While any kind of holiday is nice, there is something spectacular about a touch of luxury. And while holidays may look different to everyone, when it comes to luxurious escapes, some things are universal.
An idyllic location akin to paradise, unique experiences you cannot have just anywhere and incredible facilities that make you feel like royalty, these are just some of the things that come to mind for us when we think of a luxurious holiday escape. Is it the same for you too?
Well, if it is, then you must continue reading, as we’re going to tell you why Palm Cove’s Reef House in Queensland is the ideal holiday destination when you’re looking for the ideal luxurious holiday escape.
The Reef House in Tropical North Queensland
Located in Palm Cove, a tranquil seaside community that is nestled away along the Tropical North Queensland coast of Australia, the Reef House offers its guests the chance to be a part of their history.
In fact, a rich history fills the property, while modern touches and personalised service ensuring that your time at the Reef House is special, relaxing and exactly what you are looking for.
The Reef House was one of the first properties in Palm Cove – built back in 1958, originally to be the family home of a bookmaker from Cairns. The bookmaker managed to have an enviable pool built – the ‘best swimming pool in North Queensland’ by a swimming pool proprietor who was said to be indebted to the bookmaker.
In 1970, the house was bought by a syndicate, who opened a restaurant on the property that also offered limited accommodation. And then in 1972, the property was acquired by the Brigadier David Thomson, who would later go on to become the Federal Minister for Science and Technology. The Reef House became a private residence where every visitor was treated as a personal guest of the Brigadier.
Under the helm of the Brigadier, some of the traditions that make the Reef House so unique today, began – but we will tell you more about those later.
The Reef House today is now one of the most treasured holiday destinations in Australia. It has become well-known for the way it can elevate your expectations on what a luxurious tropical getaway can be. The Reef House offers a transformative experience, one that will have you never wanting to leave.
What makes the Reef House the ideal luxurious holiday destination?
We mentioned some of the things that universally signify the luxury aspects of a holiday, and as you would expect, the Reef House has these, and more in spades.
Outstanding Facilities and Accommodations
There are 67 rooms and suites, which helps to harness the feel of a charming boutique hotel – rather than a large chain hotel that is searching for an identity, the attention to detail of the Reef House will have you feeling at home almost immediately.
Each of the rooms, suites, apartments, and villas available offers guests a comfortable, relaxing, and private sanctuary for them to retreat to whenever they need to. Indoor and outdoor living is seamless, with garden patios, swing seating, and private balcony spa baths available.
The property itself features two pools – an adults only tranquillity pool and a heated mineral pool; as well as the on-site restaurant, the Reef House Restaurant, which serves modern Australian dishes that make the most of the local cuisine; an award winning day spa, the Reef House Day Spa, which is known as the crown jewel of all of the spas in the region; the Brigadier’s Honesty Bar, where guests can help themselves to cocktails; a guest library with books and board games; and even fishing rods and vintage cruisers for you to use at your leisure.
The beach nearby provides a constant soundtrack that will lull you into a whole new level of relaxation.
Speaking of the beach, let’s talk about the location itself.
An Ideal Location
The word beachfront really says it all. The property has the Coral Sea and Palm Beach directly in front of it. The palm tree lined coastline offers postcard perfect views at every turn and really helps to set that holiday tone you’re looking for.
Palm Cove itself is quite a hidden gem, often overlooked for the larger Cairns and Port Douglas nearby. However, with a population of only 2000 people, the friendly locals and a limited number of hotels and resorts in the area means you can enjoy the laidback pace of this serene seaside village.
You will find shopping boutiques, restaurants, and cafes along the main strip of Palm Cove, to keep you entertained and satiated. The laidback, friendly nature of the locals, as well as the small size of the village makes Palm Cove a safe and comfortable environment for all visitors, including solo travellers.
In addition to the Reef House and Palm Cove both being amazing tropical destinations, Palm Cove also happens to be in between two of the world’s most stunning natural attractions – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics. This sets you up for adventure and experiences you truly cannot have anywhere else, and it sets us up to tell you the next reason why this part of the world is your ideal holiday destination.
Incredible Experiences at Your Door
No matter the kind of holiday you’re looking for, whether it’s one that offers total relaxation where you can take it easy and just enjoy the onsite facilities or you want to get out and see the world around you, one of the most important things we look for in a holiday destination is somewhere that offers us experiences we can’t have at home.
