We stayed in a Premium Palm bungalow for 2 nights during October.

My first impressions of Hamilton Island were disappointing. We had booked a ferry crossing from Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island with Fantasea but following Fantasea‘s takeover by CruiseWhitsundays, the crossing times had changed and we were unsure if a crossing to the island would still be available at the time we returned from our sailing trip. In July I contacted ‘Liz‘ the online chat representative on www.hamiltonisland.com.au who could not answer my question. However she suggested I email Islandconcierge@hamiltonisland.com.au which I did on 2 July. However I never received a reply to my email.

When we arrived on Hamilton Island, the hotel was unaware our room had been booked for 2 adults and 1 child and it had only been prepared for 2 adults.

After checking in on our arrival and having been shown to our room, we wished to put our valuables in the safe deposit box in our room. However there was no key. On ringing reception, I was told that if we wanted to use the safe deposit, we needed to return to reception to request a key. What a waste of our time! This is the first hotel I have stayed in anywhere in the world that provides a safe deposit box in your room but not the means to use it.

To be fair, after I complained and insisted on speaking to a manager, a member of staff did quickly come over with the safe deposit key and made up the sofa bed for my son.

We did the breakfast with koalas but found this poor value for money. If you happen to also be travelling to the Gold Coast I would recommend doing the koala photo opportunity at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary instead.

To end on a more positive note, Suri, the manager at Coca Chu restaurant, kindly fitted in a table for the three of us for dinner even though they were already fully booked and we had a very enjoyable meal.

However if you are only going to be on Hamilton Island for a couple of days, note that you may need to book restaurants before you arrive and before you get a chance to look at them which is not ideal. The General Manager’s response to other contributors suggests this to be the case. Perhaps the owners should address the problem of the restaurant’s capacity not being sufficient for the number of people staying on the island.

Overall the room was nice, the main pool was great for adults to relax and fantastic for our 10 year old son to make friends and play in the pool all day. However "Very good" is too high a rating, given the high prices, so I can only rate it average.

We stayed in the renovated Palm Bungalows (No.25) on our honeymoon in November 2012. It was the perfect location for us.
The bungalows are set back a little from the beach, but they are set within beautiful gardens and large trees. It is the perfect place to stay if you think you will want to get away from the busy resort centre.
When I booked I was a little worried about whether we would be too far away from the main part of the resort, but I am now pleased I didn't stay in the other hotels that are right on the beach, as it meant we could get away and have some quiet time to ourselves. When you stay in the Bungalows you really are only a 5-10minute walk from the main parts of the island: the resort centre and the marina.
The service was also wonderful, every day we would come back to a tidied room and made bed. On our arrival we also received a bottle of wine and a card to congratulate us on our wedding, which we thought was a lovely personal touch.
Our package also included breakfast daily at one of three locations. Our favourite was breakfast at the wildlife park, where the koalas sit in little tree branches along side you while you have breakfast.
Our entire experience at Hamilton Island was amazing. We loved hiring a golf buggy and exploring the island at our own pace. The restaurants and cafes were excellent; a lot of variety between different cafes and restaurants.

These bungalows were amazing! They were close to everything and just so comfortable. They are near brand new and the king size beds are so good! The pools are very close and the walk over the hill to the restaurants is lovely

Good quality rooms in beautiful setting, stones throw to the beach. The staff were excellent, nothing was too much trouble. Bed was a little soft for my liking but the hammock made up for that! The whole resort was great - pools good (pool bar even better!), right on the beach, food excellent. While there isn't a huge amount to do and she on the island, it is a great place to just relax on the beach, by the pool or in your hammock.