The Reef Retreat

Customer service was disrespectful and the service person at the front desk was rude and impolite. Rooms were nice apart from the service person when checking in and out was very disrespectful and rude. Will not be staying here again.

Lovely setting

The Reef Retreat setting is very nice and tranquil. The only drawback for us was our room was a top floor one. We had lots of suitcases due to our cruise before we disembarked in Cairns. The location is very good and close to many restaurants. The room was comfortably and had everything we needed.

A lovely place to stay. Very leafy and calm with a fabulous outdoor kitchen on our balcony. We had a spa room and it was very spacious.

Felt like i was deep in the jungle with all the trees and the room was massive.

Perfect location and space to stay for a quick getaway. The room was set up nicely for what we needed with a bed, bathroom and convenient outdoor cooking space and area. The pool was close to the room and a lovely spot to relax

Older rooms but great size

Good room quiet paths were the only issue as they were very uneven so had to watch where you walked

We loved our stay — the apartment was comfortable and well planned, and the trees in the central court provided shade and coolness. Will come again.

Lovely surroundings in the better end of Palm Cove. Beware some apartments are on the 3rd Floor with no lift.

I am a cleaner by trade so am probably a bit synical but was surprised to find mould on the windows and windowsill. I cleaned it as it got the better of me.

This place is well maintained, lovely surroundings around the pool and spa, all day. Clean and perfectly positioned, close to everything but as well tacked away. Lovely place to stay

Fantastic Accomadation in a very convenient location. Highly recommend 😊

Proprietors and other staff were very helpful. The location is great. The room and kitchenette were comfy. The one thing that was unpleasant was the bathroom had sliding doors with slats, which did not provide any sound barrier between the bathroom and bedroom.

Reef retreat excellent value.

Excellent value. Great location.

Great place - I would definitely stay here again, right in the heart of Palm Cove. Only downside was heater in pool was not working the second week of my stay, though I know they were trying to get it fixed - I'm sure it's good by now. Beautiful grounds, loved the balconey, the "library", laundry. Even provided a rack for drying clothes and an umbrella in my unit. Great place!

Good location

The room was ok but the bathroom shower has a window straight in from of it and ather off putting that people can ee in through louvre blinds. Power point didnt work on one side and neighbours very noisy. Excellent location and kitchen facilities.

Business Trip - Sales Rep Stay

Great place to unwind after a long day drive and seeing sales appointments. Staff were amazing, room was super relaxing and everything I needed was in walking distance. Highly Recommend staying here for a break away and or your next business trip!

Excellent position just off the beach, and lots of great restaurants nearby. Very quiet and relaxing, the pool is surrounded by large original trees, it’s like swimming in the rain forest.

Best place ever will be back again

This a great place to stay for a longer visit to the area. Room was very spacious and well appointed. There is a binder in the unit that details everything you need to know about the property (laundry) and surrounding area. Having access to laundry on the property was fantastic and the machines did a great job ($9 AUD). The Beach is just around the corner from the property - amazing paths with access to shops, restaurants -- ideal vacation spot - so laid back. Palm Cove is a gem - less than an hour to Port Douglas and the drive is so beautiful, yet very windy roads. Highly recommend Palm Cove area.

Great place to stay, with all you need.

The Reef Retreat was perfect for the few nights we were is Cairns. The pool and A/C made the heat a little more bearable and Jim was always available to assist with cabs/transport bookings and offer advice. 50m from the beach and the esplanade, which leads in both directions to a variety of excellent shops, bars and eateries.

Lovely beach walks

Excellent management. Restaurants near by. Cleanliness of units.

Loved it. Beautiful room, loved the indoor/outdoor kitchen dining area. Loved the spa. Perfect location!

Amazing location with lush gardens

We stayed for a week at the Reef Retreat Palm Cove, and enjoyed every minute. While we booked a spa room, we didn't use the spa at all as the pool and outside spa were too amazing to pass up. Our villa overlooked the pool, with ample privacy to not feel exposed. It was clean, the outdoor kitchen was well equipped (though also unused - so many options for meals in walking distance), and the king bed was very comfortable. Jim was friendly and helpful, and we'll definitely be back.

Great relaxed atmosphere - everything we needed was on hand.

Great location, beautiful gardens and lovely shady pool area. We had a studio apartment which was quite small but adequate with a comfy bed.

The hosts were very friendly, generous and and accommodating. The property was very conveniently located o the beach and restaurants/cafes. I would stay here again.

