Lizard Island Resort
Pmb 40, Cook Shire, Lizard Island, Queensland 4871 Australia
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About
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.7
Value
4.1
Travelers' Choice
Lizard Island is truly secluded from the rest of the world. With 40 luxurious suites, it is the most northern resort in tropical North Queensland and is located directly on the Great Barrier Reef. The Resort is part of a preserved National Park covering 1,013 hectares, Lizard Island Resort is accessible by private air charter from Cairns Airport that services direct flights to and from most major Australian airports. The island experience is like no other place on the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy secluded picnics with your own private dinghy on one of the many beaches, dive the famous Cod Hole, learn to snorkel or take in one of the numerous natural bird, wildlife, turtle or historical guided tours - there is so much on offer. Lizard Island is also famous for its game fishing and ,exciting light tackle sport fishing and has several vessels for private fishing excursions. At the end of a busy day, try a sunset beach degustation dinner on a private beach, relax in the soothing Essentia Day Spa or simply unwind in the the beautiful Salt Water restaurant and bar - Lizard is like nowhere else located right on the Great Barrier Reef
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Property amenities
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Beach
Canoeing
Books, DVDs, music for children
Highchairs available
Public wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Yoga classes
Fitness / spa locker rooms
Fitness classes
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Kids' meals
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Diving
Hiking
Snorkeling
Tennis court
Fishing
Tennis court offsite
Walking tours
Board games / puzzles
Free airport transportation
Airport transportation
Shuttle bus service
Conference facilities
Spa
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hand massage
Head massage
Light therapy
Massage
Neck massage
Pedicure
Baggage storage
Concierge
Currency exchange
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
First aid kit
Umbrella
Private check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Private beach
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Sofa bed
Walk-in shower
Desk
Dining area
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Safe
Seating area
Sofa
Telephone
VIP room facilities
Wardrobe / closet
Clothes rack
Iron
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Minibar
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Languages Spoken
Spanish, Chinese, Indonesian, Portuguese
Hotel links
Location
Pmb 40, Cook Shire, Lizard Island, Queensland 4871 Australia
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Getting there
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My wife and I stayed a week and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The food was excellent particularly the cerviche. The staff were all extremely friendly, polite, helpful and competent. We had a room with a plunge pool and a sunset view and although too cold for me my wife enjoyed a short dip every day. There are plenty of activities and we enjoyed the Mangrove walk to Watsons Bay. The snorkelling was disappointing for me but I have high expectations having snorkelled all over the world. It was windy and choppy but we still managed to snorkel every day. I went on one snorkeling excursion which was well managed but sadly it was too rough to go to the reef. I would like to return when it is less windy. The bird life was also a plus with migrants such as Imperial Pigeons and Whimbrels and heaps of Bar Shouldered Doves and Olive Backed Sunbirds. The flight to and from Cairns was extremely well managed. …
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: If mobility issues ask for a room near the restaurant
There are 4 snorkelling sites close to the...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Sideen Joorun, General Manager at Lizard Island Resort
Responded 4 days ago
Dear MikeyHongKong, Greetings from Lizard Island Resort! We are thrilled to hear that you had an amazing week on this beautiful part of the Great Barrier Reef. It's heartwarming to know that you enjoyed our Lizard hospitality and the delicious food put together by our very creative culinary team. It sounds like you made the most of the island's activities and facilities, and we're delighted that you appreciated the outer reef excursion. The island is indeed a true paradise when it comes to wildlife. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you and your wife back to the Island soon. Thank you.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hotel's Favorite
