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[edit] AdventureHotels.travel
While still growing and improving, AdventureHotels.travel is already the internet's biggest and most comprehensive Pacific Rim travel and hotel portal, and with good reason. Adventure Hotels offers a new but simple concept in hotel reservations that tremendously benefits both you, the traveller, and the hotel. We have thirty-nine of the internet's most popular Pacific Rim (and other) destinations for you to choose from. Some of our destinations are huge, and very comprehensive, covering areas as large as SouthPacificHotels.travel.
And finally, our specialty! Through a rigid qualifying process of former guest reviews, we have narrowed down your search to the best value-priced, independently-operated, eco-friendly Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast hotels available.
[edit] No middlemen
Most internet portals will list any hotel as long as it pays the middleman (a chain hotel central reservation system, or the Global Distribution System (GDS) like hotels.com, travelocity, expedia, orbitz, etc.) a huge 20% to 40% commission for each reservation. All of our qualified and listed hotels pay us only an annual listing fee. We make nothing on your reservation.
[edit] Our hotels need to qualify to be listed
Our hotels need to undergo a rigorous qualification process to be listed on our websites. In fact, only about 15% of all hotels qualify. We don't list a lot of hotels, just the best ones. The four step qualification process includes:
- Pricing: all Adventure Hotels must have average prices under US$200, $150 or $100 (depending upon the location) per night double occupancy, but most are far less. Because good quality hotels in Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast tend to be moderately priced, all hotels listed on this site are under US$150, but most are far less. We have determined that there is no need for you to pay more for fine quality, well-located accommodation.
- All Adventure Hotels listed are independently owned and operated which means the owners must personally demonstrate they try harder to satisfy their guests. Often the personal service and advice they offer is worth the price of accommodation alone. Adventure Hotel owners are excited about their hotel and facilities, and it shows. They not only provide excellent accommodations, facilities and services for the price they charge, but also, they have painstakingly put together an attractive, informative website proudly displaying their wonderful hotel (and prices) on the first page (or two) of the search engines. Prices are important and forcing you to contact the hotel to obtain them is annoying. Our hotels do not rely on costly middlemen to send them a steady stream of guests like cattle through a feed lot, making you feel like a statistic (which you are). Adventure Hotels' philosophy is simple. If the hotel doesn't rely mainly on word of mouth, nor have the wherewithall to attract and keep its own guests by providing comfortable, clean, updated accommodations and facilities, and make guests feel welcome and appreciated, then the hotel probably doesn't have the genuine interest to make your stay an authentic, warm, real, and a problem-free experience.
- Former guest reviews: all Adventure Hotels listed have undergone a series of former guest reviews, guests who lay out the truth (as they see it) and the cream hotels that we list have risen to the top positions...don't just take our word on it, trust the opinions of former guests!
- All Adventure Hotels are eco-friendly (to some extent) and must meet minimum requirements of sustainability. Categories include recycling, composting, using renewable energy, conservation of the environment and indigenous cultural promotion, employing local help with chances for upward mobility, buying local produce, reinvesting profits in the local area, informing guests of eco-friendly travelling practises, and generally encouraging visitors to observe, listen, understand and empathize rather than see, hear, take pictures and boast. If visitors prefer the familiar comforts of home, they need to ask themselves why they are traveling?
[edit] Locate the perfect hotel at any destination
From each listed hotel's website, you are able to contact the hotel(s) directly. Ask a real person for multi-night and multi-room, child and senior discount; a quiet room or a top floor room with a view; or to be accommodated close to the pool; extra blankets, towels or pillows; or have them recommend and book a tour or car for you in advance; you can request a romantic bouquet of exotic flowers with a note attached waiting in your room, or a chilled bottle of champagne; or ask questions about the surrounding area, dining, nightlife, laundry services or luggage storage, or a possible early check-in or late check-out. You can't do any of this when you book through a middleman!
[edit] We have done the work for you
Now, confidently make your reservations your way by dealing directly with the hotel, and holding the hotel accountable for what they promised. Though our listed hotels are highly recommended and qualified, if your hotel doesn't live up to your expectations, send us an honest and realistic review, to warn others. However, if it meets or surpasses your expectations, be kind and send us a positive review. These hotels depend on YOUR word of mouth, eliminating the costly middlemen, and saving everyone money. Both you and the hotel win. In fact, the only people that lose are those greedy middlemen.