A very roomy, comfortable townhouse in an excellent location. Easy walking distance to the esplanade with Pete’s just on the corner. Two bedrooms had fly screens on windows which was great. A big dining table with a comfy couch for meals and relaxing. Staff were also amazing, we needed a couple of things and they were friendly, fast and very accomodating. Looking forward to coming back! 😊

We have stayed before and found it comfortable and quiet. Easy location off the main esplanade but close enough to come and go and avoid the wind. The sheltered pool is an oasis. Unit is set up well clean and comfortable.

Pleasant stay

Great outside garden and pool area to relax.

Disappointing

Arrived late to find a safe on the wall with instructions above how to open it, inside were the room keys, anyone could have taken them! The footpath towards the room were badly maintained large cobbles, not easy with a suitcase. I the found my Roo to be on the 2nd floor accessed by open wooden staircase joined by wooden platforms - news to me. I was lucky enough to have a friend with me to help with my suitcase as there was no way I could have got it up the stairs. Initial impressions was the place appeared tired and a bit tatty. The pool appeared a bit grubby, but I didn’t actually stand at the edge, that was from the footpath. The room was clean and functional. Saw 2 members of staff during my stay, one borderline rude and disinterested, the other quite pleasant. It is well located in the town. Would I stay there again? No.

A peaceful tropical stay

We really enjoyed our stay at the Reef Resort.The staff were very helpful and accommodating. We loved the tropical rainforest feel.Our very clean studio room had everything we needed including a lovely balcony that looked out over the trees. Great for afternoon drinks! The weather wasn’t the best while we were there but an umbrella was supplied and it was beautiful sitting in the outdoor heated spa watching the rain fall. Great position and walking distance to everything. Highly recommend and would love to stay again

Convenient location. Dated decor, pool not cleaned.

The good: less than 1 minute walk to the beach. Charming. Liked the aesthetic of being in the jungle. Comfortable enough. Good area and fine price for the area. The bad: the floors were not very clean. Lot of dings, dead bugs and minor damage that regular upkeep should resolve. Wifi expires after three days. Need a new code from reception which is only open 9-530, awkward on tour days. Phone was broken. Parking is included by very tight. Lots of bugs get inside, found bees in the bathroom every day. Owners were more curt than friendly.

The Reef Retreat is just off the main Esplanade, which means it is quiet, yet accessable to all that Palm Cove offers. The rooms are good, with plenty of space for two people. We found the shutters on the veranda to be a bit tricky to coordinate at night, as we wanted natural ventilation with open shtters, but the security lighting was too strong to allow us to leave them open. The pool area is beautiful, with the melaleucas giving great shade and atmosphere.

Great location for people wanting to walk around shops and see what’s around

Reef Reatreat

This retreat is very out dated, access to most rooms is via stairs. The bathroom toilet area very out dated, Shower is over spa so not ideal for older people. The walkways are a dangerous trip hazard, loose and uneven pavers and overgrown by plants. However its a great location bed was comfy.

very quiet

Stayed 4 nights. Room was spacious and have stove and microwave as well. Only drawback was in bed! One side of the bed had a dip, was very uncomfortable! I asked the manager to do something about it. His quick response was there is nothing he can do. I reserved a king size bed. The bed was not a one-piece bed, it was two piece of mattress put together! I was very uncomfortable and unhappy! Joanne was very helpful and friendly! She helped to book excursions and transportation to and from airport. We appreciate her very much! Thanks!

We stayed in the 3 bedroom townhouses which were a separate complex from the other accommodation options. The apartment was wonderful - spacious, clean, quiet and with everything needed (full kitchen, washer and dryer etc). The property is in a fantastic location close to everything and one property back from being beachfront. The driveway kerb was a bit steep for our low-lying car (it scraped it a bit) but that’s a minor thing. Easy walk to a lovely beach, shop and restaurants.

Very tranquil location but close to the beach and restaurants. Well equiped studio.

Family getaway

This property was fantastic! Upon entry into our townhouse we were greeted with a local business voucher as well as members cards to other local business for discounts. Full kitchen and laundry facilities have us the opportunity to cook our own meals but also to not pack as much as we could do our own laundry. We were able to use our saved $$$ for extra outings that we didn't previously explore. Ensuite bathroom was very roomy with great water pressure, other bathroom a bit cramped but still great water pressure. WiFi access was for 72hrs which you needed to renew after this and was FREE. The location was perfect, not even 100mtrs from the beach, close to a 10min stroll to the jetty, plenty of eateries, shops, sun & sand and the local pub just up the road. We enjoyed the on-site pool everyday after our exploration adventures and even a couple of evening dips enjoying the sounds of the local nocturnal wildlife. Would I recommend, YES Would I return, YES Thank you for a very pleasant break away.

