All blog posts tagged with accommodation
Palazzo Versace - Opulance on the Gold Coast

“Oh my God” I say to Mr GG and I melt into the sumptuous puffy layers of bedding and linen. “Bed is good!” I am sure I do not spend nearly enough time in bed. At the moment it is 11.30pm and I have just turned to jelly as my tired body, fresh from a gorgeous hot spa fell into bed. There are so many layer of soft body pillows and a gorgeous thick doona. What’s not to love about sinking in to the bed in my “superior suite" at the Palazzo Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast.
I have to say I was sold before the bed and the spa. On arrival we found these gorgeous chocolates and some caramel fudge beside the bed. I have to apologise, there is no photo of the caramel, even as I was devouring them I knew I should stop and photograph, but alas, caramel is my favourite, so there aren’t any pictures.
I am sure the sweets were suppose to be for sharing but let’s just say, given that I didn’t managed to photograph the fudge the kiddies didn’t get much of a look in.. I would have succeeded in scoffing the lot bit Mr Cool (aka youngest son) spotted me munching; so I had to share the last two caramels. Never mind, he hadn’t spotted the red lips chocolates which were filled with strawberry fondant. Delicious.

The Superior Suite is just the right size for mum dad & two little kids. We have our own separate bedroom with a King size bed. The kids are in the lounge room. They will sleep on the sofa bed. By day the sofa is utilised as a lounge, and of a night the turn down service makes up the bed.

I love the attention to detail in the room. The finishing touches are all about luxury, relaxation and elegance. I love that I drink my tea from a proper tea cup, the soaps are pressed into a mould with the Versace insignia, the towels are thick and luxurious, bathrobes and slippers are so soft.
“ Hi we are in room 368, concierge parked our car for us last night but we have left the children shoes in the vehicle, do you think you could organise someone to bring them up for us?” “Certainly sir!” Just another example of the service we experienced on the way to breakfast.

The foyers are grand, and the furniture is opulent. I am obviously a bit of a spoiled princess because it is these things which feel like homey relaxation to me.

The view from the foyer is over a man made white sand “beach” setting, complete with king sized daybeds draped with white muslin. It is such a gorgeous vista. The comfort factor in this hotel has not been overlooked in any area.

I walk past the pool bar and notice an array of champagne would tempt me to indulge at any hour of the day or night. Veuve Clicquot and Moet seem to be the most popular bubbly. If you would prefer something a little more hydrating there is always the water with fresh citrus slices.

The pool area is designed for relaxation. It would be easy to spend a whole day simply lounging and reading a book. Every guest has a comfortable bed by the pool, there are no hard plastic chairs in sight.

The breakfast buffet may be a little smaller than some, but the quality of the food is exquisite. Luscious moist smoked salmon, creamy scrambled eggs and the best cappuccino I have had for so long make this breakfast something a little special.

For those that enjoy the sweeter element at breakfast there is always the caramelised banana, French toast, pancakes and an array of cakes and pastries.

Myself, I am also a bit partial to the fresh fruit salad, yoghurts and Bircher muesli. I few years ago I found my ultimate recipe and I have made it for myself ever since. It is not nearly as decadent as the Versace Bircher Muesli but I feel that I have discovered a healthier version. My recipe omits the cream and substituted low fat Vanilla Yoghurt. It is still delicious, but not so much of a guilty pleasure now.

It is Versace, so I think we need to make mention of the beautiful fashions. The pieces shown in the boutique and in the displays are seriously gorgeous, and seriously stylish. I love this dress!

I know it would fit me like a glove and I am instantly in love. This hotel gives you the feeling that you were made for the opulence. After two days at the Palazzo Versace I am so relaxed that I may never return to the real world. The level of service is like no other. The staffing is such, that there is someone to attend to your every need.
A stroll of an evening and the surrounds are more beautiful and so romantic. There is a tinge of blue out over the water and the night is still and warm.

We have enjoyed a meal in the restaurant. It was a private function but naturally I will share the menu.
Braised Cinnamon Duck leg served with honeyed red cabbage and duck jus, garnished with a Parmesan crisp. This was my favourite course. The crispy skinned duck, with moist sweet flesh was amazing against the acidic cabbage.

The main was a fillet of black Angus Beef "en croute" with truffled potato and Vichy carrots with red wine jus.
Finally for dessert a Tiramisu with espresso cream and a strawberry and orange salad. The salad was so sweet fresh and citrusy, I could have eaten so much more of this delicious flavour combination.
I would highly recommend the Palazzo Versace, it is truly a step up when it comes to service and style.
The Stamford Melbourne

A flying trip to Melbourne see's as staying at the Stamford Melbourne on Little Collins Street.
Relaxed sophistication, casual elegance.... how should I describe the Stamford hotel Melbourne? It is glorious in it decor and it’s location. The proximity to trendy dining options of all genre and pricing.

However,sleeping on the word of God is perhaps not necessarily the way hubby and I like our accommodation experiences... What we did like is that we called the concierge after a late night meal to notify of a fault bed he was ready to accommodate us elsewhere immediately. Tired and weary we had already temporarily resolved the problem by stacking books under the missing bed leg. The books were actually the holy bible and Melbourne yellow pages. A good use for both ;)
The staff were all so kind and considerate. At that late hour, with an early flight, we just wanted to call it a night, and be sound asleep. The phone call had merely been as a courtesy, so as maintenance staff could attend to the repair on our departure, but the response of the Stamford was exemplary. It was one of the most positive dealings we have had with an accommodation group...