The Lizard Island Resort experience far exceeded my expectations. I have traveled the world and have dove all over the world. We went with 3 couples for a reunion for 4 nights. We were never bored. The resort itself was top class. The staff were genuinely kind and enjoyed engaging with us. Paul and Jess were humorous and kind hosts, as well as every single one of the staff we met. We wanted to go on an impromptu fruit bat tour and the resort scheduled it for us at the drop of a hat with a naturalist! The bats were numerous and amazing. They bent over backwards to accommodate our every desire. The food was top level gourmet and the menu changed daily. The all inclusive wine and alcohol list was top notch and extensive. The price includes free kayaking, free motor boat to various top notch beaches and snorkel sights, free naturalist tours and hikes. The diving and snorkeling were incredible. Even if you don't pay to go out on the approx 1 hr boat ride to the inner/outer Barrier reef, you can still see beautiful coral, fishes and turtles by snorkeling right off the beach. The gym looked really nice, but we were so busy we never hit the gym! I normally don't like going to a place twice, but I plan to go back to Lizard Island resort again. …
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Sideen Joorun, General Manager at Lizard Island Resort
Responded 1 week ago
Dear “tgoodmannd” We thank you for taking the time to provide us with your heartfelt and honest feedback about your recent stay at Lizard Island Resort. We are very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us and that you appreciated the welcome and service of our “Ambassadeurs”. Paul and Jess will be very happy to read your lovely comment! Thank you for your praise of the resort activities and nature tour with our naturalist. we will be glad to share your comment with them. Our passionate team of “Ambassadeurs” are looking forward to welcoming you again to this beautiful and natural part of great barrier reef. Warm Regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We wanted to show our kids the best of Australia with an up-close encounter with the Reef that you just can't get with the Quicksilver catamaran from Port Douglas, and Lizard Island would definitely be one of the top choices. We stayed in the Villa which is the only setup that exists with 2 bedrooms for a family with 2 kids. Otherwise, you're getting two small bungalows that don't connect that cost almost the same. The Pavillion is a more stunning structure with all that glass but it only houses 2; if I were returning just with my wife I'd want to stay there. The villa was all that you would want it to be except for more glass and light around the living room, with a nice pool and ocean view. You could see the stars from the porch and the AC and water pressure were all good. We've been eating at some good resorts around Australia such as 131 Longitude but our vote on the food goes to the chefs at Lizard Island. Other guests making the rounds agreed. Of course it's a matter of taste but we liked the variety, taste and presentation here the best. Breakfast offered some healthy options such as an acai bowl and there were plenty of vegetarian-friendly items to enjoy. A strong point here is the activity staff. Diving instructor, boat skipper, astro-photographer, spa therapist -- there are a lot of activities here and the presence of good instructors makes it a whole lot better. We did the glass bottom kayak (a great way to see the reef close to the hotel), astro-photography, took a dinghy to the reef, swam with the turtles, did the snorkeling tours of the inner and outer reefs, and a sunset cruise. My Kiwi spa therapist did a great massage. You know your instructor is insanely primo when you see him swimming way offshore for fun an hour after tugging you around with a rope around the reefs for an hour. We did the research station tour; although the person doing the tour was quite nice and informative, we thought the tour was pretty lame for what we paid and it was eminently skippable. We basically watched a movie and walked around an empty station with hardly anything to see going on. Count the $250 USD as a donation to the research station. They have a decent gym on property, which was a pleasant surprise after being at other prime properties that did not such as 131 Longitude. There is a pool here by the spa but it was too cold to swim in and that was disappointing; a resort like this should have a heated pool even if it is only needed for winter months like August. I agree with the reviewer who wrote that it looked like a pool at a motel. Other pain points here are that at breakfast certain items such as smoked salmon and avocado were available some days but not others. At night it can be pretty lame here. Pre-arrival it took me about 3 weeks to correspond with the activities correspondent to set up an itinerary; there was just a lack of follow-through and I was getting upset because I was being told that things were booking up. Nevertheless, I finally got the itinerary of our dreams though I had to keep pressing to get it. We had a paid photo shoot and I'm still trying to get all the photos that were taken from the staff photographer. And my advice is that if you are not experienced with motor boats, get someone to come out with you to the clam garden area next door instead of just using the radio and operating the boat yourself. I cut myself trying to raise the motor to start the boat to return to the beach club, wound up right on top of the reef with the boat, and had to be rescued, although Ollie the boatman said it was his first rescue in the 2 months he had been there. The staff there encourage people to do it yourself but they are just not attuned to the fact that