Well situated met all our needs, only observations could do from some trees to be thinned out around the pool

Why do people obviously unsuited to hospitality persist in trying to make a living from it? Jim was surly, unhelpful and always too busy on the phone to speak with face to face customers. The room was clean and the location quite central to the centre of Palm Cove. As a VIP member I was expecting a late checkout but the words were hardly out of my mouth before Jim rushed in to say “if available “. Considering the retreat was barely occupied it defied belief that a late checkout request could not be accommodated. We will be back to Palm Cove but we won’t be staying here again.

Had an amazing stay! Loved the spa suite! Really convenient location. Close to everything. Outdoor spa is amazing and pool as well. Would definitely stay again. Loved the idea of in-house dvds for rent.highly recommended

A place to relax

The location is easy to access and close to beach & restaurants. There was an unusually high amount of rain during our stay and the pathways quickly flooded, making it awkward to pull suitcases. The room itself was fine - no issues there. The laundry room was welcome but the washing machine and dryer only take $1 coins - a change machine would have been helpful as the office is not open 24/7.

Nice clean accomadation but the pool area needs some tlc. Both the pool and the spa had leaves in them and there was no way the pool was heated to the stated 28 degrees of the spa to 36

The hotel was in a perfect location for any restaurant or bar and everything was within walking distance

The service was lovely. We felt very much at home. My little one year old even though it was okay go behind the front desk and ‘help out.’ Thank you for looking after us, I hope to visit again.

Our room was very spacious, clean and well equipped, more like a self-contained unit. Excellent price. Would defiantly stay there again. Walking distance to all of Palm Cove and the convenient store was right next door.

We had a lovely stay at the Reef Retreat. The property felt like a tropical rainforest treehouse which was really fun. I was most impressed with the generous size of our apartment, central location, easy of late check-in and early check-out and overall value for money. It felt very secluded and private for a very busy holiday period!

Fantastic location close to restaurants and shops and the beach. The apartment was spacious and surprisingly quiet given the location and easy to keep cool. It was a slightly dated apartment but no problem for us. The pool could have done with a clean as there was a lot of debris from trees scattered around. But only a small issue.

Beautiful place to stay 🙏 Great position and beautiful setting.

Friendly and helpful staff, beautiful setting and close to all restaurants, cafes and beach. A good option for families.

The property was very clean and comfortable and the view from the balcony looking over the tree tops lovely, but website says property is low rise - it is a multiple level complex without a lift and we had to climb 40 steps up to our unit. We had requested an apartment on ground or level 1 (which website says 1 bedrooms are on) as my husband has a disability making climbing stairs extremely difficult. But on arrival, much to our astonishment, we were taken to the top level. When I enquired about moving to a lower level, as requested by phone prior to making the booking, I was informed that I had definitely not asked for this as it would have shown up on the request screen of the computer. This is always a priority for all accommodation for my husband's needs and we never stay unless its a low level or has a lift.

Easy check in and out, lovely setup great room. Near everything you need. Great spot and huge room.

Room had everything we needed and was clean. It was conveniently located off the highway and near beach and restaurants, since we had a rental car. Too busy to use the pool/hot tub much but hot tub wasn't exactly hot. King size bed is 2 beds pushed together, which is pretty common, but which we forgot when booking. Nice property.

Quiet and peaceful, only a minute from the beach. Will stay in Superior Spa Suite when booking again, loved the outdoor kitchen on the roomy balcony overlooking pool. Best feature was the lovely outdoor spa near the pool, absolute heaven.

This place never disappoints.☀️🏝👏 This was our second stay in this tranquil retreat and definitely be back! Thank you for keeping this property in top condition!

Great location, nice hotel

Relaxed, good quality, fantastic location, everything we needed for a weekend break.

The properties position was really good but found the managers not to be very welcoming or helpful. If you have any kind of problem with bad back etc dont stay here climbing the stairs with luggage a real problem and no help offered by managers either with our luggage or trying to move our room to a lower floor on arrival. Would not stay again

We liked the room, spacious and comfortable, large balcony, a nice view of the tropical garden, and the swimming pool. All staff is very friendly and helpful, especially Alan.

Loved our stay at The Reef Retreat, we had a three bedroom townhouse and it was very spacious and well appointed to the local township and restaurants. My only feedback is that the television is very old and only has commercial local stations, recommend people who want Netflix to bring a HDMI cable and laptop/streaming device.

The units are surrounded by beautiful lush tropical gardens.

Has a nice treehouse feel as you approach your room. Staff hardly crack a smile. The toilet is right next to the bed with only shutters between. Only good if you’re very comfortable pooping in front of your partner.

