When you wake up to whales breaching in the ocean out of your hotel window and a white sand beach stretching for kilometres down the coast, it’s not hard to see why we still have a love affair with the Gold Coast.
Forget schoolies, the notorious Cavill Avenue and its renowned party scene, if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the Goldie has stepped it up a notch on the sophistication scale taking its food scene and shopping (Pacific Fair mall has just undergone a $670 mill renovation) seriously.
It was Christopher Skase that put the Gold Coast on the glamour map when he built the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on Main Beach. The property had all the glitz of a five-star hotel, and on a visit today, nothing has changed.
The hotel now falls under the Starwood Hotels & Resorts group but its opulence remains. The impressive hotel entrance is hard to beat, the foyer is huge, with marble floors and floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the pool and beach in front.
The Sheraton Mirage is the only beachfront hotel on the Gold Coast as well as being unusually low-rise. Sitting just outside of the main Surfers Paradise strip, it instead feels like you’ve escaped to your own private retreat.
In September, the resort revealed its newly-renovated villas. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom accommodation hugely popular with groups and families.
The villas have undergone a revamp with bright, light interiors, top-of-the line furniture and appliances giving a refreshingly beachy feel.
Many of the villas are privately owned by some well-known Australian names and have seen the odd celebrity pass through its doors. The hotel won’t give many names away but I’m told The Rolling Stones have been guests.
Back at the hotel, one of the top picks in the resort would have to be its ocean view rooms overlooking Main Beach. Sit by your hotel window and watch the whales, surfers, swimmers and yachts playing in the sea. You’ll go to sleep and wake up to the sound of waves breaking and the smell of the ocean drifting through the windows.
The rooms are oversized, light and airy and if you want to save yourself some money for the bar, you can decline housekeeping and receive a $15 food voucher to spend at the hotel restaurants.
Playing on a water theme, a huge lagoon laps the edges of the resort. Most of the action is found at the pool area and if you’re a fan of the swim-up bar this is the place to be. Snag an underwater stool and let the bar tenders mix you up a cocktail. It’s reasonably priced too, a glass of sauvignon blanc will set you back $9.
The Terraces Restaurant is known for its buffet and breakfast is no different. There is literally everything you could think of including ice cream for those embracing the “I’m on holiday” mantra (both adults and children were lining up for a scoop). There’s more than five different types of bread, eggs done anyway, fruits, yoghurt, charcuterie, cheeses, cereal and more. Rest assured, you will not go hungry.
Sea World sits just down the road from the hotel for those wanting to learn more about animals than rides. Touch mini reys, watch dolphin shows, get up close with seals and see Antarctic penguins on ice.
And just over the road from the hotel is Marina Mirage with cafes, shops and restaurants if you feel like a break from resort living. But I can guarantee you won’t find many reasons to leave.
ESCAPE ROUTE
The Sheraton Grand Mirage Gold Coast has a “Beach Escape Package” from $319 per room per night (minimum 2 night stay) including souvenir luxury beach towels, Beach bliss welcome cocktail, daily breakfast, complimentary parking. The Ocean Premium room is a further $100 - $150 per night. sheratongrandmiragegoldcoast.com
