This coastal resort near the Whitsundays just got a lavish upgrade

3 days ago 4

The hotel

Club Wyndham Airlie Beach, Queensland

Club Wyndham Airlie Beach is set on a hillside.

Club Wyndham Airlie Beach is set on a hillside.

Check-in

Warm smiles and balmy breezes greet guests at this hillside resort offering 180-degree vistas over the Port of Airlie and Whitsunday Passage. Golf buggies whisk guests up steep driveways to their rooms.

The look

The infinity pool has sweeping views.

The infinity pool has sweeping views.

Built in 2009, the contemporary apartment-style property (formerly Peppers Airlie Beach) was acquired by US hotel and timeshare giant Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific (now Travel + Leisure Co) in 2019.

The 106 strata apartments are set across eight buildings surrounding a central hub. More than 50 per cent are part of Club Wyndham South Pacific which members can book using points.

Waft from the infinity pool to the adjoining restaurant and bar for a bite. If that sounds too much, order food and drink via QR code straight to your sun lounge. A pool room offers respite from the tropical heat. Yoga classes are held here on weekends while a gym is found underneath.

The room

The rooms have wide balconies for soaking up the panorama.

The rooms have wide balconies for soaking up the panorama.

A choice of seven apartment types are set in 1.8 hectares of tropical gardens and offer wide balconies to capture sea breezes and views of Port of Airlie Marina and the Coral Sea Coast. All one-to-three-bedroom apartments feature neutral interiors with pops of coral and blue befitting the Whitsundays locale along. There are smart TVs, washer-dryers, kitchenettes, ovens, coffee makers and dishwashers.

Bath tub with a view.

Bath tub with a view.

I stay in a lavish split-level three-bedroom presidential villa (one of three) with an en suite in every bedroom, family room, separate media room, spa with sound system and fully equipped kitchen with coffee machine. My favourite aspects are the wide balconies (there are two) with day beds and an outdoor shower-bath where you can soak up those panoramic views. Originally three-storey homes, the presidential villas underwent an award-winning makeover following the acquisition by Wyndham.

Food + drink

Tide restaurant serves European food with Asian accents.

Tide restaurant serves European food with Asian accents.

The open-air Tides Restaurant offers a contemporary Australian menu with an Asian bent prepared from locally sourced produce and seafood caught on nearby reefs. Long-serving chef Matt MacCullum’s stand-out dishes include spiced lamb cutlet with cucumber riata and pickled onions, Bowen tomato bruschetta, salt and pepper calamari with noc jam and Japanese sea scallops with coconut labne, salsa and chilli jam.

Out + about

Join a two-hour adults only sunset sail aboard Lady Enid from Coral Bay Marina. Sip on an Aperol spritz and tuck into antipasto as you watch the sun sink into the sea from a classic timber yacht. Just Tuk’n Around offers a fun progressive dinner by electric tuktuk including sundowners, entree, main and dessert at outlets such as the Coral Sea Pavilions and The Deck. Local guides share tips on hidden gems such as New Beach.

The verdict

Kitchen and dining room in the revitalised presidential villa.

Kitchen and dining room in the revitalised presidential villa.

This laid-back resort is the ideal launch pad for the Whitsunday’s 74 islands and beaches, including Whitehaven, and exploring Airlie Beach which has evolved from a backpacker town to a buzzing tropical destination. If you love your stay, you can join Club Wyndham South Pacific and use points to book a return trip to the resort and 53 others across the region along with discounts and special offers.

Essentials

From $345 a night. Club members receive complimentary bike hire, fishing rods, kids’ games and daily school holidays activities. Mount Whitsunday Drive, Airlie Beach, (07) 4962 5100 See clubwyndhamsp.com/airliebeach

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

Friendly, can-do staff and spectacular Whitsunday Island vistas.

Lowlight

The steep hillside location makes for a challenging walk to rooms from the waterfront, especially in subtropical heat.

The writer stayed as a guest of Club Wyndham South Pacific.

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