Gold Coast . 2012 . Aug 07-13
We did our research online and shortlisted a few hotels in
Surfer’s Paradise based on
past reviews,
cost and
location. It caught our eye that
Vibe Hotel was newly refurbished and on further study, we found that they occupy an excellent location. We gave it a try and were pleasantly surprised when the hotel exceeds all our expectations. We had thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at
Vibe Hotel and would like to share with you our experience.
The Location
Situated next to Public Bus Stops
The location of
Vibe Hotel is superb. It is situated right
next to the bus stop where public buses bring you to
Sea World,
Movie World,
Warner Bros, and
Wild n Wet. This same bus stop is also where
Bus 702 from the Airport stops at Surfers Paradise and is perfect for travellers who need to take public transport from the Airport.
Near to Shopping and Dining OutletsVibe Hotel is located
opposite the Chevron Renaissance village, just a block from Cavill Avenue, the heart of the
Surfers Paradise shopping district. There is plenty of dining options here, ranging from coffee houses, cafes to restaurants.
We found a great range of Asian fare here as well – Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean, even a Taiwanese bubble tea shop! Most importantly, there is a
Woolworth Supermarket conveniently located at
Circle on Cavill right across the street, and this serves us well for our daily needs and supplies.
Near to the Golden BeachIt’s a leisurely walk of about
10 minutes to the beach, and you’ll pass by some shops and cafes along the way.
Next to the Nerang RiverBesides getting the beautiful scenery of the
Nerang river on a everyday-basis, this is also the boarding area for some of the river cruises. The river is bordered by boardwalks and flanked by
Appel Park.
Whales in Paradise, the only whale watching operator which
departs at Surfers Paradise operates right behind the hotel, and this fact is especially appealing to yours truly, who got severely seasick during the whale watching cruise and had to get back to the hotel quickly to rest. For those who likes a bit of Adrenaline, JetBoar Xtreme also operates right behind the hotel.
The ServiceAs our flight on
Scoot landed at
Gold Coast at 7:50am, we got to our hotel fairly early at around 9am. Check in is from 2pm onwards and we had fully anticipated leaving our luggage at the reception as it was still way too early for check-in.
Imagine our surprise when the hotel told us our room was ready and that they are giving us a free upgrade from a Deluxe View King Room to a bigger and higher floor room!Throughout our short stay, we found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Room service was always prompt and consumables were quickly replenished every day.
The Room
The hotel room lives up to all its expectations. The room is spacious and comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and most of its furnishings are new. There is
complimentary coffee and tea and
a fridge and mini bar provided. Its king sized bed is clean and comfortable. Most amazingly, although the hotel is located in the middle of the bustling night life of
Gold Coast and facing the main room, our room was quiet and we had a good rest at night.
We love the layout of the room, and especially so for the bathroom area. The bathtub, W.C and wash basin are located on the right with a sliding door for privacy, the wardrobe is on the left, and there is an extra wash basin and vanity top in the middle. This is a very good design, especially for couples staying in a room, where one can do a quick wash-up and get dressed even if the bath room is occupied.
The cleanliness of its bathroom is commendable. It is squeaky clean with no sign of dampness or mouldiness. In fact, it is so clean that it shines! For travellers like us who are particular about bathroom hygiene, this is a major plus point!
The hotel provides you with the basic soap, shampoo, conditioner and sanitary kit. But as with most Australian hotels, there are
no disposable toothbrush and toothpaste provided, so
do remember to bring your own. The BalconyOur favourite area of the room is its balcony. With a room on the 19th storey, we get a
view of the Pacific Ocean in front of us. For early risers, you can watch sunrise at the privacy of your balcony.
During the day, the balcony doubles up as a drying area for our clothes, as there is substantial sunlight filtering in. In the evening, enjoy the cool evening breeze and watch the sun set over the picturesque Nerang river behind you!
Our recommendation: Buy some piping hot roast chicken, beer, drinks and snacks from the nearby Woolworths and have your take-away dinner at the comfort of the balcony!
The Common Areas and FacilitiesGuests will feel welcomed by the cozy reception area. There are vending machines for snacks, ice-cream and cold drinks, racks for tour brochures and a touch-screen machine that lists the restaurants and places of interest nearby. We even printed free vouchers for discounts at
Hard Rock Café Surfers Paradise and at
Baskin Robbins!!
The hotel provides deck chairs, a small pool and a gym at the ground floor. Though small, we saw that it is not very heavily utilised. The scenic Nerang river is just behind the pool (you can actually see the Whales in Paradise cataramen parked behind in the photo).
And again, the infamous sunset over the Nerang river which you can view while chilling out at the pool in the evening.
Verdict:
This is a hotel with excellent location, excellent services and clean and beautiful rooms and facilities at an affordable price. We highly recommend this to anyone who intends to stay at Surfers Paradise.
Our
5 nights' stay at Vibe Hotel cost
AUD$510 inclusive of taxes for 3 weekdays and 2 weekends without breakfast.
Check here for the cheapest rates available for your travel. Vibe Hotel Gold Coast42 Ferny Avenue Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Tel: +61 7 5539 0444 Fax: +61 7 5592 3757
Email: vhsp@vibehotels.com.au
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Check out our in depth review of Scoot Airlines below! Read these articles about our Gold Coast / Brisbane Trip too!
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