We stayed here for a couple of nights this week. It's a perfect base for a short trip being close to Airlie Beach and easy buses or taxis to get to the harbour for trips to other islands.

The room was really quiet (despite schoolies staying in all close-by accomodation!!) and lovely and clean, bed was really comfy and the corner jacuzzi is a nice touch out on the terrace opposite the pool, as is the super-powerful sound system you can hook your iPod/mp3 up to.

If you want super-attentive service this isn't the place to book - go to a 4*+ hotel. This place is great for people like us who are independent, love a bit of privacy and don't want to be fussed all over by the staff. Scott was helpful and courteous when we booked and checked and this was all we needed.

The only minor thing to say is, guys, sort that mess of wires and boxes out around and under the TV on the wall - it's too much and the shelf is going to come off the wall soon and it detracts from an otherwise almost perfect room.

We stayed here whilst travelling up the east coast of Australia on honeymoon. We had a ground floor apartment with excellent faciliites (including ipod speakers, Wii etc) and our own hot tub. Great views, friendly and efficient service and close to town, but far enough away.

My husband and I spent 2 nights in a spa suite. The place was big, bright, and spotless. The view was... loud... lots of buildings work going on...
The bis disappointment was the service and breakfast. Breakfast was an already prepacked pack of cereal, milk, juice and cookies. Good enough for me but not worthy of a so called luxury hotel.
Upon arriving, we crossed path with the guy supposed to check us in. Then a supplier came in and we were ignored for a while, then taken to our room where this guy hanged a round a bit for no reason. When we left, we were not asked a single question about our stay, again not a 5 star service....
Way to expensive for the experience you get!

My wife and I stayed in the penthouse for our honeymoon in October 2011, and it was just straight out awesome.

Pros: The location, the room, the service, the price, the amenities... everything, really.
Cons: The view was the only thing even close to a con about this place (read below).

The penthouse room is very well equipped and looks fantastic. The L-shaped couch is really comfortable, and the four poster bed was a dream to sleep on (it was our first four poster experience... so magical!). Coming home to full air conditioning in all the rooms each day after soaking up the sun was very well received as well. We spent most of our time out on the extensive balcony - eating breakfast in the morning on the outdoor table with the bi-fold doors to the lounge room opened out to get a nice morning breeze, or relaxing in the shade on the sun lounges with the kitchen windows opened out to make a little bar area, or having a nap on the day bed in the afternoon after a day of swimming, or enjoying a wine in the Jacuzzi on the deck at night. The double shower in the en suite bathroom is really cool as well - opposite a smaller balcony so that you shower with a view of the tops of the trees in the opposite forest area.

Since it was just the two of us, they locked the doors to the extra two bedrooms and turned it into a one-bedroom penthouse for the week - however we did get a peek-in to see what the other rooms looked like and they also looked great. With the extra two rooms it would make a great place for a group to stay for a few nights; there's certainly room for everyone and the place seems set up to accommodate more than a couple of people! The suites on the lower floors looked pretty cool as well.

We'd been warned that the view wasn't fantastic given the ongoing construction, but it wasn't so bad; the hotel across the road looks great lit up at night and you still had a view of boats on the water. Even given the view the location is unbeatable; we were about a two minute walk (all flat!) to the main street and the lagoon with shops and restaurants and eateries. The whole week we were there we didn't even need to consider a taxi or bus; we were so close to the action it just wasn't necessary (even after a bucket of cocktails!). On tours we got to see where the other apartments and hotels were and couldn't believe the hike people had to take to get home after a night out; they were very jealous when we told them of our location!

We did a deal to get the penthouse for the week which included airport transfers and a few activities. All the activity vendors picked us up from the resort and we had a fantastic time - so make sure to look into what the retreat can offer (the helicopter deserted island picnic is a must do for couples). That said, we found ourselves itching to get back to the penthouse most days just because it was so nice to laze around in. We also took the in-room massage option which was very affordable and was a great way to end the week.

The manager Scott was very helpful and had a clear attention to detail. After taking us through the penthouse and showing us how to use all the amenities (Jacuzzi, sound system, TV/DVD/Austar, etc) he actually stopped to rewash the deck as he didn't think it was up to his standard (we couldn't see anything wrong, but it certainly showed his commitment to quality). That commitment to quality is evidenced again by the pristine pool and barbeque area available to all the guests; we'd look down on it from our balcony every day and it was just so blue and beautiful that we just had to have a dip.

I can't fault this place on anything; the price was good, the amenities superb, and the room itself just freaking brilliant. The only criticism I could offer would be the view (which has been noted in other reviews), but at night it still looks great and realistically you won't care about it given how close you are to Airlie and how cool the room itself is.

If you're heading to Airlie, you HAVE to check this place out.