We acknowledge the Yirrganydji people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
From the moment our guests arrive we are committed to exceeding expectations and offering a boutique hotel experience like no other, delivering rest, relaxation and revitalisation. The Reef House is a tropical retreat, designed as an adults only escape for relaxing luxury escapes for guests 16 years and over. All facilities, pools, day spa, restaurant and services are dedicated to our House Guests.
We look forward to welcoming you to our unique treasure in Tropical North Queensland.
All inclusions subject to seasonal change and are complimentary unless *marked.
Delivering rest, relaxation and revitalisation. The Reef House is a tropical retreat, designed as an adults only escape.
All inclusions subject to seasonal change and are complimentary unless *marked.
*Additional charges apply.
Keeping the body flexible is the focus for Cathrena McRae who has been helping guests at The Reef House ease into gentle stretch and breathe classes alongside the pool twice a week for the past three years. With three decades of yoga practice behind her, Cathrena knows just how to ease guests into their personalised Reef House holiday. “The stretch and breathe classes for up to 10 people are about easing stress and tension in the body. I focus on correcting techniques and working with any injuries to ensure release in the beautiful, calm setting alongside The Reef House pool,” she says.
The Reef House aqua aerobics class is a great way to kickstart a holiday at Palm Cove, according to fitness trainer Ramez Guirguis. “We do five minutes of stretching and 25 minutes of activity in the temperature-regulated mineral pool. It’s all about having fun with hand weights in the pool to get those endorphins going and help guests feel great,” he says. Born in Egypt, Ramez grew up in Greece and Melbourne before discovering Cairns and deciding to base his personal and group training business on the picturesque northern beaches. He has been showing clients how to maximise their fitness and energy for 14 years and has been leading aqua aerobics classes at The Reef House for the past six years.
Sommelier Kenny Hillier’s extraordinary knowledge about wine was honed at an early age when he used to spend his Sunday afternoons driving around South Australia’s premier wine districts with his father gathering the latest vintages in the back of an Austin A50.
Kenny travelled the world working in hospitality before becoming the sommelier at some of the Australia’s and London’s top restaurants. His nose for wine was further enhanced at Michael Caine’s trendy Langan’s Brasserie in Mayfair.
“It’s about giving people an insight into the world of wine with three selected wines. We start by talking about what is not in the glass – if it hasn’t got white and black pepper then it’s not shiraz. For instance, is it new world or old world? I also give them tips such as using Winesave, which preserves wine with food-grade argon gas and how the diamond shaped Zerrutti decanter is, in my opinion, the most effective.”
Discovering that clownfish change sex is a surprise for many guests listening to Dr Glen Burns, a marine biologist with three decades of experience in tropical marine ecosystems. But what really gets a laugh is finding out that the female has to keep her man in a constant state of stress to ensure he remains a male. Otherwise he becomes a female! Glen is one of the Great Barrier Reef’s first Master Reef Guides, professional reef story tellers who help visitors appreciate just how amazing the world’s most diverse reef is and to understand the challenges it faces. “I go to the reef nearly every day and have seen negative impacts, but I also see the regrowth that gives me hope for the future. We need to give reefs time to regenerate and adapt to a changing climate.”
Shaun ‘Yalankurr’ Creek loves taking guests on a journey to understand the Dreamtime of his people, the Kuku Yalanji from the Mossman area and the Kaanju from Coen in Cape York Peninsula. The former ranger discusses protocols like smoking ceremonies and why his people’s spiritual connection to their country is so strong. As the sound of his didgeridoo fades, he moves to his favourite part of his time at The Reef House – chatting with guests about his culture and country. “It makes me proud to share my knowledge of bush medicines and foods and to talk about the seasonal changes. I show things like the salt tree and they always recognise its use as it smells like liniment.”
After more than 2000 hours spent teaching yoga, Beth Hartig knows a thing or two about the benefits of hatha flow, vinyasa and yin for both body and mind. Her Palm Cove beachfront beginner and advanced classes are popular with both locals and visitors wanting to start their day on the right foot. After completing a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Psychology, Beth studied yoga at Trimuti Yoga in India and moved from England to Australia, settling in Palm Cove to teach yoga in 2014. “Yoga is a really powerful way to change your psychology and learn about your own mind and its patterns. It enables people to take control of their thoughts and reclaim control of their mental health.”
Ondrej Hrasna, a former head waiter from Slovakia who moved to Australia in 2019, has become a beloved member of The Reef House staff. His lively cocktail classes have become a guest favourite among the Signature Inclusion activities. Starting his day as a barista, Ondrej seamlessly transitions into a bartender for lunch service, reserving three afternoons each week for the popular cocktail classes. He takes great pleasure in experimenting with flavours, using tropical elements like lemongrass to craft crowd-pleasing cocktails such as the Lemongrass-infused Sling, which incorporates locally blended Blackbooks Tea. During the classes, guests learn to make two cocktails, with the first being a simple creation comprising no more than four ingredients. As a special treat, guests receive the recipes to recreate the drinks at home.
