With the Commonwealth Games just around the corner, there’s a global spotlight on the Gold Coast (GC) – so much investment has gone into infrastructure, facilities and attractions that it’s expected to remain long after the last race has run.
In my opinion, the GC is one of the best holiday destinations for families in the world, and we hope to see you all here one day soon!
BUT WHERE TO STAY…
Finding a family-friendly place to stay anywhere can be overwhelming for anyone. Many hotels claim to cater for kids, but when you drill down on the detail, you often find out that the only children that are truly welcome – are the ones pictured in the marketing brochures.
We recently had the chance to review The Novotel Surfers Paradise (located right in the heart of Surfers Paradise). The property has recently undergone a multi-million dollar renovation – so we were pretty excited to ‘check-in’ and ‘check-things’ out!
THERE IS SO MUCH TO LOVE AT THE NOVOTEL SURFERS PARADISE
As Queensland locals, we have kid-tested our fair share of hotels on the GC and are happy to say that after our short staycation that The Novotel Surfers Paradise – it checks out more than ok for kids.
Here are a few things that impressed us during our stay…
1. It’s Really Roomy
A hotel with a separate sleeping/playing area for the kids wins my heart every time. The Novotel Surfers Paradise takes this to the next level – their superior family suite gives you that space and includes a second TV for kids, multiple power points for charging electronic devices and plenty of room to stow their suitcases and easily display and access their belongings.
The hotel room ticked quite a few other boxes for us too – a safe balcony with a heavy sliding door and lock, bathtub, a generous room for parents and beautifully appointed fresh, clean and furnishings. Oh and importantly… the hair dryer was supercharged for speed drying – always a plus!
Our room had a view right through to Surfers Beach – it was so perfect that we decided to have a lazy Sunday breakfast in. It didn’t disappoint and was served cafe style – the kids ate on the balcony, and we enjoyed our breaky in bed.
2. Fun Onsite Facilities
Having an excellent room is one thing but when you’re holidaying with kids (especially boys like ours)… you need to get them outside and run them! Children with energy to burn can do so right at the hotel, either on the full-size tennis court or at the pool deck (complete with heated spa).
Parents don’t have to break their exercise routine either, plan to go for a walk on the beach or hit the gym onsite. Alternatively, get that instant holiday feeling, by sitting by the pool and ordering cocktails and lunch while the kids do laps. Sounds dreamy right!
3. Location on point
Exploring Surfers Paradise is very easy from the hotel – you’re staying right in the heart of it all with everything you could ever want at your doorstep. If you want to explore further, there is the tram, bus, beach, Cavill Mall all just minutes away and there’s really no need to put the kids into the car to find ways to enjoy your holiday.
If you’re planning a trip to the theme parks, Coolangatta or beyond, there is an activities desk within the hotel that can organise transfers and day trips for you. Or you could hire a car, up to you! 🙂
A big drawcard for both local and visiting families is the beach. We’ve done a lot of the touristy things there are to do in town – Infinity Attraction, Ripleys Believe it Or Not, spending hours at Time Zone (the old Grundies for those that remember it), putt-putt golf, but during this stay, we decided to take it easy and fly kites on the beach.
It was a simple but perfect outing… well until the ocean called and the kids decided to run in fully clothed – life’s never boring with kids! Fortunately, the trip back to the hotel is only a 4-minute easy walk through the shopping centre (connected to the hotel).
4. Food, glorious food
You can’t say you have reviewed a hotel until you have fully tested the food and beverage options – and test we did!
The standards were high from both our in-room dining deliveries (including hot, barista-made coffees), through to wine tasting with antipasto at the bar and a three-course dinner in Hanlan’s Restaurant.
The kid’s menu also doubles as a colouring-in sheet which is great for keeping them entertained once they’ve finished their dinner, so you can move onto your second wine!
Kids staying at Novotel properties these school holidays will also be well catered for. They’ve just launched a great range of healthy options thanks to a collaboration between parent company Accor Hotels and ambassadors World Surfing Champion Sally Fitzgibbons and Play School’s Rachael Coopes – both of which know how important it is to stay healthy when you travel.
The new menu features classic spaghetti bolognaise but with hidden vegetables, fruit smoothies and desserts using berries and yoghurt.
The launch of their new wellness program also extends to the in-room entertainment where Novotel kids can get interactive on a closed You Tube channel exploring “The Wonderful World of Shapes” and “Baby Bunny Won’t go to Bed” – a program incorporating kids yoga that’s perfect for winding down at the end of the day or before a nap.
Both of these initiatives combined with all the fantastic things that we experienced during our stay, make the Novotel Surfers Paradise a wonderful choice for holidaying families.
DETAILS
Centrally located right in the heart of Surfers Paradise we were able to combine relaxation and family fun into our short staycation. We stayed for one night but could have easily enjoyed a week!
For bookings and specials visit: https://www.novotelsurfersparadise.com.au/
CREDIT
Novotel hotels are well known for their family-friendly focus which often includes free accommodation and breakfast for children under 16, 50 percent off a second room for families, late check-out on Sundays, welcome gifts for kids, movie partnerships and kids corner play areas. Availability and family-friendly facilities differ between properties but to keep up to date with what’s on offer all properties visit:
For more information about Novotel across Australia and to book, visit novotel.com.
For more information about AccorHotels, visit accorhotels.com.
Our family was media guests of The Novotel Surfers Paradise to review this hotel for families. All opinions are our own and correct at the time of publication.
