, which has more pools, and a younger, noisier set, at the busy poolside bar. It also has another restaurant and bar. Cat's Eye beach runs along this East coast of the island, just 50 yards from the hotel. Lovely beach with plenty of watersports. You can rent canoes, wind surfers,catamarans, snorkelling gear on the beach Some are free if you are a resident of the Reef View hotel.
The beach is lovely when the tide is in, but surprisingly ugly when the tide goes out. Still, you can walk on the sand and rocks and snorkell when the tide is out. The best swimming is down the right hand side of the beach in my opinion.
Transport around the island is by shuttle bus, (every 15 minutes for the Green shuttle which goes from the hotel to the Marina) or golf buggy, which can be rented. $$$.
r you can walk to the marina from the hotel in 10 minutes, but there are some steep hills.
There are plenty of restaurants in the marina. From Fish and Chips (good), to pasta and pizza (you can share), to Marina Tavern (the lamb in honey and mustard is amazing), to the Steak House ($40 per mains) and upwards.
Access to the reef for a tour from Hamilton Island. We went with Fantasea Tours. Really good, unmissable. And we had not snorkelled before so they do a guided snorkel ($40 each) which was worth it. Then when you have some confidence you can try it solo. Brilliant experience, highly recommended. The boat trip out takes about 1.5 hours, but there is plenty of thnings to do on the way out. You might bring a book for the return journey. They bring you out to a big platform in the reef from where you can snorkel and dive, eat lunch (provided), the have an underwater chamber and a flat bottomed boat that is pretty good tour too.
We also did the Whitehave beach trip with Fantasea - great too. Another catamaran, smaller than the reef one, but equally as professional a tour. Very hot on the beach and you have to wear a stinget suit to swim (you look like a tellytubby!), jelly fish everywhere. Sand is not hot to touch, beautiful beach. They provide sun shade tents to escape the direct sunshine.

The hotel, staff , facilities and location was perfect. Had a great time can't wait to return for a bit longer.

My family (children age 11 & 5) stayed in the reef view hotel last Aug 2011, sadly only for 5 nights as it was one of the most amazing places in the world we have been to and we do a lot of traveling!! we arrived and had a little mini bus waiting for us which took us and our luggage all of about 10 minutes to our hotel, not the prettiest looking of hotels, but we arrived on the early flight from Cairns and to be checked early was a real bonus. our worry was that it would be expensive after the reviews we had read but it wasnt any more expensive than cairns or any other part of Oz we visited in our month long trip, infact we spent less money in the Hamiltons on food as the children eat free in a few resturants if you are staying in the reef view and one resturant in particlar 'the steak house' the food was amazing for both adults and kids.

With regards to the hotel we stayed on the 9th floor, and had a beautiful view but I would recomend requesting a higher floor as the higher the you go the better the view, and what a view to wake up to every morning it's a view you could never ever tire of.. lovely big room plenty of hanging space but not enough draw space for clothes.. the pool was nice and warm bearing in mind it was August (winter!!) and crystal clear, the only down side was not enough sun beds they are only put along one side of the pool and got full quickly. you can use the other pools on the island but my kids found them to cold! breakfast was included and a little busy but had plenty for us and the kids to choose from.

You can hire golf buggys expensive (£50-60 for 3 hours!!! or you can hire for longer periods) to get around the island but to be honest you can get to any of the shops and resturants easy enough by walking. we did hire a buggy for 3 hours which was more than long enough to see the whole island and drove up to one of the island peaks and had a picnic in one of the picnic areas over looking the island, ocean and our hotels it was absolutly beautiful.

Would also recommend, breakfast with the Koalas, and pay a little extra for a cuddle and some pictures, and A MUST is a trip out to the whitsundays, whitehaven beach, we did the trip where we snorkled on Chalkies beach then over to whitehaven, the most beautiful beach we have ever been too, the sand squeeks under your feet like icing sugar and crystal clear water, we only had an hour stay on whitehaven and would absolutly recommend a longer stay.

Could carry on and praise this place forever and if you are reading this because you are going to visit the Hamiltons then we are beyond jealous!!

Again I travel to Hamilton Island . Again I spend time in the Reef View apartments. The view spectacular, the staff friendly & helpful. A world class destination and one I will not hesitate in returning to.