[edit] Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast Crash Course
There is something for everyone at Australia's Gold Coast. If you like a laid back lifestyle, lots of excellent, clean, breaking surf, uncrowded sandy beaches, los of sunshine, breathing clean, clear air, many options in accommodations and restaurants, super shopping experiences, entertainment venues, sports facilities like championship golf courses and lots of tourist attractions other than the beaches, then you won't want your vacation to end at the Gold Coast of Australia. There is even the famous neaby hinterland for hiking and sightseeing, and the Australia dollar's recent devaluation makes the whole scene even more attractive.
The Gold Coast is Australia’s leading tourist destination. As a conurbation of cities, towns and suburbs, the Gold Coast is an extensive coastal city on the Pacific Ocean in the southeast corner of Queensland, a state in Australia. The Gold Coast is located 80 kilometers south of the state capital of Brisbane and just north of the New South Wales state border. It is considered the sixth largest city in Australia with an estimated 500,000 population. The Gold Coast is a major tourist destination for both nationals and foreign travelers.
Surfing is the major sport on the Gold Coast, attracting some of the world's best competitors. Though one can surf all along the Gold Coast,
The Gold Coast also hosts the national surf lifesaving titles every year, attracting more than five thousand competitors who fiercely compete at Kurrawa beach. With more than twenty surf lifesaving clubs on the Gold Coast and many of the country's top ironmen and women living and training here, there is always plenty of action at weekend extravagandas.
This wonderful coastal region stretches from South Stradbroke Island in the north to Coolangatta/Tweed in the south. Excellent surfing beaches and headlands are famous to boardriders all over the world. Good beach breaks can be found along the entire length of the Gold Coast.
[edit] History of Surfers Paradise
The name most associated with Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast is Jim Cavill, a Brisbane hotelier who purchased about ten hectares of land around 1920 at a place called Elston, where Surfers Paradise stands today.
However, to see the whole story, we need to move back to the indigenous people, the Kombumerri people called the area Jarri Parila meaning 'narrowneck'. The Kombumerri people are still a clan group of the language of Yugambeh language whose area stretched stretches from Tweed River to the Logan River. For thousands of years they have lived along the Gold Coast and its hinterlands but particularly by the Nerang River and the creeks of Tallebudgera and Currumbin.
The vicinity of Burleigh Heads was one of the most popular food gathering locations for the Kombumerri with its ample fresh water lagoons close to the beach, later reclaimed in 1933. Oysters and other shellfish as well as fish such as whiting, bream, gar, mullet and flathead were abundant along Tallebudgera Creek.
Unfortunately only a century after the Europeans first sailing ship arrived to the area, the Kombumerris' culture and lifestyle had been irreversibly changed. Numbers had been decimated and much of their customs, language and spiritual beliefs were lost before foreward thinking white people started to record what remained of their culture.
Many of the first Europeans to actually visit the aboriginies were escaped convicts from Brisbane, and this must have left a bad impression with the Kombumerris. In the early and mid- 1800s, the area was surveyed up for white man's habitation.
James Beattie in 1869 came south from Brisbane and chose eighty acres of land on the north shore of the Nerang River, not far from future Cavill Avenue. BeaHe erected a one-room cottage, put his produce in a barn and a jetty on the river bank, but life was difficult as the land was not fertile, barely supporting a little maize and sugar cane.
In 1877, a German immigrant called Johann Meyer bought Beattie's land. He initially tried his luck developing a sugar plantation, and mill, but later discovered that the real money there was in providing accommodation and other services for visitors who wanted to relax and enjoy the beaches and waters. Within ten years he built the Main Beach Hotel and engaged in a private ferry service on the Nerang River. He sold part of his properties by auction in Brisbane, to which a syndicate bought a large part, subdivided it and had the streets (sandy tracks)surveyed and named after the day's world champion scullers: Edward Hanlan, Elias Laycock, Edward Trickett and Thomas Clifford. The rest of his sugar plantation was sold in 1888 called the Newhaven Estate.
By 1888, a horse and coach service was operating from Southport three times a week. The coach crossed the Nerang River at Meyers Ferry and then travelled along the beach. Johann Meyer's family operated a horse and buggy service from the Southport hotels, offering visitors a pleasure trip to the Main Surf Beach. In 1889, Meyer's Main Beach Hotel was declared a postal receiving office, offically titled Elston. A postal address meant an official place name and a mark on the map. People would still refer to the place for a long time as Meyer's Ferry.
