The Reef House

The Reef House This is a beachside (actually across the street) boutique hotel in Palm Cove a short drive from Cairns. I found this to be quite good in many respects but lacking in a few. My first impression was about the staff here. They were absolutely lovely. In every instance, they present themselves as happy and eager to help. They are welcoming and smiling at every interaction. Whoever, has selected the employees or provided their training, you are doing a spectacular job. Many of the staff were from France and several had just recently arrived to work here. But they knew their jobs and their presence was much of what makes Reef House a pleasant place to stay. The second thing that is good about Reef House is the location. Palm Cove is small, so most of the hotels, restaurants and bars have a direct view of the ocean, which while we were there, was an angry brown due to the wind and chop. But regardless of the weather, it is really relaxing to look out at the sea while enjoying a great breakfast (included with our room) and sipping well made coffees from the barista. Even the landscaping on the property itself is well designed, befitting the location, so that the buildings of Reef House seem less intrusive somehow. Reef House bills itself as a relaxing, wellness, rejuvenating kind of resort. And to some degree it is. The decor is beachy, and laid back. The rooms come with a complement of teas, scented candles and even a book to teach you how to sleep better (should one actually need such instruction). The restaurant is truly great. We ate dinner there one night and the food was excellent, the service well done and even the wine list was good (not always the case in Australia). We went to an evening lecture by a marine biologist who gave a wonderful talk about the health and stresses of reefs. There were a few things here that could be improved though. First, the facilities appear a bit old, and tired. Rooms look worn in many places. This is not a ‘luxury’ hotel in the ostentatious sense. The last time this was renovated must have been quite a while ago, bathrooms, AC, TV are all seemingly from past decades. Flagstones on walkways, around the pools are broken and chipping. You just get the impression that when this place was created (around 1985), it was a novel approach to hospitality, and it just remained as it was. Secondly, there are a few policies that are off putting. We were told upon check-in that we could only have breakfast at 630a or 645a. Now we are on vacation many time zones away from home and that is just not acceptable. It would have been fine to say it may be busy at certain times and you might have to wait. And, in fact, when we went to breakfast when we felt like it, all was fine, we did not have to wait. So why insist on this before we even saw our room? Although the hostess was apologetic and extremely pleasant and said she would try to overwrite the breakfast reserve list, it was not a good introduction. The afternoon canapé service, wine tasting etc were better in print than the actual experience. Similarly, other little things such as a sign in the room about tea will be charged if you take the small plastic throw-away jar, give a sense that the management does not truly consider this a small hotel dedicated to house guests (their tag line). However, these issues do not really diminish the experience here. It is a tranquil and relaxing place and we very much enjoyed it. These are just a few suggestions for the management to consider. I hope they do.

What a great getaway. The resort staff definitely make the difference, elevating a wonderful venue to a wonderful experience. We’re going back next year to escape the cold……………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Beautiful relaxation , the smells , the waterfall sounds , the ultra soft bed and gorgeous pillows to sink into . We both had the best sleep experience . The staff were all most welcoming . A lovely Italian cocktail maker taught us how to make the best cocktails , lemon drop and margarita with a twist , yum . Canapés and punch in the afternoon were a delight . We used the bikes to see the views , great to be in use whenever we needed . The pools were so relaxing . Thanks you for our great experience

We can get past the room ‘muck up’ that happened because our stay was so lovely, but it has to be mentioned in this review because it was not a good way to start - we were only at Reef House two nights and it took a couple of hours to get into the right room, being one we reserved with an outdoor spa and large patio/dining area. That was exactly what we booked, and EXACTLY what we wanted. But we were given a room ‘with ocean view’ (although no water visible through plants!!!!) which was cramped and only had a bath inside. This was apparently ‘an upgrade’ for us but no person would possibly consider it as such when comparing the rooms alongside each other. Had we stayed with the ‘upgraded’ room (why were we not asked if we would like an ‘upgrade’s) and not insisted on getting what we booked, and had carefully chosen a long way in advance, we would have been unhappy at Reef House. Thankfully, it was fixed, but not necessarily with a ‘smile’. So, we greatly enjoyed our extremely spacious and homely ‘verandah king spa suite’, to the point we hardly wanted to leave it! We especially liked the separate luggage/vanity cupboard area in this room type, to tuck away our belongings and have that lovely old school feeling of a ‘dressing room’! It was a perfect room and the outdoor bath was large and dreamy. It was so lovely just to soak in it and enjoy the sounds - and champagne! On that note, unlike the nice welcome bottle of bubbles provided by its sister hotel, Mt Lofty House, the bubbles left in the room at Reef House are not decent quality (perhaps personal taste). So take along some special bottles of your own to enjoy in this special hotel! Leaving aside the initial hiccup, we really loved the ‘feel’ of the place generally – beautiful, but with simplicity rather than trying to be ostentatious - just serene. The heated pool is lovely (no sign of promised sorbet one day though??) and the outlook from the breakfast deck is calming to start off your day. Also, Cedric the Concierge really ‘sets the scene’ with his wonderfully welcoming preparatory phone calls and good wishes for a special occasion. We were only sorry he didn’t seem to be around when we were, so we didn’t meet. Next time hopefully!!! Just two comments for management consideration: Wine tasting session: we found this extremely superficial. Whether or not you ‘know’ wine, you do know that ‘comparing’ only one red and only one white is pointless. You might as well just pick up your glasses and go away and drink them somewhere. Under that scenario you need at least two whites and two reds to compare. Very weird. We expected more. Breakfast: both mornings we asked could we have a ‘bit of fruit’ before the ‘main course’. On the first morning we were told that having fruit would be considered having two ‘mains’ hence an extra charge would be applied. On the second morning we asked for only couple of pieces of dragon fruit on a plate, separate from the main plate, and that was agreed to, but I must say it felt like we were asking for the world. In such an environment it seemed a little bit too stingy, especially when you are in North Queensland where tropical fruit is part of the holiday experience.

The Reef House offers a perfect place to relax and unwind. The staff are exceptional. They do everything well at the Reef House. I love their little treats. I doubt you’d find a better place by the beach.