The Reef House

The Reef House is truely a little slice of paradise. It’s our 3rd time back and we will keep returning. It is such a special place. Adults only, A la carte breakfast overlooking the beach, 29 free inclusions, including classes such as wine appreciation and cocktail making, health and fitness classes as well. Sorbet at the pool at 3pm and punch and canapés at 5pm. Too much to mention. It’s a great place to relax by one of the two pools, rejuvenate and indulge. Cedric and the Reef House family team make it a special holiday for everyone.

Excellent Service, Excellent facilities and inclusions, Excellent Location. Staff were extremely attentive and nothing was too much for them to fulfil any requirements. Brigadier bar 5pm punch and canapes was a fantastic time to catch up with other guests. Cocktail making and Wine appreciation classes were also excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay, recommend 100 % for couples who appreciate the finer life.

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