dlai

I know similar questions have been asked before, but we are a family of 4 trying to decide between the Angsana (Palm Cove) and the Sheraton Mirage (Pt. Douglas) for about a week. Maybe it just comes down to personal preference??

Is the Sheraton Mirage really as "dated" and "over-priced" as some have told me?

ALso-do you have a favorite Sydney hotel?

wlzmatilida

Hi Dial!

You're a family of four, but we don't know the dynamics of the family - Palm Cove is usually where I put my honeymooners - it's quiet. if you have kids, I'd recommend Port Douglas instead. Again, if you have kids, maybe something right in town, like a 2 bedroom condo.

Hope this is helpful!

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

dlai

Thanks Melodie,

That's what I was wondering...Our kids are now 9 and 12 and although they are mature, they still love fun pools and shopping and activities. A good gym is really important to my husband!

We would just book the Sheraton Mirage, but in recent months, much of the feedback seems negative! It looks like the Angsana may be fully booked anyway, so please let us know if you have other suggestions.

JohnFitz

dlai I know both as a visitor from Melbourne but have not seen them since 2006 so my comments are based on observation at that time . The Sheraton has a large pool and will appeal to the kids . Lovely gardens . Dated public areas and in June seemed very quiet .
I like Palm Cove and have stayed there twice with friends- lovely beach , nice restaurants but quiet.The Angsana is a nicer looking property . Port D has more bustle and is closer to the Daintree . Not sure of your budget but the new Sea Temple at Port D gets great reviews .
Have you thought of renting a house or apartment ? The friends I stay with rent their house "Celadon " in Palm Cove and it is lovely .I hasten to add I am not touting as I think they are booked solid but there are some really excellent apartments in PC overlooking the water with the beach across the road
In the end your choice will in my view depend on how much time you intend to spend in the hotel versus tour and whether your children need plenty of distractions .

JohnFitz

I forgot about Sydney .People love the Marriot as it has great views.You may care to look at a post I did in early March " A List Of Sydney Boutique Hotels " lifted from Gourmet Traveller

dlai

Johnfitz:
Thank you for your helpful comments. I'm looking into the places you suggest actually! We want to be there at Christmas, so that may make reservations a little more difficult to get. (Apparently the Angsana is booked already!)

I think we might be happy at the Sheraton Mirage, but don't want us to feel like are being "gauged," as some have suggested lately.

JohnFitz

Not sure what you mean by " gauging " .If it is people judging you by the level of accomodation you select then that is a sad indictment of them especially as they know nothing about you . Stay at whatever place appeals to you .Have a look at www.palmcove.net/accom.htm which is a nice site that allows you to check out a wide variety of accomodation etc .Might be useful.

Cilla_Tey

I would look into a Quay West apartment. Try and get one with a harbour and/or Opera House view.

dlai

Mea culpa! I had a typo: I meant gouged, not gauged, as in price gouging. I have seen repeated comments that the Sheraton Mirage is over-priced (i.e. "gouging" people!)

kerikeri

my trip to pd was a few years ago and palm cove just about 8 months ago. even though work was paying at the mirage, i felt the rooms did not warrant the high price tag.

however, with kids, the selling point may be the vast shallow pool and proximity to a nature oriented attraction (it was full of kids on schoolies)just up the road.

they also had condos- thosemight be newer/fresher and bigger for a family. they are certainly pleasantly scattered throughout the grounds.

i love palm cove and think many of the accommodations are great, but the area would hold little interest for kids, and again, while i love the beach, port douglas's is far superior.

in sydney, i second the quay grand suites for location, but i also like sheraton on the park for ease of transit to paddington/woolhara and the gym was above average for a hotel.

for first timer, stay near circular quay. park hyatt also nice.

what is your lingering concern, apart from feeling cheated on the rate? and isn;t there a new sea temple in port douglas now, or has that yet to open? that might be the perfect solution though i think not on the beach.

kerikeri

kerikeri

i should clarify- i was also in pd 8 months ago, but my stay at the mirage was several years ago.

and i do personally like palm cove very much, but the beach is much smaller than pd's.

pat_woolford

Whilst my personal preference would be Angsana, I do agree with others that Sheraton Mirage would have more to attract kids. The pools are vast, December is stinger season anyway, so you won't be able to swim at either beach except in netted enclosures. No worries on reef.

Palm Cove is not a separate small beach, it's on the northern end of a long stretch of unbroken beach which includes mainly residential Clifton and Kewarra Beaches, several miles long. The three beaches have stinger nets so if you really wanted to walk the entire length in summer at least you could have a dip on the way.

Sheraton Mirage has large established tropical gardens, it is about a 20 minute walk into PD restaurants and shops; Angsana isn't far from the many good restaurants and cafes in PC and particularly close to Palm Cove Tavern for reasonably priced family meals.

The newish Sea Temple at Port Douglas also features the massive swimming pools a la the Sheraton, its much further out of town again than Sheraton at the southern end of Four Mile Beach, but not quite on the beach and long walk from the stinger net. It does have a shuttle bus to run guests to and from the town. There's another Sea Temple at PC, just on the southern side of Angsana.