Well, that’s exactly what you get in Palm Cove. As we just mentioned, there are two amazing Heritage listed natural attractions that are just waiting to be explored at your doorstep when you stay at the Reef House.
The Wet Tropics is the world’s oldest rainforest, with five precincts offering almost every landscape imaginable throughout it. From woodlands to open fields, luscious green flora to cascading waterfalls, the Wet Tropics has it all. The Wet Tropics lies between Cooktown and Townsville in Queensland, covering an area of just under 9000 square kilometres.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef system, which covers an area of more than 348,000 square kilometres. It is made up of around 300 coral reefs and over 900 islands, including continental islands and coral cays. Countless species of fish, sharks, birds, whales, dolphins, corals, jellyfish, sea snakes and many other marine creatures call it home
Given the size of each of these attractions, the way you in which you can experience both the Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef is vast, varied, and oh-so unique. You can snorkel the outer reefs of the Reef, you can scuba dive at a tropical island, you can take a helicopter ride over the turquoise waters, you can go hot air ballooning over the Atherton tablelands, you can take a rainforest safari, you can meet the wildlife residents of the region at Hartley’s Crocodile Park, you can take scenic train rides through the forest to a rainforest village, and you can try your hand at landing that catch on a Charter Reef Fishing trip.
Whatever your tastes or interests, there is a spectacular way to make the most of this amazing location with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Learn more about the Tropical North Queensland experiences you can only have here.
You can work with our Luxury Concierge to plan the experience of your dreams.
Onsite experiences and activities
The aim is to make you feel comfortable, like you are a part of the family, and our range of onsite activities and experiences is how we do this.
From the comfort of the Reef House, you can enjoy activities such as:
- Cocktail classes
- Beachfront Yoga
- Stretch and Breathe Classes
- Aqua Aerobics
- Wine and Digestive Tasting with our Sommelier
- Skincare Talk and Mimosa with our Spa Director
- Mindfulness Sessions
We also offer a variety of onsite signature experiences and inclusions that make us truly unique, but more on that later.
A Vibrant Culinary Scene
This region offers an abundant plethora of food, some that you would expect to see here, like fresh mangoes, bananas, pineapples and of course, seafood. But this region is also home to less expected produce, like milk, cheese, chocolate, wine, and gin.
The rich indigenous history of the region also means the opportunity to try bush foods and native spices is on the cards.
If you want to experience a taste of the tropics, there are numerous foodie-based experiences, like those offered by Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures, or you can choose to explore the local markets and food trails of the area. Palm Cove itself is home to many restaurants that make the most of the local produce, including our onsite restaurant, the Reef House Restaurant.
The Reef House Restaurant puts a modern Australia twist on the produce, and along with an enviable wine list, you can enjoy a candlelit dinner under the Melaleucas while you savour the taste of the tropics.
You’ll indulge in meals that you will remember for years when you’re here.
Wellness and Revitalisation is the priority
To ensure you can maximise your wellbeing, we offer a number of boutique tropical escapes, each of which have been carefully curated with you in mind.
From one-night mini breaks to 7-night retreats, you can make the most of our ideal location, signature inclusions, onsite activities, as well as our Day Spa facilities and award-winning restaurant. We want you to be able to experience everything that makes the Reef House what it is.
We offer personalised service and the chance to curate your escape to be whatever you need it to be because we want you to leave the Reef House with everlasting memories, and of course feeling incredible.
A destination like no other
Our aim is to stand out from other holiday destinations.
At the Reef House, we don’t want to be just another luxury resort, we want to be the place you think of when you fantasise about being on a holiday again.
Instead of a soulless resort in the crowd, the Reef House is a place that somehow combines the feeling of being a million miles away from the rest of the world, while also feeling as if you’re right at home.
We pride ourselves on a rich history, one that is full of traditions that still stand today. Besides the amazing location, the gorgeous facilities and everything else we’ve already talked about, it’s our history that makes us so unique.
Each night guests gather for twilight canapes and punch, there is an Honesty Bar that has been in use since the 1970s when it was set up by the Brigadier and Poolside Sorbet each afternoon. These small touches are important to us because they are what makes us so much more than your run-of-the-mill holiday destination. We have soul, we have character and most importantly, we want to share that with you.
As one of Palm Cove’s first properties, we feel it’s our responsibility to show you what Palm Cove is all about, and trust us, you won’t find another luxurious holiday destination like the Reef House.
