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Hayman Island
At a Glance
- meticulous, attentive service
- terrific food, wine, and activities
- lovely public areas
- well-stocked boutiques
Pros
- pricey (albeit top-notch) food, drinks, and spa treatments
- room-raiding cockatoos
- a fair hike from some rooms to the restaurants
Cons
Fodor's Finds Hotels
Book NowHayman Island Review
This magnificently solid resort is the grande dame of the Whitsundays, attracting high-flying guests seeking precious down time. Lavish decor, including the significant Hayman collection, Asian and Australian artifacts, European tapestries, Persian rugs and exquisite objets d'art set a quietly elegant tone in the lobby, restaurants, walkways and rooms. Lagoon, pool, garden, penthouse and beachfront suites are all large and beautifully appointed, with minibars, LCD flatscreen TVs with pay movies, cable channels and DVD players on request, Wi-Fi access, deep tubs, and balconies or decks overlooking the areas of the resort they're named for. For luxury, nothing tops the penthouse suites, decorated in distinct French, English, Moroccan, Asian, Mediterranean, and Queensland themes—except, perhaps, the breezy private beach house with its own infinity-edged plunge pool, media room, personal butler service, and full-frontal ocean views. The resort has all the upscale holiday essentials: a 24-hour indoor-outdoor gym; a tranquil day spa; a flotilla of boats ready to whisk guests to secluded beaches, islands, and the reef; a genteel lounge bar and library; a billiards room; and an arcade of upmarket boutiques. All that, and a well-tailored, smoothly run activities program that includes fitness classes, beach picnics, scenic flights, golf excursions, diving and sailing trips. Children here are virtually invisible, thanks to a crèche and organized kids' activities in two sessions daily. Expect to pay a premium for all this excellence—even small things like drinks cost that little bit more.
2011 Fodor's 100 Hotel Award Winner
Genteel Tropical Hideaway
Old-school luxury in a pristine setting, Hayman has been a favored offshore retreat of VIPs since the 1950s. Fresh from a 2011 facelift, the resort is tighter than ever, with four stellar restaurants, a top-flight spa, 24-hour indoor-outdoor gym, and floodlit tennis courts, plus a complex of lagoon-style swimming pools and an arcade of high-end boutiques. Seamless, speedy service is ensured by a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio and an ingenious network of tunnels that allows butlers and masseurs, housekeepers and waiters to bustle invisibly around the resort. The island is crisscrossed by walking trails leading to breathtaking vantage points and secluded beaches. A flotilla of sleek vessels stands ready to whisk you off to white-silica beaches and colorful reefs, but there's huge temptation to simply laze about, enjoying the beach-luxe ambience.
- Address: Hayman Island, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, 4801 | Map It
- Phone: 07/4940--1234 resort; 07/4940--1838; 1800/075175 reservations (toll-free); 1800/122339 resort (toll-free)
- Website: www.hayman.com.au
- Location: Hayman Island
Contact Information
- 210 rooms, suites, penthouses, beach houses, villa.
- Restaurants, bars, pools, tennis courts, gym, spa, beach, water sports, children's programs.
- Rooms have: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi.
- Credit cards accepted.
Hotel Amenities
Member Reviews
-
rebcgo, from U.S.
You couldn't ask for a prettier location, but if you expect a great staff think again. For a Worlds Leading Hotel you would have expected better service, but so many things went wrong I can't even list.
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