The Postmaster in Southport, a Mr Palmer, named the receiving office near the surf beach after his wife's home village in Nottinghamshire, England. By the 1890s, the first entrepreneur of the area, Johann Meyer faced financial ruin and died in 1901. The Main Beach Hotel licence lapsed. Elston was without a hotel until Jim Cavill built the Surfers Paradise Hotel in 1925.
As early as 1917, a Brisbane real estate company, Arthur Blackwood Ltd offered for sale the 'Surfers Paradise Estate'. The auction was unsuccessful, partly because access to the area was still difficult. It was a great promotional name though and in Jim Cavill's day, he lobbied strongly to have the name Elston changed to Surfers Paradise.
The nearest railway station to Elston was located over the unbridged Nerang River at the town of Southport. The opening of the Jubilee Bridge in 1925 (celebrating 50 years since the first auction of land at Southport in 1875) and the extension of the South Coast Road brought a revolution to the South Coast. Motor cars could now travel along a road which bordered the seaside villages of Elston and Burleigh Heads. Estates such as Ocean Wave, Northcliffe, Mermaid Beach and Miami Shores were promoted as 'guaranteed' investments. Investors and vistors needed a place to stay on the coast and in 1925, three hotels, the Surfers Paradise, the Miami and the Burleigh Heads Hotel opened to take advantage of a tourist boom.
In 1925, at a relatively isolated spot near a long white surf beach, Jim Cavill opened his 16 bedroom hotel at the intersection of the South Coast Road and the old coach track which ran from Meyers Ferry to the beach. Around the hotel, the township of Elston came to life as local people re-opened the post office, and provided refreshments and facilites for campers and holiday-makers. A man with a keen eye for promotion, Jim Cavill, with the support of locals, lobbied hard until the place name Elston was changed to the more glamourous Surfers Paradise in 1933. The rest is history!
[edit] Beaches
Gold Coast has forty two kilometres of golden sand beaches starting from the Queensland border. Our beaches are world renowned for their beauty, cleanliness and fine surfing conditions, and are certainly the Gold Coast's biggest attraction.
True to Australian tradition, swimming and surfing safety are a high priority, and swimming at unpatrolled beaches is discouraged. The Gold Coast City Council employs the largest professional lifeguard staff in Australia who patrol seventeen beaches on a year round basis and twenty-nine beaches during school holiday periods. In addition, volunteer members of the Surf Life Saving Association patrol beaches every weekend on the Gold Coast from September to May.
[edit] Other attractions
The Gold Coast area is jam-packed with attractions for the tourist whether as a family, single or even honeymooners. In fact the Gold Coast is considered the 'Theme Park Capital' of the southern hemisphere.
You can enjoy everything from the latest rides and special effects to aquatic wonders or even feeding the native wildlife in natural surroundings.
At night the Gold Coast comes alive and visitors can take in one of the many shows or live it up at one of the nightclubs or discos. There’s plenty of entertainment on the Gold Coast, from daytime adventure tours and fantastic shopping, dining through to the famous night-clubs of Surfers Paradise, Jupiters Casino and theatre. The Gold Coast has a number of theme parks, namely Movie World, Seaworld, Dreamworld and Wet n Wild that are a full day each on their own, and certainly worth a visit. Yearly the Gold Coast Indy race is also held on the Gold Coast.
[edit] The Hinterland
Just inland from the Gold Coast is a wonderful backdrop of mountainous national parks, subtropical rain forests, waterfalls, deep valleys and rolling plains.
Mount Tamborine, with its large residential area offers all the conveniences but is only a stone's throw away from rain forest walks, gurgling creeks and waterfalls. The McPherson Ranges, which mark the Queensland/New South Wales border are home to Springbrook National Park and Lamington National Park. There are some 160 kms of graded walking tracks where you can explore volcanic caves, rock pools, rainforests and scenic lookouts.
The Hinterland offers a range of first class facilities and country style hospitality accompanied by some of the most beautiful flora and fauna found anywhere in Australia.
[edit] Nearest Major International Airport
Brisbane Airport is approximately 85 km from Surfers Paradise, the epicenter of the Gold Coast. From the Brisbane airport you can either go by limousine (approx. $170 one-way), rail (Airtrain) approx. $25, or catch shuttle bus to your accommodation facility, approx. $33.