Keeping the body flexible is the focus for Cathrena McRae who has been helping guests at The Reef House ease into gentle stretch and breathe classes alongside the pool twice a week for the past three years. With three decades of yoga practice behind her, Cathrena knows just how to ease guests into their personalised Reef House holiday. “The stretch and breathe classes for up to 10 people are about easing stress and tension in the body. I focus on correcting techniques and working with any injuries to ensure release in the beautiful, calm setting alongside The Reef House pool,” she says.
The Reef House aqua aerobics class is a great way to kickstart a holiday at Palm Cove, according to fitness trainer Ramez Guirguis. “We do five minutes of stretching and 25 minutes of activity in the temperature-regulated mineral pool. It’s all about having fun with hand weights in the pool to get those endorphins going and help guests feel great,” he says. Born in Egypt, Ramez grew up in Greece and Melbourne before discovering Cairns and deciding to base his personal and group training business on the picturesque northern beaches. He has been showing clients how to maximise their fitness and energy for 14 years and has been leading aqua aerobics classes at The Reef House for the past six years.
Sommelier Kenny Hillier’s extraordinary knowledge about wine was honed at an early age when he used to spend his Sunday afternoons driving around South Australia’s premier wine districts with his father gathering the latest vintages in the back of an Austin A50.
Kenny travelled the world working in hospitality before becoming the sommelier at some of the Australia’s and London’s top restaurants. His nose for wine was further enhanced at Michael Caine’s trendy Langan’s Brasserie in Mayfair.
“It’s about giving people an insight into the world of wine with three selected wines. We start by talking about what is not in the glass – if it hasn’t got white and black pepper then it’s not shiraz. For instance, is it new world or old world? I also give them tips such as using Winesave, which preserves wine with food-grade argon gas and how the diamond shaped Zerrutti decanter is, in my opinion, the most effective.”
Discovering that clownfish change sex is a surprise for many guests listening to Dr Glen Burns, a marine biologist with three decades of experience in tropical marine ecosystems. But what really gets a laugh is finding out that the female has to keep her man in a constant state of stress to ensure he remains a male. Otherwise he becomes a female! Glen is one of the Great Barrier Reef’s first Master Reef Guides, professional reef story tellers who help visitors appreciate just how amazing the world’s most diverse reef is and to understand the challenges it faces. “I go to the reef nearly every day and have seen negative impacts, but I also see the regrowth that gives me hope for the future. We need to give reefs time to regenerate and adapt to a changing climate.”
Shaun ‘Yalankurr’ Creek loves taking guests on a journey to understand the Dreamtime of his people, the Kuku Yalanji from the Mossman area and the Kaanju from Coen in Cape York Peninsula. The former ranger discusses protocols like smoking ceremonies and why his people’s spiritual connection to their country is so strong. As the sound of his didgeridoo fades, he moves to his favourite part of his time at The Reef House – chatting with guests about his culture and country. “It makes me proud to share my knowledge of bush medicines and foods and to talk about the seasonal changes. I show things like the salt tree and they always recognise its use as it smells like liniment.”
After more than 2000 hours spent teaching yoga, Beth Hartig knows a thing or two about the benefits of hatha flow, vinyasa and yin for both body and mind. Her Palm Cove beachfront beginner and advanced classes are popular with both locals and visitors wanting to start their day on the right foot. After completing a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Psychology, Beth studied yoga at Trimuti Yoga in India and moved from England to Australia, settling in Palm Cove to teach yoga in 2014. “Yoga is a really powerful way to change your psychology and learn about your own mind and its patterns. It enables people to take control of their thoughts and reclaim control of their mental health.”
Ondrej Hrasna, a former head waiter from Slovakia who moved to Australia in 2019, has become a beloved member of The Reef House staff. His lively cocktail classes have become a guest favourite among the Signature Inclusion activities. Starting his day as a barista, Ondrej seamlessly transitions into a bartender for lunch service, reserving three afternoons each week for the popular cocktail classes. He takes great pleasure in experimenting with flavours, using tropical elements like lemongrass to craft crowd-pleasing cocktails such as the Lemongrass-infused Sling, which incorporates locally blended Blackbooks Tea. During the classes, guests learn to make two cocktails, with the first being a simple creation comprising no more than four ingredients. As a special treat, guests receive the recipes to recreate the drinks at home.
All experiences as subject to seasonal changes.