some people don't know how to operate boats and that these boats don't operate as easily as they think they do or that the engines get stuck more often than they care to recall. The flights to and from the island were great; we didn't mind the small plane and the terminal in Cairns is very user friendly and offers snacks in the departure area; transfer to Cairns airport was easy as well since they drove us there just a few minutes away. All in all, Lizard Island held great expectations and did not disappoint. It would make a great corporate retreat as well as a fun family or couples vacation. Although the water would be warmer in summer, you'd also get really hot and humid weather with more insects around. I think we visited at the perfect time. Even though it is expensive, I felt we got good value for money.…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Sideen Joorun, General Manager at Lizard Island Resort
Responded 1 week ago
Dear “649ic” Greetings from Lizard Island Resort! Thank you for taking the time to share the in-depth review of your recent stay with us. We are delighted to read that you felt our beautiful island as a great corporate retreat and as a fun family or couple’s vacation! I am sure you would be glad to hear that we have recently refreshed our villa and we are also uplifting the pavilion this week. Thank you for your praise of our team of “Lizard Chefs”. We work very closely with our local suppliers to ensure products we receive are at its best quality and do often have to alter our offering base on what arrives on the island. We are very pleased to hear on your resort strong points of your stay with us and that you appreciated the welcome and service of our “Ambassadeurs”. Amber from the spa and the activities team will be very happy to read your lovely comment! While we are overjoyed about your love for the resort, we are saddened as well to read the shortcomings you have felt. Please be assured that we have addressed and discussed this at length with our teams to better enhance the experience and to prevent reoccurrence. We have also followed up with the team to ensure you received the photos. Thank you once again for choosing Lizard Island Resort. We warmly look forward to welcoming you back to this beautiful and natural part of great barrier reef. Warm regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
If this looks to you like a “5 star hotel”, then book your stay at Lizard Island. We booked a week for our honeymoon at a plunge pool room. The hotel could not be more poorly maintained or have less activities to offer. No lounge chairs on the beach and a pool that resembles a Motel 6. Dirty and bug infested hotel room. We checked out after one horrific night in a filthy room with no AC (which can’t be fixed at night since no one is working concierge), despite taking 5 flights to reach Lizard Island and a minimal refund offered by Lizard Island. After a week at The Brando, Lizard Island was a tough pill to swallow. Stay away.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Sideen Joorun, General Manager at Lizard Island Resort
Responded 3 weeks ago
Dear Mrs. Katarina. Greetings from Lizard Island Resort, I would like to thank you for your time to write your feedback in TripAdvisor regarding your recent stay. It certainly made us sad that we failed to deliver to your expectations. Please rest assure we have taken notes of all your valuable feedback onboard and have taken immediate actions. The resort offers many activities, such as star gazing, diving, research station tour, cook guided tour, outer reef touring, inner reef snorkeling, Kayak, tennis court, gym, aqua darts snorkeling tour, twilight cruise, picnic, etc.… which are the prime attractions of the island. Some of these activities do depend on the weather conditions and being on the Great Barrier Reef and Natural Park, we remain strict to the legal operating guidelines; Example No dinghy should the wind reaches 20 knots. Instead, we offer boat drop off to Watson beach. I understand some of the water activities did not suit your preference. We do pride ourselves in our genuine service on this beautiful and natural part of the world and we wished you would have given us an opportunity to rectify your concerns. I am certain The Brando is a beautiful resort and i am extremely glad you and Josh have enjoyed your stay at the property. I also believe you would be enjoying your time in Hawaii by now. On behalf of Lizard Island Resort, we wish you a lovely time on your travel and we sincerely hope that we will regain your trust to welcome you back on the island. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any assistance I can provide for your future visit. Warm regards
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This resort has gone way downhill. No general manager in place and exec chef is gone. Very bad signs and they don’t pay their suppliers. Delaware North will gladly take your money but don’t expect any level of service
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Pat G wrote a review Aug 2023
Windsor and Maidenhead, United Kingdom224 contributions128 helpful votes
