These apartments are new and centrally located. However, we were disappointed with their layout, cleanliness and the services provided. A lot of small issues added up to us not enjoying the stay as much as we'd hoped.

The Grand Mercure is not really a hotel, but holiday apartments. This means there is no daily servicing, just a "mid-stay" service if you are there for more than a week. There is also no room service, no bar, no poolside food/drinks etc. The mid-stay service does not include any cleaning (just the provision of new towels and sheets) and the apartment does not have any cleaning products or a vacuum (there was a small broom and a mop and bucket) but for our 10 day stay we were provided with a single sachet of dishwashing liquid and one sachet for the dishwasher. When we asked for more, we got one more. Eventually, we just went to the supermarket and stocked up ourselves. There was one dishwashing cloth and one tea-towel, both of which were taken and not replaced at the mid-week service (they were replaced the following day after we requested them from reception). This would probably explain how the apartment, despite being new, seemed dirty and worn. The couch was filthy (see picture) and the carpets stained and marked. Everything felt a bit "stingy" and poorly set up. For example, there were only 3 wine glasses and one large bowl in the kicthen.

We rented a two bedroom beachfront apartment. This consisted of one very large master bedroom which opened onto the living space by 4 opaque glass doors which really meant whoever was using that room could not sleep when people were still up in the living room as the light and noise came straight in. Probably not a problem if you were a couple with kids, but as we had two groups of adults, it was a problem for us. The second bedroom was more closed off from the living area but did not have its own TV. The master bedroom had a huge bathroom with a large spa and a glass wall that looked into the bedroom and out to the ocean. Unfortunately, the toilet also had this lovely view which meant everyone in the bedroom (and the living room if the bedroom doors were open) could see you using the facilities. For a group that included more than just one couple, it was not a good layout.

On the Pro side:

The pool area is lovely and as many of the apartments are privately owned there is a lot less demand for day-beds ect so it was not as crowded. However, the pool is unheated and was far too cold for us or our young son to use for most of the stay (there had been a lot of rain before we arrived);

It is a great location. There are a bunch of great restaurants right in the complex, almost all of which do take away. Deli adrift (beautiful fresh croissants) and Café Chill (great coffee) are both good for breakfast while there is Italian, Indian, Japanese and Fish and Chips to choose from for dinner.

This place was serviceable, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The service, the layout and cleanliness was poor and for the price, you can do so much better in Palm Cove or Port Douglas. My recommendation if travelling to Palm Cove with kids, try Mantra Amphora or Peppers. Without kids, Sea Temple is great.