[edit] Australian entry requirements
An ETA (Visitor) subclass 976 is designed for people who are outside Australia and want to visit Australia for holidays, tourism, recreation, and informal studies or training. There is no visa application charge. A service charge of $20 applies. You can stay for up to three months on each visit within a 12 month period from the date of grant, or for the life of the passport if it is less than 12 months (multiple entry).
[edit] ETA eligible passports
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan*, United Kingdom - British Citizen, United Kingdom - British National (Overseas)**, United States of America, Vatican City,
- Holders of Taiwan passports can only be processed for an ETA if resident in and applying in Taiwan.
- Holders of UK passports which indicate their nationality to be British National (Overseas) can only be processed for an ETA if resident in and applying in Hong Kong.
You can apply for an ETA (Visitor) either:
online at Australia immigration
or through a travel agent, airline or specialist service provider arranging an ETA on your behalf applying at an Australian visa office outside Australia
[edit] Local Domestic Airport
Gold Coast Airport is approximately 22 km from Surfers Paradise. From the Gold Coast airport to city centre by taxi is approximately $35. Shuttle bus service approximately $20, so in reality, you might as well just take the shuttle from Brisbane and save a few bucks and time transferring to another plane.
[edit] Train Services
From the Brisbane Airport - Gold Coast New [Airtrain Service]
[edit] Climate
Sub-tropical, with an average of 300 days of sunshine each year.
Summer (Dec/Jan/Feb) - average temperature 20-28C (67-83F) Autumn (Mar/Apr/May) - average temperature 18-25C (57-77F) Winter (Jun/Jul/Aug) - average temperature 21C (52-70F) Spring September, October November average temperature 15-25C (57-57F).
[edit] Surf Safety
[edit] Sun Protection
Don't risk harmful exposure to the sun. Skin protection is simple - wear a broad-brimmed hat, a shirt with collar and sleeves, and SPF 30+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen on exposed skin. Try to avoid the sun between 10am and 2pm when the UV rays are the strongest.
[edit] Safely.travel
If you are new to travelling, or even if you have travelled the globe for years, I strongly recommend you check out the following link for some very interesting and informative reading about safe travelling around Surfers Paradise, and the whole planet in general. It is an accumulation of original thoughts and experiences of several worldly travellers, just go to Safely Travel. It was written with the Third World in mind, where travelling disasters are around every corner, and a pre-emptor to what we may all expect someday in the First World as populations increase and desperate people become more brave and sophisticated in their survival techniques. Of course, travelling in Australia is one of the safest places on earth (except for the bar fights!). The reading will make you aware of all sorts of scams, how to check into a hotel, advice for single lady travellers, advice for single men travellers, rip tides, credit card scams, driving in a foreign land, kidnapping, street people, you name it. It is an essential read for anyone travelling, and the most comprehensive discussion I know of!
[edit] Banking Services
Banking hours are: Mon - Thurs 9:30am - 4:00pm, Fri 9:30am to 5:00 at all banks except Metway who are open Mon - Thurs 8.30am 4.30pm, Fri 8:30am-5:00pm, Sun 10:00 - 2:00pm. 24 hour automatic tellers are at A.N.Z. Commonwealth, Metway, National and Westpac. All are centrally located.
[edit] Foreign Currency
To ensure the most accurate rate of exchange, visitors are advised to convert foreign currency to Australian dollars at a bank or at financial institutions.
[edit] Post Office
Australian postal stamps must be used on all mail posted in Australia. Post Office hours are from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
[edit] Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast hotels
As mentioned above, the following Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast hotels had to qualify to be listed here. They must be independently owned and operated, meet minimum eco-friendly requirements, rise to the top after a series of former guest reviews, and their average nightly double occupancy room rate must be less than US$150 per night.
Click on any hotel website we provide, and talk to a real person. Avoid misunderstandings caused by a middleman. Before you make your reservation, you can request a multi-night or multi-room, child or senior discount; a quiet room, or a top floor room, or a room with a view; or if you wish to be accommodated close to the pool; if you want extra blankets, towels or pillows; or have them recommend and book a tour or car for you in advance; you can request a romantic bouquet of exotic flowers with a note attached waiting in your room, or a chilled bottle of champagne; or ask questions about the surrounding area, dining, nightlife, laundry services or luggage storage, or a possible early check-in or late check-out. Play one hotel against the other. You can't do any of this when you book through a middleman, and without the middleman's whopping 20% to 40% commission to pay, a hotel has far more flexibility in satisfying your requests! AdventureHotels.travel makes no commission from any reservation, and only charges a small annual fee to list the hotel on our websites.