Enjoyed our week, great location.. would definitely stay again

We stayed in a 3 bed townhouse which was brilliant for our 3 generation family. Lovely apartment, central location in Palm Cove with everything within easy reach including the gorgeous beach at the end of the road. Very helpful staff on reception.

Was pretty much what you would expect. Generally very happy and would probably stay there again except we were unlucky to get a room on the 3rd floor and there are no elevators so getting luggage up and down was a pain. Gave the calf muscles a good workout though :-)

Mostly very good stay.. though found the school holiday crowd noisy at times.

Great location!

Location was excellent, property was clean and comfortable. The pool and spa were excellent

Disappointed

No room cleaning service offered. We sought extension 30 mins for check out and was rudely denied.

Great location. Great pool area and must be difficult to keep leaf free with such amazing trees around. The stairs up to the unit were a bit of a hall with us having new knee and a new hip. Should have realized and asked for a ground floor unit. Will return…

The room was very well presented and the bed very comfortable however the staff apart from the pool man were unfriendly.

The rooms are set among beautiful Melaleuca trees and tropical gardens. The pool is lovely. Everthing you could need was in the room. King size comfortable bed. Staff very helpful and friendly. I would definitely stay there again. Easy walk to grocery shop and short walk to the beautiful beach and main street with restaurants and pubs etc. The Palm Cove Sunday market the best - great - first Sunday of the month.

Nice and close to the beach and all amenities and restaurants are in walking distance. Staff are friendly and helpful. Room was clean and comfortable.

Nice place, convenient, but disappointed with our room

Only downside was our room had no privacy, but i believe it was the only one like this. We were right up against the pool but everyone could see straight in. At 1 point seven people were looking straight at us from the pool. If we wanted privacy we had to have the dark bamboo blinds down and then we couldnt see out at all which wasnt very nice. Couldn't sit in my pjs in morning and have coffee etc, as everyone could see us. Was also quite noisy from the people above us walking around. The guy on reception wasnt friendly or interested when we left. I wanted to mention these things, but he didnt ask us, just took my money. No thanks for coming, how was your stay, did you enjoy your trip !

The pool and bbq areas were very nice, with a relaxing feel. The resort is only a few meters to the beach and just off the esplanade so everything was easy walking distance. My husband and I stayed there for 8 nights and enjoyed it. The rooms are fairly basic but clean, the balcony was excellent, we spent a lot of time sitting out there with a book!

Loved it !!

Beautiful place to stay Pool was shaded and great for cooling down after the heat of the day The boys were forever keeping the gardens in a state of perfection

This is a lovely property with the pools surrounded by gorgeous established trees, large rooms, comfortable bed and most importantly very clean. So relaxing here. It’s not beachfront but very close to it. We will be back.

Palm cove

Lovely Room ,with view of pool ,outside kitchen and a great sized balcony

Nice and quiet and very comfortable room

Good location, reasonable sized rooms and clean, external areas a little tired but ok !

Pool was not maintained a lot of disappointed people walking away from pool area.

Palm cove

Everything was clean , comfortable we loved the patio and outside kitchen .Perfect for breakfast , coffee and afternoon drinks pool was lovely , bodium .The tree we’re truly beautiful

Lovely quiet location just around corner from beach. Great spot for weekend getaway

The apartment was spotless and the staff were very friendly, helpful and accommodating. The property is very lush and green, giving it a lovely tropical vibe. Would definitely go back again, we had a wonderful 6 nights at Reef Retreat in Palm Cove.

We loved the location the room layout the out door kitchen

it is secluded but 100m from all the action of Palm Cove. Great location

Great place

Very helpful as we needed to check in early to get ready for a wedding. Room was great and staff very nice

Close to esplanade in a leafy setting. A vert relaxing place to stay.

Rooms with a pool view were limited but would have been nice.

A lovely little treehouses in forest canopy type environment with a warm pool. Close to everything & well priced

Palm Cove is worth a look

This hotel is a hidden gem, while not opposite the water you don't have more than 100 metres to walk to cafes, restaurants and an esplanade view. The room we had was everything we needed for a three day stay with a generous balcony outdoor area as well as a large bathroom. We used Palm Cove as a jump off area to go on various day trips to Cape Tribulation, Daintree, Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge. The view at dinner each night looking out at the ocean was all anyone would need to feel like a relaxing holiday.

Nice and tidy

Noisey from developers next door

The place has developers on either side and the noise starts at 6.30 AM by your bedroom wall or window. If this was known we would have stayed elsewhere and they will be there for the next 12 months. Staff were friendly, but property is a bit dated with 3 flights of stairs to room to carry up gear and back down

I like the laid back feel it has , and it’s in a great location

It was very peaceful and situated close to the beach