Hamilton Island

Frommer's Review

More a vacation village than a single resort, Hamilton has the widest range of activities, accommodations styles, and restaurants of any Great Barrier Reef island resort. Taking it to a new level is the new ultraluxe qualia, an exclusive, adults-only retreat area on the northern part of the island, away from the mere mortals at the other end. Here you will stay in one of 60 one-bedroom pavilions, with hand-crafted furniture and high thread-counts on your sheets. Each has a private swimming pool and a guest pavilion. There's a spa and two restaurants, and none of these facilities are available to other Hamilton Island guests.

If qualia is out of your league, the other accommodations choices are extra large rooms and suites in the high-rise hotel; high-rise one-bedroom apartments; Polynesian-style bungalows in tropical gardens (ask for one away from the road for real privacy); and still glamorous rooms in the two-story, adults-only Beach Club (with minimalist decor, a personal "host" to cater to every whim, and private restaurant, lounge, and pool for exclusive use of Beach Club guests); as well as one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments and villas. The best sea views are from the second-floor Beach Club rooms, from floors 5 to 18 of the Reef View Hotel, and from most apartments and villas. The hotel and Beach Club have concierge service. In-room amenities vary depending on your accommodations choice (for example, apartments have kitchens), so check when booking. So you can see, it's still not too shabby.

On one side of the island is a marina village with cafes, restaurants, shops, and a yacht club. On the other are the accommodations, a large free-form pool and swim-up bar, and the curve of Catseye Beach. Hamilton offers a huge range of watersports, fishing trips, cruises, speedboat rides, go-karts, a "wire flyer" flying-fox hang glider, a shooting range, where you can practice target or clay-pidgeon shooting; minigolf; an aquatic driving range; beach barbecue safaris; hiking trails; a wildlife sanctuary, where you can cuddle a koala or hold a baby crocodile; and an extensive daily activities program. Because a steep hill splits the resort, the best way to get around is on the free bus service, which operates on three loops around the island from 7am to 11pm, or by rented golf buggy. To get away from the main resort area, hit the beach or the hiking trails -- most of the 750-hectare (1,853-acre) island is virgin bushland. The biggest drawback is that just about every activity costs extra (and it's usually not cheap), so you are constantly adding to your bill.

Facilities: 12 restaurants; 7 bars; 7 outdoor pools; minigolf and driving range; lit tennis courts; health club; extensive range of watersports and activities; child-care center for kids from 6 weeks to 14 years (in 3 groups); tour desk; business center; shopping arcade; salon; limited room service; massage; babysitting; coin-op laundry; laundry service (hotel only)

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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