22-26_ttg_lux_australia 27/2/09 15:31 Page 24
me as I entered nearly knocked me off my of the Windwards is well worth it.
F
feet. The long wooden building serves as Better still, recommend the Beach
reception, bar and dining room, and has a House, a gorgeous two-bedroomed villa
vast open front with a spectacular, with a 10-person dining room, its own
uninterrupted view of the Coral Sea. pool and a separate guest house – useful
The pavilion I stayed in was one of the for clients travelling with a nanny or staff.
27 north-facing Windward Pavilions A couple of hiccups meant that service
orget Queensland’s reputation for which opened in the resort’s first phase. was not flawless, however. The food was
campervans, ten-dollar hostels and Each living area, bedroom and gigantic en excellent but the waitress in the Long
drunken gap-year students – the state’s suite bathroom is glass-fronted, and the Pavilion took the order only verbally, then
hotel scene has a bright new star. Hailed as sofa, bed and bath take full advantage of brought an incorrect starter. Service was
the country’s most luxurious hotel yet, the view. slow, even though the restaurant was far
and splashed over the cover of Conde Nast A further 33 smaller Leeward Pavilions, from full. There also seemed to be some
Traveller, the opening of Qualia created a without their own plunge pools, were communication problems between
stir of Hugh Jackman proportions. Previous pages: Qualia, added last year. Their south-west-facing departments: there was only one glass
This “world-class luxury” resort is the
Hamilton Island
views are less impressive, so recommend with the bottle of champagne in my
Above: Rex Lookout, Daintree
sixth hotel to open on Hamilton Island in
Below: Executive Retreats’
to your clients that spending the extra room, but staff were still asking me about
the Whitsundays, the others ranging from Meryula, Port Douglas $250 per night for the space and privacy the invisible “Mr Jacks” when I checked
three to five star. The island was bought in out 48 hours later.
2003 by the Oatley family of Rosemount
wine fame. Four years and a whopping Changes down under
£39 million later, and they had opened For such a huge country, luxury openings
Qualia for business on Hamilton. have been disproportionately few in recent
I might have shared my flight to years, so you can understand the media
Hamilton with midmarket holidaymakers frenzy surrounding Qualia.
but once the plane landed, Qualia’s special But while Australia may have lost
treatment kicked in. Clients are whisked luxury clients to neighbouring New
away in an air-conditioned people carrier Zealand in previous years, things are
without even having to collect their changing. Moonlight Head Private Lodge,
luggage. A 10-minute drive later, we rolled opened in 2007 on the Great Ocean Road
through the resort’s private gates and in Victoria, gives Kiwi lodges a run for their
pulled up at the Long Pavilion. money. The four-bedroomed property
I had been costs from £1,550 per night for two
prepared for some sharing. New projects such as Emirates
lovely panoramas Wolgan Valley, opening in New South
of the Whitsunday Wales later this year, and the acclaimed
Islands but the Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo
24
view that greeted Island, are creating a lot of excitement.
feature australia
spring 09
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