As we had not pre booked anywhere there were virtually no decent rooms left in Mackay when we arrived mid afternoon. When we checked at the Clarion the Duty Manager was very helpful and advised us that he may have a room for us by 6pm so when the clock ticked over he was able to accommodate us in one of their spa suites. Now the room was expensive but on par with any town that has a large mining population. The suite ( more like an apartment) was beautifully appointed, very clean and had a fabulous view over the marina and ocean.

The staff were all friendly and helpful and a special mention to Shane, the Manager, who went out of his way to talk to his guests and ensure their stay was enjoyable.

My hubby and I stayed at the Clarion for a couple of days as he was working in Mackay. The hotel is fine - pool a bit small but the rooms spacious and staff friendly as usual. We tried the new restaurant, the Stripey Bass, which is a few doors away. Sitting down around 7pm we were sipping some wine and overheard quite a bit of shouting going on in the kitchen. A middle aged chap, the manager?, was really yelling at staff. We felt pretty uncomfortable after that but as we'd ordered couldn't really go. The food was rather good - oysters kilpatrick and a big platter - but we didn't feel relaxed and felt sorry for the waitresses who seemed miserable and nervous.

Good, clean hotel, good food at restaurant. Staff very helpful.
Overall a vewry good stay and would recommend.

This was my first trip to Mackay. I'm on the executive team of a mining company and stayed in Mackay for one night, prior to heading inland to visit some of our operations in Central Queensland. Let's just say that my stay in a small 3 star hotel (at a third of the cost) in Emerald was better than the Clarion.
The Clarion is not in the city proper and not on the major highways into or out of Mackay. In fact, I can't, in my opinion, see why tourists or business travelers would want to stay here. It's not in a convenient location and borders a so-so marina.
Contrary to other comments, my room was dirty (the bed had sand in it) and the overall service of the hotel was lacking. After going down to the front desk twice, because my key card was not working, the women who checked me in said "looks like you have trouble with doors and need someone intelligent to help you"....well, the door showed her how intelligent she was. She apparently keyed in the wrong room number. Making a complaint to the manager the following day was a useless exercise, as he just brushed it off. As they say "if you don't learn from history, then you're bound to repeat it". Well, I've learnt my lesson and won't be repeating it.