Julie

I need help! I have a choice between the following hotels:<BR><BR>Angsana (4 nights in One-Bedroom beach front Suite which includes Daily buffet breakfast for two, Choice of two 90-minute spa sessions per person* <BR>Return land transfers from the ferry terminal to the hotel <BR><BR>Got this package for $912.00<BR><BR>Or can stay at a beachfront room at the Sebel Reef for 4 nights for $450.00 total (no breakfast or frills)<BR><BR>Or a beachview at the Marriott for about $430.00 for four nights<BR><BR>Has anyone been to these hotels? Please advise. Thanks!<BR><BR>

shannon

ok...are we talking PALM COVE here? Need to be specific...GBR is a big place!<BR><BR>I am only guessing PC because we stayed at the Marriott now Clarion Resort and I doubt that happened at many places along the reef.<BR><BR>We stayed for free with points. It was comfortable...loved their pool. NONE of the property on PC are on the beach. You have to cross a street to get to the sand. There is a row of palm trees between the road/sand. <BR><BR>LOVED Palm Cove. Casual, good restaurants, easy walking along the beach...not much traffic to speak of so I felt safe walking on the road/sidewalks. Our room was a basic room...king bed. Had a view of the pool but each deck has lots of greenery and gives lots of privacy. Didn't notice any noise. IF I looked right and thru the trees you could see the ocean. We were on the 2nd floor and it is only 4 stories. <BR><BR>Not that it matters but we were probably a few of the only NON Germans staying at the Clarion! I think most of the desk staff spoke German as well. The one evening we spent at the pool and hot tub NOT one person spoke English---that we heard.<BR><BR>IF you read my posting--Back from Honeymoon Downunder---I talk about what we did during our stay in Palm Cove.<BR><BR>The Angsana pkg sounds nice but are they extra worth another 450 bucks to you??<BR><BR>Breakfast can be had pretty cheap. Tranfers are anywhere from $15-25pp AUD each way to the airport. Not sure about the ferry terminal????<BR><BR>The Angsana might have been one of the few hotels that didn't have that road in front of it...and might actually be on the beach now that I think of it. Trying to remember which resort was which. I think it was right across the street from Clarion.<BR><BR>I think it really just depends on how much time you plan to be in your room. For us it was just a place to sleep, shower and catch the headlines on CNN to feel like we weren't totally out of touch with what was going on in the world.

sd

Angsana is at the south end of Palm Cove. The Marriot Courtyard is next door and the Sebel is about 100 yards north. They are all the same distance to the water but the Marriot and Sebel have a little road in front where a few cars and transit mini buses go by every now and then. Not enough to consider busy. If you have AAA the Marriot may be even cheaper. I stayed at the Marriot Courtyard because of cost. It's not your typical Courtyard-more like a Marriot Resort but not as big. The area around the Sebel is much busier since it's in the middle.

carl

We found the Sebel Reef to have the atmosphere of an inn or small hotel when we stayed there in April. It has an open air restaurant in front looking at the water and a couple of small pools in courtyards in the middle of the hotel. Take a look at the beautiful photos on their website and that's the atmosphere. It's low key and quiet. The bar is on an honor system where you sign for what you drink as there's no bartender.<BR><BR>It was the perfect place to unwind at the end of three weeks of touring Australia. The restaurant is excellent, confirmed by the fact that the staff at Silky Oaks comes all the way down for dinner on their days off. <BR><BR>

Jules

Julie,<BR><BR>I just responded to your Angsana specific thread. My husband and I dined at the Sebel Reef House (one of our favorite meals!) and met up with some friends at the Clarion. The Clarion looked nice (lobby) and nicer than what I had imagined considering the level of quality/reputation of Clarions in the States (not saying they're bad, just not 5 star). The Sebel looked a little smaller, more personal and intimate and the staff at the restaurant was excellent (as was the food!). The Far Horizons restaurant at Angsana is an incredible place - great food, great atmoshpere and wonderful service. However, I am partial to you staying at the Angsana (my husband and I were just reminiscing last night about the Spa Treatment/Massages we had there). The breakfast is to die for (go for the HUGE and delicious fruit plate). The restaurant is right on the beach and the hotel is farther down the esplanade so away from cars and noise. IF you stay at the Angsana, make sure to get your masssage with your partner in one of the upstairs bungalows (they are open to the beach and each have a little outdoor rock shower and a small infinity pool). PURE RELAXATION! In closing, I think that it's a good buy for your money. IT's a little more, but worth it! I think you're referring to a luxury link auction and it does include transer from the airport which was nice. Someone will be there with a little sign with your name on it and will transfer you to the hotel. We didn't have any problems or complaints with either luxury link or Angsana. Hope you have a wonderful time! I wish I could be ther right now!!!!!

Patrice

I just got back from Palm Cove and we stayed at the Sebel Reef House. We LOVED it! The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is a great spa with a waterfall going into it and the rooms feel very homey. We had a verandah room which was great and very private because there were trees in front of it (we could see the ocean over the trees though). The verandah has a refrigerator, microwave, kettle, sink, and a set of dishes. There is a table and chairs to eat at as well as chaise lounge type chairs. It was great to relax out there with a cup of tea or bottle of champagne (which was in our room when we arrived since we were on our honeymoon). They booked all the tours for us and charged them directly to our room. Barry, who handles the tour bookings, was great. I emailed back and forth with him before we arrived to pick out some of our tours. When we arrived, we received the tour vouchers and they were put on our room bill. Our meal at their restaurant was the best we had in all of Australia. They provided complementary return airport transfers that they set up for us. As for breakfast, there are a few places in Palm Cove where you can get breakfast for about 10AUD. We didn't hear any noise from the street. At night very few cars go by. While on our verandah all we heard was the waterfall by the pool and the swaying of the trees. I wouldn't consider any of their rooms &quot;beachfront&quot; because the hotel is across the street from the beach. If I remember right, the rooms closest to the ocean have little privacy for the outdoor areas. If you're planning on going on tours while in Palm Cove, most of them pick up early in the morning and get you back around 6:00pm, so I would go for one of the less expensive places. We spent little time at the hotel...I wish we had more time. Let me know if you have any other questions.<BR><BR>Patrice