Stayed 5 nights with family in 2 beachfront rooms Rooms - absolutely beautiful. Well decorated, super comfortable beds. Nice outside deck area. Most importantly the views were beautiful. Rooms not adjacent but given the location thats no issue Food - quality of the food was excellent and catered very well with gluten free Service - fabulous all round. Very friendly and helpful across all areas. Thank you! Activities - we based our activities around the main island. We did not fish or go to outer reef. Some points Dinghy - took this to mermaid cove where snorkelling is absolutely beautiful Cooks look walk - well worth it for view and experience. General snorkelling- very good in particular on the next bay with a good coral wall, clam garden and in particular the turtles where you can watch them eat grass right up close Research station - worth the visit. Very interesting to see the researchers and meet station manager Gym and Tennis - good gym with cardio (including concept 2) and free weights (up to 40kg dumbells). Getting there - flight over the reef is a highlight with fantastic views. Hotel does transfers to East Air terminal and there is a small and comfortable lounge there with coffee water and snacks Points to note (none an issue just for reference) Activity booking - this was a bit hit and miss in advance but we got there in the end. We chose not to have guided walks and better to do ourselves Aquanaut Snorkelling was not working which was disappointing for kids Dinghy - due to winds this was only possible to take to mermaid due to radio signal. Seems like you cannot explore the whole island…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Lizard Island is simply magical. Amazing beaches … truly spectacular turquoise water…. Great snorkeling and diving… very good and healthy food … very friendly and helpful staff… and very comfortable, but not overly fancy, accommodations… right off the beach. Terrific spot. I took a detour from a business trip …. And what a lovely detour it was. I’ve visited beautiful beaches and resorts all over the world. This is among the very top. Thanks very much to the young staff from all over the world (too numerous to mention individually) for their kindness and good humor. I will definitely return.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
What an amazing hotel. My husband and I first went to the hotel 6 years ago and I was determined to go again. Covid got in the way for a few years, but we finally made it last month. I was a little nervous that it could not possibly live up to my expectations, but I need not have worried. Everything about this hotel is wonderful. Obviously the location could not be improved. The menus are varied and always interesting. The (inclusive) wine list is wide, though there are luxury wines if wanted. The staff are uniformly friendly and enthusiastic. There is a Beach Club where you can book various activities, one of which is to take out a motor dingy with a picnic lunch and chairs and tents. You can take one of these dingies to one of the many private beaches around the island and spend the day there. I could not recommend this hotel more highly and I am already trying to think of ways I can get back there at some point in the future. …
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Paradise on earth, Bora Bora of Australia, we could not fault this absolutely stunning resort. The rooms are very spacious, light and comfortable. All meals and beverages were superb, great quality and variety. Water activities are wonderful. You can do as much or as little as you wish here, the choice is yours. The service is unmatched. World class resort, very special memories, it is worth every penny.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
What a stunning place to celebrate our friend’s 60th 🍾 The snorkeling was amazing and the close up experiences with turtles was precious. The staff went out of their way to make sure our stay was all we could hope for. We’ll definitely be back!
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Lizard Island area.
PRICE RANGE
$1,252 - $1,990 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
lizard island hotel lizard island, lizard island resort all inclusive
LOCATION
AustraliaQueenslandCook ShireLizard Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
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Frequently Asked Questions about Lizard Island Resort
What are some of the property amenities at Lizard Island Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Lizard Island Resort?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Lizard Island Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Lizard Island Resort?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness center, and fitness classes during their stay.
Does Lizard Island Resort have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Lizard Island Resort offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Lizard Island Resort have airport transportation?
Yes, Lizard Island Resort offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at Lizard Island Resort?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Lizard Island Resort?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Indonesian.
Does Lizard Island Resort have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the harbor view available here.
Is Lizard Island Resort accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.