It costs you nothing to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and the savings and advantages are up to you when you deal directly with the hotel!
[edit] Qualified Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast hotels under $150 (in order of value/money)
There is a wealth of accommodation available at the Gold Coast sporting over 50,000 rooms including from five star international chain hotels, convention centres, resorts, self-contained apartments, units and condominiums, motels, caravan parks and back-packer accommodation.
Viscount Towers - Viscount on the Beach is absolutely, positively on the beach. That means superb, uninterrupted views of the ocean and beaches from every room. The complex features security underground parking, friendly on site managers and all apartments are fully self contained. Fall asleep to the sound of the ocean in our spacious bedrooms. All are well appointed with all linen provided, plenty of storage space and most with ensuite. The second and third bedrooms (some apartments only) have single beds and plenty of storage space. Our fabulous pool area is perched right on the dunes overlooking the ocean and is heated for year round swimming. The rooftop area at Viscount on the Beach is a real plus. There's a fully equipped BBQ area with shaded areas and panoramic 360 degree views. Of course our apartments are fully equipped with remote TV, (including FOXTEL) for your entertainment. The kitchen features all appliances (fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher, hotplates) and includes all utensils. Steam your worries away in our mens or ladies sauna. The rooftop heated spa has spectacular views and is enclosed from the elements for your comfort. Relax and become part of an envious lifestyle at Viscount on the Beach!
The Grand Apartments - Set on the shores of the magnificent Gold Coast Broadwater, the Grand Apartments have uninterrupted views of the Gold Coast Skyline and lush tropical hinterland. The spacious one and two bedroom apartments are perfect for families as well as longer staying guests looking for a contemporary home away from home on the Gold Coast. Conveniently located in a tranquil beachfront position, just north of Surfers Paradise, the Grand Apartments are just a short drive or bus ride to the Gold Coast's famous surf beaches, theme parks, attractions and major shopping centres. Within strolling distance of the resort is a myriad of cafes and restaurants, scenic beachside boardwalks, parks and an all-season swimming lagoon. But you don't have to leave the grounds for a great holiday experience. The Grand Apartments feature a breathtaking infinity-edge swimming pool with heated spa, decorative waterfall and stunning Broadwater views. There's also a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna, steam room and games room for the children.
Diamond Sands Resort - Diamond Sands Resort at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast is just metres from patrolled surf beaches. Our superior low rise accommodation offers guests a choice of self contained two and three bedroom units, townhouses and villas, set in a lush tropical landscaped garden featuring a lagoon pool with sandy beach (heated from April to October), water spa and water features. The perfect location for family holidays! Relax in our shady pavilion overlooking the lagoon and unwind in the lush tropical landscape where a host of recreation and resort facilities await you. Shops and restaurants, Jupiters Casino and Pacific Fair shopping centre are only moments away.
Ashmore Palms - Ashmore Palms Holiday Village is a popular accommodation choice for families, couples and groups holidaying on Australia's beautiful Gold Coast. The Award-winning Village offers guests a range of quality self-contained Holiday cabins, extensive family facilities, unique features and warm hospitality. Uniquely set on 14.5 acres of lush, tropically landscaped gardens, Ashmore Palms Holiday Village provides a fun, yet relaxed, holiday setting for families, couples and groups, travelling to Australia’s
Chateau Beachside Resort - The Chateau Beachside Resort is the ideal location for your next relaxing getaway. Only one block North of Cavill Mall, The Chateau Beachside is located in the heart of the shopping, dining and entertainment precinct. Featuring 4 Star AAA rated facilities and the world famous sandy shores of Surfers Paradise just metres away, you're sure to find what you are looking for right here! The Chateau Beachside Resort is located just sixty minutes from the Brisbane Domestic & International Airport and only 25 minutes from the Coolangatta Airport making your arrival and departure comfortable and convenient. Positioned only one block north of Cavill Mall, Chateau Beachside is located in the heart of the shopping, dining and entertainment precinct of Surfers Paradise.
