QT GOLD COAST
It’s part boutique hotel, partGidgetmovie. QT Gold
Coast’s open-plan ground floor has it all going on:
calypso-style pool with fake lawn; lobby bar Fixx laying
on high tea with Champagne; and Stingray Lounge
pouring 50 shades of tequila. Dressed in retro leisurewear,
vivacious staf serve the 297 rooms on 22 floors in record
time ( just two and a half minutes to send up a phone
charger!). Our modest seventh-floor suite has a sunny
balcony, witty minibar and galah-shaped bedside lamp.
Expect edgy art (Jennifer Steinkamp’s soaring digital
artwork in the lobby is a standout) and a serious spa. The
only dead spot is the charmless gym; plunge instead into the
paradisiacal surf, a two-minute stroll away.7 Staghorn Ave,
Surfers Paradise, (07) 5584 1200, qtgoldcoast.com.auWHERESurfers
Paradise, 22km from
Gold Coast Airport.
COSTFrom $265,
without breakfast.
AT A GLANCE
297 rooms and suites,
adjoining rooms; bar,
restaurant, café, pool,
day spa, gym, sauna,
tennis courts, paid valet
and self-parking, free
bike hire.IN ROOM
Free WiFi, smart TV,
cofee machine, some
baths and balconies,
Malin + Goetz toiletries.
BEST ROOMSThe
high-floor King Suite
Ocean View pods have
the sort of big blue
views we all want
from the Gold Coast.Someone has a sense of
humourhere. Case in point:
“In-room robe removal may result
in a slap or a tickle. Permanent
removal from this room may result
in a swipe (of the credit card kind).”
Don’t miss the chance to cycle
the beachfront. Grab a free
retro bike and a hamper (sandwiches,
water, fruit platter and sunscreen in
a cooler bag, $55) and get pedalling.
Chef-run stations at Bazaar
Marketplace restaurant create
a superior morning spread ($38),
featuring chive and potato rösti,
house-made baked beans and
a dedicated cofee station. Also on
site is Yamagen, a cut-above izakaya.
QT minibars aren’t so much
stocked as curated, and feature
quality booze, an emergency bow
tie and a beach ball. Stingray Lounge
is a Baja Californian refuge from
the hotel’s prevailing beach party,
featuring tequila cocktails such as
Day of the Dead, with chilli tequila,
lime and black lava salt.QUEENSLAND
Fixx Lounge and Café.
Left: QT King Ocean View
Room. Below, from left:
outdoor pool and spa;
QT King Suite Ocean
View bathroom.170 GOURMET TRAVELLER