To sum up, gorgeous rooms, beautiful hotel, lovely staff, I would absolutely choose to stay in these luxurious accommodations again.
Finding Nemo - Gold Coast

Finding Nemo on the Gold Coast
I have been quite busy lately and I really wanted to spend some quality time with my family. I decided to take advantage of the school holidays and book a quick three day getaway to the Gold Coast. I didn’t feel like all the hustle and bustle of “The Goldie” so I knew exactly where I planned to stay, The Marriot! Whilst the Marriot is located right in the heart of Surfers Paradise it is a destination unto itself. I knew that once we checked in to the hotel we would have no need to venture elsewhere.

I am sure my readers will understand that until all the kids are happy, no matter how sumptuous the bed or fluffy the pillows, there is no rest for mum and dad. I sold hubby on the idea by assuring him we would not be trekking to the fun parks this holiday, or to vineyards and obscure restaurants. This was to be a holiday of relaxing by the pool and soaking up a little bit of Gold Coast sunshine.

The pool I was referring to is actually more like a giant saltwater aquarium shared by tropical fish and guests. My children had bought snorkels, goggles and flippers and were ready to swim with the fish the moment we arrived.

There is something so cute about watching your 4 and 6 year old chasing after a Parrot fish or looking for Nemo. It was even better because I was enjoying the view from a comfortable deck lounge with a delicious cocktail in hand.

Next morning the little ones were up bright and early ready to take part in the fish feeding which occurs daily at 9.30am. I spoke to Sebastian who looks after the aquarium and he explained that there are currently 7 or 8 different species of fish in the pool at the moment. The hotel had just added another 170 tropical fish last week, these included Trigger Fish, Parrot Fish, Clown Fish and Moonrash. The lagoon is four metres deep in sections and includes two sand beaches and rocky outcrops for the fish to hide. It was part of the original Marriot build and has been in existence for nearly 20 years, but is still the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The pool is maintained at 25 degrees and 20,000 litres of water is exchange with the neighbouring canal each day. This provides the fish with a completely natural environment; it also means that there are are no chemicals used in the pool and plenty of "wildlife" around. Apparently this guy can be seen taking an early morning dip.

Now eventually my little rugrats did want a change of venue. So I had kept a surprise up my sleeve, the Marriott also has a regular pool and spa area and a water slide for the little ones. I knew this would keep their interest for quite a while so I timed this “revelation” for an afternoon activity, ensuring it would be respectable to enjoy another cocktail or two.
We have visited the Marriot on a number of previous occasion and we always take advantage of the delicious buffet available in Citrique Restaurant.

The seafood buffet has always been something really special, and I am told that it only recently re-opened with the same head chef as we have experienced in the past. Review to follow.

Each morning before the kids were awake my gorgeous husband would take a swim in the pool, do his regular workout in the Marriott gym, and collect my morning coffee from the on site cafe Java +. Java makes a blissfully strong cappuccino which really helped get my eyes open and my heart started each day.

I also found that they had gorgeous selection of delicious desserts. I am not much of a breakfast girl but I have a sweet tooth and I couldn’t help adding a few of these little delicacies to my morning coffee request.

So what else is there to do at the Marriott Surfers Paradise? I did mention the gymnasium... I had good intentions of visiting, but alas there was always too much food in my belly to drag myself onto a piece of gym equipment.

I did however make it down to the day spa “Lattouf”, located on level one. The Express Body Overhaul is their signature treatment and it sounded like just the thing for me. I booked myself in, and received the one hour pampering which included a full body sea salt exfoliation, a moisturising massage with aromatic oils, scalp and feet massage and a full facial cleanse, exfoliate and mask. When my treatment was complete I barely knew where I was, or the day of the week!

Relaxed to the point of being almost limp, I wandered back to the room to prepare for a fun filled night with Mr GG in the hotel’s Japanese Teppanyaki Bar, Benihana. I can honestly say, I really didn't know what I was in for! Review to follow.

Whilst this has been the perfect family getaway, there is also a more romantic and exclusive option available at The Marriott. The Elandra Retreat Club offers added luxury and elegance in the rooms and services available. Located on the 27 floor guests are treated to an “elevated” level of style and service. I think this would be the perfect choice for a romantic getaway, perhaps I will have to book in and let you know ;)
So readers, what do you look for when booking accommodation, give me a list of priorities?
Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa
158 Ferny Ave
Surfers Paradise
Ph: 07 5592 98000
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Have Your Say
I wish I had you for my mum when I was 5!
That cake would have been the talk of the town for the rest of the year - fantastic job.
A lot of your blogs will be interactively design and style that visitor share data to read your blog.
Thank you so much, it is going to be a wonderful surprise for my Mum, I wish everyone a great day with your own special people, those who helped you become who you are today.
Mum definitely deserves the hamper, because she is an amazing woman that has brought up 3 kids through tough times. She is the best mum a son could ask for.
She's had it tough, working hard
deserving much more than just a card
So let's raise a glass and toast her true
The best person in the world - Mum, that's you!
Thanks for the info on Rasa Malaysia's book. I used to visit her website for recipes but some time ago, igot a new PC and forgot to bookmark it!
You're too modest Julie! You did a great job with the cake! :D
Yellow strawberries and cream is just perfect for mum as a reward for putting up with two kids who were a pain in the bum.
I would have loved to have seen those martini glasses! Hope Miss A had a lovely time celebrating turning 5 :D
It shouldn't. It should go to me as whilst trying to make sure my mum, step-mum, MIL, Step-MIL, 3 x Grandmas are spoilt on Mother's Day, I always seem to get forgotten!
My poor old mum is battling to care for my step dad who has advanced Parkinsons. My real dad who has had a stroke still expects her to be there for him, my bro is going bankrupt and she lives two states away from her only gransdon. Her life has little joy- JUst wish for one thing nice to happen to her. We all love our mums, good luck to you all!
Perfect place to relax and forget about all the troubles we have in the city and just unwind ~ can't wait to go to somewhere like this hehe
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