at Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat - Adults Only

Hotels
8.2 (281 reviews)
438 Shute Harbour Road , Airlie Beach , au

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Free

Facilities

Offsite parking discounted rates available
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Terrace
BBQ facilities
Luggage storage
Safety deposit box
Fax/photocopying
Tour desk
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Spacious apartments
Beautiful views
Cons:
Inadequate cleanliness
Poor service experiences
Need for renovations

Categories

Cleanliness
6.55
Several reviews mention unclean rooms and dated bathrooms, affecting the overall sentiment.
Service
9.05
General feedback indicates that while there were some service issues, the location and engagement of the staff remained positive.
Location
9.55
Multiple reviews praise the proximity to town and beautiful surroundings.
Room Quality
7.55
Guests noted that while rooms are spacious, they require renovations and updates.
Amenities
8.05
Amenities were described as okay, with some concerns about functionality, such as air conditioning and pool temperature.
Value for Money
7.55
Several reviews felt that the price was too high compared to the service and accommodation quality.
Food and Beverage
8.75
No specific feedback about food and beverage was noted, holding to the target overall rating.
Overall Experience
8.55
Most reviews highlight good experiences, but the mix of positive and negative feedback offers a more moderate score.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-11 09:51

Property Description

Luxurious Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat

Deluxe Accommodation: Set on Pioneer Bay, our retreat offers deluxe suites and penthouses with balconies and free Wi-Fi, just a short walk from Airlie Beach. Enjoy clear views of the Port of Airlie and the Coral Sea from your 1-bedroom suite or penthouse.

Upscale Amenities: Indulge in stylish interiors, galley kitchens, and spacious balconies with hot tubs or spa baths. Our penthouses feature 4-poster beds and a separate dressing room with a private balcony. Relax at the zero-horizon pool, lush gardens, private sun deck, or the guest BBQ area.

Exclusive Experiences: Immerse yourself in native bird-watching, in-room massage, and beauty treatments. Let our tour desk arrange your Great Barrier Reef adventures and enjoy limousine transfers to the airport.

Book your luxurious stay at Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat today!

Important information:

RECEPTION HOURS : Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat is open from 9am until 5pm, check in from 2pm until 5pm, after hour check in until 9pm is available, please contact the hotel prior to arrange, check in later than 9pm is not possible. Please note credit surcharge of 1.5% applies to Visa and MasterCard, 3% applies to American Express. A $200 credit card pre auth is required at check in as security against damage / unpaid accounts. We are a cashless business.

Please note that guests are required to present a valid credit card upon check in.

Please note that AMEX has a 3% surcharge, all other credit cards have a 1.5% surcharge

Please note children older than 18 are welcome.This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: PPP

Property Policies

  • Parking

    Free private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed).

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children are not allowed.
    Adults stay for AUD 50 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.2
Based on 281 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.55
Service: 9.05
Location: 9.55
Room Quality: 7.55
Amenities: 8.05
Value for Money: 7.55
Food and Beverage: 8.75
Overall Experience: 8.55
T
Thomas • couple • au
7
2026-02-11 • via Nuitee
T
Te Rina • couple • nz
10
It was a wonderful stay!
Pros:

The room was spotless and very comfortable

Cons:

I loved everything

2026-02-09 • via Nuitee
N
Nina • extended_group • au
9
2026-01-26 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • au
8
Would love to stay again!
Pros:

Great position, a walk to everything.

2026-01-19 • via Nuitee
M
Miriam • couple • au
4
Over priced, underwhelming, dated, rude staff. Would not stay again.
Cons:

Name of property is deceiptful/not accurate. Not waterfront at all.
Staff stated a required $200 security deposit needed after payment was complete, which was NOT disclosed prior to booking/payment through description or policies on booking.com. Reception staff was rude when made aware that this had not been disclosed in description and refused to check site claiming no time and continued to argue/insist it was. IT WAS NOT and this room would not have been booked if it was as tracking multiple refunds due to return to account is inconvenient while holidaying.
Room was dirty, dated, lacked tasteful decorating.
Bathroom very dated and unclean (evidence of bugs/insect infestation falling on floor from lower wall)
Couldn't use aircon as continuously dripped a lot of water on the floor. Uncomfortably hot on the summers night!
Was not soundproof as described.
Staff attempted to enter prior to us vacating the room claiming a key had been dropped off. It had not so he mustve had a second. This could have easily led to Staff entering room at a time where privacy was essential.