Chidori Court - If it's great Gold Coast accommodation value you are searching for, then Chidori Court is the Gold Coast resort for you! Click here for our great value Gold Coast accommodation rates - perfect position at a great price. Enjoy Gold Coast accommodation in this beautifully designed low rise resort, situated in the heart of exclusive Main Beach. Superb Gold Coast apartments with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, all linen, crockery and cutlery.
Royal Woods Resort - Mulit-lingual staff, security patrols & remote control resort access, poolside breakfast/continental breakfast served in room, room service menus, outdoor pool with waterfall, indoor heated pool, children’s pool & heated spas, gym/steam & poolside barbeques, kids play area, electronic games room and internet kiosk. 45 luxurious self-contained villas (900-2100 sq.ft.) 1, 2 & 3 bedroom/bathrooms (3-7 guests) & ensuite, spas, TV, Cable TV, alarm/clock radio & STD/IDD phones, air-conditioning/heating, laundry/dryer & ironing facilities, complimentary tea/coffee making facilities in room, spacious outdoor seating areas.
Aloha Resort Apartments - The Aloha Resort is situated right opposite the patrolled beach of Surfers Paradise, just two blocks from Cavill Avenue. Whether you are in town for a family getaway or your preference is to party until dawn, we are the perfect choice for you. We have a range of 1 and 2 bedroom full self-contained apartments boasting fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities. Whether you are a child or a child at heart you can choose from a fantastic range of facilities with games rooms, wading pool, tennis and basketball hoops. Aloha Resort has it all covered, so drop in and check it out.
Mari Court Resort - Our four-star Surfers Paradise resort comprises of a low rise apartment complex set on one-and-a-half acres of lush, tropical, landscaped gardens. A huge, saltwater pool is set amongst secluded palms in the middle of the accommodation complex. The swimming pool is heated and the temperature is maintained at a lovely 28 degrees all year round. We also have a separate heated spa at the poolside and a barbeque within the pool surroundings. Mari Court provides quality accommodation in Surfers Paradise with spacious apartments that are modern and fully equipped. All apartments have 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets with ceiling fans and air-conditioning. Each apartment has its own laundry with washing machine, dryer and ironing board. The accommodation has kitchens that are fully equipped with dishwasher and microwave ovens. There is a 24 hour direct-dial telephone service and in-room internet access and free Austar cable television.
Surfers Beachside Holiday Apartments - Less than 30 metres to Patrolled beaches and Surf Club, Large swimming pool (heated in Winter), Hot Spa, Male and Female Saunas, Half Court Tennis, BBQ area in tropical garden setting, Easy walk to shops and restaurants, Great access to all the major tourist attractions and Gold Coast Casino, 15 levels, with beautiful views of the ocean and Gold Coast Hinterland, Spacious 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, Private balconies, Colour TV (Cable T.V. in most rooms), Full equipped kitchen with fridge, dishwasher, microwave, etc, En suite to main bedroom, Washing machine and dryer, Direct dial phones, Underground secure parking, Tourist bus pickup at front door.
The Atrium Resort - Your Gold Coast holiday accommodation awaits. With an idyllic waterfront setting overlooking the Gold Coast Broadwater, and just 7 kilometres north of Surfers Paradise, Atrium Resort offers Gold Coast apartments with everything you could desire for that special holiday experience ... a luxury retreat for the whole family. Arriving at the open air Atrium lobby, surrounded by tropical gardens, overlooking a magnificent waterfront vista, you know you are somewhere very special. Enjoy the calm protected waters of the Broadwater, the perfect Gold Coast holiday location for lovers of water sports. Fine dining is always close at hand with a choice of international cuisines. Select from fine five-star dining or al fresco cafes and eateries. Take up the challenge of world class Gold Coast golf courses located within a few minutes drive from Atrium Resort. Tours galore, Jupiters Casino and spectacular floor shows, safe patrolled Gold Coast beaches, it's all just minutes away! The family favourite theme parks at Seaworld, Movieworld and Dreamworld are just a short drive away. Add in our resort facilities and you have everything for a great Gold Coast holiday.
Voyage Resort - Beachfront at Broadbeach is the ideal vacation experience. Parks, bike & running tracks, shops, restaurants, cinemas & the casino all a stroll away and extensive ocean views from your own large balcony. Lounge around the pool or indulge in the sauna, spa or hot tub. The tropical gardens surround the barbeques and picnic areas designed for casual dining and relaxation. Our tour desk can help plan each day with over 100 tours to chooses from including; rainforest walks, historic train journeys, wineries, theme parks, cruises, fishing - all just a phone call away.
