Hotel: InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort

Location: Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast Australia

Room: Executive Room, Beach Lagoon & Pool View

Perfect for: Couples

Category: 5 Star

Planning a trip to the Gold Coast and want to check out the famous theme parks and golden beaches? The unique location of the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort might just be perfect for you.

When we look at hotels, it comes down to a few key considerations, location, amenities and a touch of luxury. The below post will cover these and a bit more!

Our welcome experience at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove…

Our luggage was taken off our hands before we even reached reception, now that’s service.

Once inside, we were quickly greeted by reception who proceeded to check us in quickly. Our room came with Club InterContinental which was explained to us in details upon check-in (see below for more info on this!).

The Room…

Our Executive room overlooked the pool area and gardens.  From the moment you walk in, you feel relaxed and at ease. The bedroom is quite spacious and leads out onto the balcony.

The bathroom is complete with luxury toiletries (which not even Jenna minded using to wash her hair which says a lot!), a rain shower and a separate bath.

What was a great feature that you don’t often get is the size of the wardrobe! It was large enough to hang your clothes and place your suitcases in without having to leave them on the floor of your room. It was an added bonus for us.

Meals…

The Fireplace: What a lovely restaurant! Honestly, the service, ambience and the food was divine! Firstly, we highly recommend you book as the restaurant can get quite busy, especially on the weekend. What we loved about the restaurant is that you can see the kitchen and the chef’s prepare and plate up your food next to where diners are sitting. It’s fantastic!

For entree, we ordered the beef cheek and the scallops. The meals were beautifully presented and tasted just as good as they looked.

For main, we both ordered steak which is cooked in the wood fire oven. We ordered the pumpkin on the wide and were not expecting what came out! The steaks were cooked perfectly.

For dessert, we decided to share the orange parfait. Again, it was so beautifully presented – it was nearly too pretty to eat!

Verandah Restaurant & Bar: If you’re looking for something a little more casual with a lovely menu than this restaurant is perfect.

We weren’t starving after we checked in as we had some nibbles in the InterContinental club (see below) so ordered some lamb sliders, Malaysian drummettes and sweet potato fries to share.

InterContinental Club

With our executive room, the InterContinental Club access was included. With this access, you’re entitled to:

• Complimentary afternoon ‘high tea’ as well as tea, coffee and soft drinks – between 2 pm – 4 pm

• Complimentary pre-dinner drinks and canapes. This includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There is a selection of cold meats, bread and other nibbles as well as some hot canapes – between 5 pm – 7 pm

• Complimentary breakfast is ordered off the A la carte menu (you can still access the buffet if you prefer) – between 6.30am – 10 am

• 24-hour access for refreshments

Hotel Grounds

The hotel has an incredible outdoor pool area which is perfect for couples wanting to relax (there is even an adults only area) or if you have a family and want to entertain the kids.

Closest to the main building you will find the swimming pool and Jacuzzi.

Just outside of this pool area is the family fun zone which includes giant chess, a putt-putt green and comfy lounge chairs to sit and relax.

The pool bar is conveniently located between the swimming pool and the one-acre lagoon beach pool. Here you can order cocktails and food and enjoy it while you relax after a busy morning exploring the surrounds.

Now, back to the one-acre lagoon beach pool. Have you ever seen anything like it? It’s massive!!! Even finished off with a sandy beach, chairs and plenty of cover for those who prefer to escape the sun, it’s perfect.

Health and Fitness…

For those who like to stay active on holidays, there is a fully equipped gym located at the Country Club. Just let the concierge know you want to head up and they will give you a complimentary transfer to/from the Country Club.

The gym also has classes should you wish to join in on the action.

What we liked about this gym is that there is an outdoor area which is much nicer than training inside!

Bicycles are also available should you wish to explore the area that way!

Good to know…

If it’s raining, don’t worry! There is still plenty to see and do around the area. Watch this space for our post on Sanctuary Cove which will provide you with our tips on things to do in Sanctuary Cove.

The hotel provides heaps of umbrellas, conveniently located at each entrance so you’re never without.

Parking is also available at the resort free of charge.

Checking out…

Checking out was simple and no issues to report.

Above and beyond…

The service we received at The Fireplace restaurant was fantastic. The staff were energetic, friendly and provided some great suggestions. Highly recommended.

The not so good…

The only disappointing part of the stay for us was breakfast at the InterContinental Club. The breakfast itself was good, the area lovely (and much quieter than the buffet). The Club was however understaffed with a painfully slow service. Interestingly enough, each dish we ordered, on both mornings, missed some of the items described on the menu, either the chef hasn’t read the menu or these need to be reprinted to remain accurate.

Would I opt for the Club again? Probably.

The verdict…

All in all, it was a really good stay and the hotel and hotel grounds are lovely. If you’re planning a trip to the Gold Coast and wanting to explore everything that’s on offer, Sanctuary Cove is centrally located.

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“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta