Palm Cove Apartments

We just spent a fantastic week at the Alamanda. Before we arrived they arranged transport for us from (and to) the Cairns airport through Exemplar, an excellent shuttle service. A small discount is applied to the transport charge when the Alamanda makes the booking. From arrival and check in until we reluctantly said goodbye, every staff member including Kiley the manager were helpful and friendly. The kitchen/living area of our oceanfront one bedroom suite (#35) was on the top floor with our spacious en suite bedroom, and a second bathroom with shower, on the floor below. The furnishings are modern, there is Miele equipment in the kitchen and laundry, and the entire place was immaculately clean. The wonderful view from our big balcony took in the beach, palm trees, and one of the three swimming pools. The main pool was being renovated but unlike other reviewers, we never heard any construction noise from it. There was an occasional sound or two from what was probably routine maintenance or minor construction, but it was never a nuisance. The Alamanda is at the end of the main street that runs along the beach and is situated such that the street turns before it passes in front of the side of the building where our suite was located. As far as we could tell this was the only accommodation in Palm Cove that didn’t have the street between it and the beach, so no traffic noise. It is a short walk to the many restaurants, bars, and shops on the main street (DO NOT miss the restaurant Vivo - see separate review). Restaurant La Mesa at the Mantra is very good and gives a discount to Accor members, but only if you have your Accor card with you. There is a small well-stocked grocery store very near Alamanda, and a short distance past the store is the Palm Cove Tavern and bottle shop. Gabi in the office were eager to help us sort out an excursion to Kuranda via the historic train from Freshwater, and back down the mountain via cable car. One tour was based from Cairns which would have required us to pay separately for transport to the train station and back from the cable car station. Upon looking at the many brochures in the office we found a brochure for Brett’s one-day Kuranda tour that originates in Port Douglas with a pick up in Palm Cove, eliminating the need to pay for separate transport. It pays to look closely at the brochures. Gabi booked our tour with Brett’s excellent tour (see separate review) and the charge was put on our room. We have told friends and family about our wonderful stay here and some of them are already planning their visits. We will definitely be back!

We arrived in the early hours after a very long travel day but thankfully the after hours check in worked well and we found a parking space then, at 2am!! They stress that parking is first come, first served. We stayed a week and typically got in around 4.30 after a day out and only once couldn't park the car in the garage. It was no trouble to find a space on the street. The staff were friendly. Great location with a side view of the beach. We loved the sound of the ocean. Places to eat in the area were plentiful and easy to walk to. Although Rattle & Hum is literally on site and always very busy we never experienced any excessive street noise. The bad points: No full length mirror. Hard to shower without making floor wet. Balcony furniture uncomfortable to sit for long. No oven, just microwave and two rings but perfectly functional for our needs. No fly mesh on window shutters...but bugs weren't an issue during our stay. We absolutely loved Palm Cove and were sad to leave.

Loved every minute of staying at the Reef House! We stayed for several days celebrating our Honeymoon. The staff was amazing and made every detail feel so special for us. The concierge helped book amazing tours of both the Daintree Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef. Every drink and meal we enjoyed for breakfast, pool side or dinner at the restaurant was delicious!

Except that the room is slightly less private to the walkway, the others are very satisfied, and the landlord is warm and friendly. A taxi from the airport to the hotel costs about 65 dollars. Take a ride to coles, you can get there within 10 minutes.

As an older couple we usually wait a few days to allow the holiday euphoria to subside before writing a review. Our opinion of our 10 day holiday at The Reef House Hotel in Palm Cove has not diminished. The Reef House is the older colonial style of hotel we love. It is very welcoming, comfortable and homely but has modern facilities. The meals are top quality and exceptionally well presented. We could not find fault with any of the wonderful staff or the services which were provided with a smile every time both before and during our stay. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble – like providing some new tackle for the fishing rods that are available free to use or helping to work out the combination lock on the free bikes. The on –site wellness centre is a wonderful addition. The fact that guests must be over 16 years old to stay meant that we could enjoy peace and quiet during meals in the wonderful open dining area or around the two pools and spas. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are organising our return for next year.