Focus Apartments - If you’re looking for accommodation which is inviting all year, you’ve found it at Focus Apartments, Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. The location is perfect as it is in the heart of Surfers Paradise, just cross the road to the beautiful kilometres of sand and a patrolled swimming beach. Focus has large grounds with swimming pool, spa, gym, tennis court, and sauna. The apartments are spacious (2-3 bedrooms) and most have wonderful views of the ocean and some have views of the hinterland. All apartments are equipped with full kitchens and laundries and have two full bathrooms. Book online today and save!!! Bookings are very heavy over summer, Easter and Indy (as the track views are great!).
[edit] About the author
By Jim Nealon, a lifelong friend
Canadian Eric Robinson and I lived in the same residence at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada in 1971. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies (BES), majoring in cultural geography, Eric, always a bundle of energy, backpacked around the world in 1974-75. He travelled mostly overland through thirty two countries, including working his way across the South Pacific on a Danish banana boat. He sent postcards and letters back to our group of friends, and we were always excited to read his amazing stories.
Between operating three different hotels in northern Ontario, he travelled (with his family in the later years) throughout much of the Pacific Rim from Japan to Thailand and Viet Nam, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, many South Pacific Islands, Chile, Peru, Columbia and all of Central America and Mexico between 1978 and 1992, compiling information about Third World Eco-Tourism Marketing for his post-graduate thesis at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He finally made San Jose, Costa Rica home-base for himself and his two teenage sons in 1995, operating two more successful hotels, the Hemingway Inn in central San Jose, and presently Adventure Inn in the central valley closer to the airport. Over the past twelve years, Eric has founded three non-profit Costa Rica eco-hotel associations, with a total of over fifty independent hotels strategically located throughout the country. Through his writings, the internet and room, tour and car rental reservations, he has properly advised literally thousands of people with their travel plans, and has built up quite a repertoire of questions that he has direct experience with, or has researched and answered, regarding Third World travel.
Eric's interests, other than writing about his world travels, are his family first, photography, his dogs, establishing litter pick up programs for public school kids in San Jose, Costa Rica, and masters swimming, in which he is a world class competitor. His next competition is the World Championships in Perth, Australia in April, 2008.
Eric believes that honesty in marketing has longevity, telling you both the good and the bad. After seeing the
Though he knows he is often preaching to the converted, he suggests your stay and travels should impact minimally and only positively on the indigenous physical, cultural, economic and ecological setting. We all need to observe, listen, understand and empathize rather than see, hear, take pictures and boast. If we prefer the familiar comforts of home, ask ourselves why we are traveling? With this approach, future visitors will equally enjoy the experience of an exotic Third World adventure.
I hope Eric and I will always stay in touch. Sometimes I feel I live vicariously through him. These days we use e-mails and MSN. It is so refreshing to hear his thoughts, covered in humour, from whatever corner of the world he may be reporting from.
[edit] Adventure Hotels destinations and qualified hotels from around the world
[edit] Asian hotels
- Japan hotels
- Beijing hotels
- Taiwan hotels
- Taipei hotels
- Macau hotels
- Macao hotels
- Hainan hotels
- Philippines hotels
- Manila hotels
- Hanoi hotels
- Bangkok hotels
- Chiang Mai hotels
- Koh Samui hotels
- Phuket hotels
- Jakarta hotels
- Bali hotels
[edit] Australian hotels
[edit] New Zealand hotels
[edit] Pacific Island hotels
[edit] Micronesia
- The Federated States of Micronesia hotels
- Marshall Islands hotels
- Palau hotels
- Northern Mariana Islands hotels
- Nauru hotels
- Kiribati hotels
- Guam hotels
[edit] Melanesia
[edit] Polynesia
- Cook Islands hotels
- Niue hotels
- Samoa hotels
- Tonga hotels
- American Samoa hotels
- French Polynesia hotels
- Easter Island hotels
[edit] Hawaii
- Hawaii in general
- The Big Island hotels
- Maui hotels
- Moloka'i hotels
- Lana'i hotels
- O'ahu hotels
- Kaua'i hotels
[edit] Central America
[edit] Central America hotels
- Guatemala hotels
- Belize hotels
- Honduras hotels
- El Salvador hotels
- Nicaragua hotels
- Costa Rica hotels
- Panama hotels