2026-01-10 • via Nuitee
L
Lucas • couple • au
9
Pros:

Beautiful Place. Would definitely stay again.

Cons:

Main door was squeaky and hard to shut. Not a big issue.

2026-01-08 • via Nuitee
A
Amanda • couple • au
7
Last minute decision to go to Airlie for NYE
Pros:

It was a close walk to town.

Cons:

We were in a unit on the ground floor & it opened onto the pool. This gave us no privacy unless the curtains were closed! Would definitely request to stay in a unit above next time.

2026-01-03 • via Nuitee
M
Micheala • couple • au
5
Great spot could be a 10 but needs work
Pros:

The location is great, bed comfy

Cons:

Needs revamping and a really good deep clean, ac in the bedroom was dripping when turnt off and the lounge and dining ac didnt work, windows very dirty the master bathroom needs attention, not all jacuzzi jets working but still ok

2025-12-23 • via Nuitee
S
Stephen • couple • au
6
Pros:

Place is quite clean. I wouldn’t say it’s 90sq mtr room as advertised but quite good.

2025-12-22 • via Nuitee
K
KERRIE • extended_group • au
7
Lots of room, but needs a reno
Pros:

Great view and very well equipped. Plenty of room for the family.

Cons:

Penthouse Desperately in need of renovation - bathrooms at the very least. Tiles missing, vanity falling apart and rusted - could be amazing, but felt run down.

2025-12-20 • via Nuitee
K
Kellie • couple • au
7
2025-12-08 • via Nuitee
B
Bridie • couple • au
9
Pros:

Great location, reasonable price.

Cons:

A little dated but still clean and comfortable.

2025-12-02 • via Nuitee
W
wood • extended_group • au
9
Clean modern room
Pros:

Not far from town . Easy walk.
No taxi or uber recognises the name .. so used name of next door.
Chairs by pool were comfy.

Cons:

The pool temp was freezing .
No lift.

2025-11-25 • via Nuitee
L
lisa • extended_group • gb
6
Average
Pros:

Location, space, facilities

Cons:

Bathrooms

2025-11-21 • via Nuitee
M
murray • couple • au
10
2025-11-20 • via Nuitee
S
Stuart • couple • au
5
Disappointed
Cons:

Told on arrival we had daily express cleaning, stayed 7nights no cleaning or change on sheets.
Pool being renovated, told only just a few days before arriving. Trades working from 7am when told 9am.
Called twice on day of arrival and told we had wrong number

2025-11-02 • via Nuitee
C
Colette • family_with_children • au
7
I thought the price was too high for the 'value'.
Pros:

Very spacious apartment. Great jacuzzi. Well appointed, large kitchen. Close proximity to town. Good communication from management.

Cons:

Apptox 24 steps up to Apt. View is across to buildings and minimal ocean view. VERY busy, noisy road as street frontage. A/C units are old, noisy and don't function how they should.

2025-10-26 • via Nuitee
J
Jan • couple • au
10
Loved our little stay, definitely will stay again and recommend to others
Pros:

Liked that we virtually had the place to ourselves being a smaller complex.

2025-10-26 • via Nuitee
D
Dayle • solo_traveller • au
10
2025-10-14 • via Nuitee
M
Matt • couple • au
1
Not happy with accommodation complained to staff and nothing was resolved
Pros:

Great location

Cons:

Was not happy the Jacuzzi didn’t work. The second day. Aircon in the bedroom was very noisy. Aircon in the lounge room did not work. Don’t think it was worth $800 a night.

2025-10-12 • via Nuitee