Heron Island Resort
Heron Island, Australia
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About the Hotel
Off the east coast of Australia between Cairns and Brisbane, Heron Island is a coral cay right on the Great Barrier Reef. Itâ€(TM)s also home to Heron Island Resort, whose reef experience is reserved exclusively for guests, a claim few other resorts in the world can offer. Though youâ€(TM)ll be removed from civilization, the resortâ€(TM)s creature comforts are many. Enjoy live entertainment, superb meals, and laid-back island lodgings that include Point Suites with their uninterrupted reef views and Wistari Suites that promise maximum privacy.
Location
Heron Island Resort
Via Gladstone
Queensland
Heron Island, Australia
4000
Nearest Airport: GLT
Features and Amenities
- On-Site Amenities
- Beach Access
- Interests
- Active & Adventure
Reviews for Heron Island Resort
Amazing experience tainted by the food and accomodation
How many reviews will it take for them to do something about the resort? This is our second visit to heron island (last was 6 years ago)- the experience of the reef and the wildlife (snorkelling, diving etc) is second to none. Such a magical place in that respect. The whole experience however is tainted by the shocking lack of attention to the resort and most of all the food. The accommodation is very outdated and tired- think orange/ brown stained showers, terrible water pressure, feeling the springs in the mattress. It does the job however and I guess you are paying for the location rather than the accommodation- but who knows how long it's been since some money was spent upkeeping the actual resort. The food was probably the biggest letdown. We were there over the Easter weekend and every night the only option was a ridiculously overpriced buffet or takeaway pizza (if an italian saw them they might have a heart attack). We didn't even get the option of the a la carte which i'm not sure is much better. Our first night we expressed our disappointment at $69 for a "seafood" buffet of which there was a paella (rice cooked in stock with a couple frozen prawns in), grey frozen prawns and yellow oysters which did not look edible. Each and every meal the restaurant "manager" was nowhere to be seen despite us asking to speak with him. The staff were doing their best but flailing about with no direction and our first lunch we waited over an hour for our food (a couple of burgers..). The breakfast is fine and probably the only thing worth the money (however you have to pay extra for a coffee from the machine). We're super disappointed that the prices at heron are only going up yet the quality is getting worse and worse. Unfortunately you will get repeat and new customers again and again due to the location and experience, however it is such a shame to let a beautiful gem go to waste!
Louiseha1997 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Great place, incredibly helpful staff, no management, below average food and food options, not much entertainment.
The place is amazing, but: There is only one restaurant and they serve an overpriced "buffet" more suitable to a mining site than a holiday destination. The rooms are comfortable but outdated and simple (most like a beach house setting), so don't expect a 5 star experience, just a simple beach accommodation without any luxury. There is absolutely no management in place and the staff, which is 99.9% from overseas (Argentina, Chile, Spain, Italy and others of that sort) are without exaggerating, incredible. They go above and beyond what any Australians would, and this can be seen while compared to the only Australia employee we dealt with over there. They will help and find a way to make your stay comfortable and welcoming. That was with the beauty that surrounds you, what made the holiday special. Sport activities lack again of management. There were kayaks available and only 1 time per day, so a large family would book them all, and nobody else could book anymore, at least during the 3 days we stayed there. Also, no entertainment activities other than very basic ones, so it gets boring after a few days. I'd recommend to have at least 1 manager to oversee the whole operation as regardless or how much the staff works, they are also under staffed, in every way. Loved the place, and I'd go back, hoping to find a more organised operation altogether.
Pablo R
Positive feedback for Heron Island
What an amazing place to visit. We stayed in the Turtle room which had a queen bed and 2 singles. The bathroom and kitchenet were both clean and tidy. It had an outdoor area with table and chairs. No Air Conditioning which was a little off putting but being April it wasn’t to hot. The pool isnt huge and had little shade. The restaurant is huge and little to no wait time to be served and have your food on the table in as little as 5 minutes depending on orders, the food was good and for a resort not to pricey, You can order takeaway pizza, but it wasn’t very good. Drink prices are also reasonable. The bar area is large and has a variety of seating options. The outdoor area also has tables and chairs overlooking the water. With a 1 man band playing music at night. 2 pool tables in the bar which are free to use. You can walk the Island in about 30 minutes. The snorkeling at Heron is awesome. You can also do dive trips and reef snorkeling for a fee. You get complimentary snorkeling gear or you can bring your own. Towels are also provided. There are a variety of tours which are also free. We took the ferry there which took 2 hours it can take longer and we flew back in the helicopter which was amazing and only took 45 minutes I loved my 2 nights at Heron. Its a lovely natural eco friendly Island. The only bad side is if your scared of birds Heron is not for you. The birds cannot keep you awake at night as they are loud. You can pay for internet on the Island if needed. If your a beginner snorkeler then Heron is a great place to start as its not very deep unless you go out far.
Lynette B
Heron's halo has slipped a bit
I've been meaning to get back to Heron for a long time now (it's been about 20 years since my last visit), and while it's almost impossible not to feel you've had a break from life on Heron, the resort is not what it once was. One of the charms of Heron has always been its laid back style. You don't feel out of place schlepping around barefoot There are no locks on doors; no TV's in your room ( who needs tv with what's going on outside??); no phone reception. It really is a perfect place to step out of life for a while. Wifi is available for $25/day and best reception is in the bar. I was pleased to see none of this has changed. We stayed in a Point suite - which is well worth the extra for the stunning views ( if you can request a room, I would go for 2 or 3) The rooms are large with lounge area and outside sitting area with pretty much uninterrupted views of the reef - can stare at it all day without getting bored. Unlike some of the other rooms, the Point Suites are air-conditioned - you don't so much want the a/c for keeping cool, but more for escaping the humidity. Unfortunately, the resort has not been kept as well as it once was. Don't get me wrong, it's a big job maintaining a small town in the middle of the ocean - but there is a generally feel of someone pinching the maintenance and upkeep budget. Everything is ok, but a lot of things are in need of TLC. Buildings need general upkeep, the main bar area has a lot of chairs missing cushions - and the cushions that are there look like they are in desperate need of a wash. We were staying in premium accommodation, yet the grounds around our rooms were pretty much ignored. Food was another disappointment on this trip. Gone are the glory days of amazing food on Heron. I remember when people would arrive on the seafood buffet nights - just for the food. The buffet breakfast would be at home in a Holiday Express, the lunch menu doesn't change, and is the standard basic pub grub. We were there for 3 nights and I can't say anything thrilled me on the dinner menu - it was all 'OK' but that was it. Is it worth the money? A subjective question. We really enjoyed our time there and while it is expensive - you have to factor in where it is. It's just disappointing that for a bit of more effort, this absolute gem of a place could be brought back to its former glory. You are really going for the experience of the reef, and if you didn't have the good fortune to know how glorious the reef was 30 years ago, you would still be entranced by its beauty. I am glad we went, but I probably won't rush back.
Andrew E - Brisbane, Australia
Almost perfect.. BUT !!!
This is our third time at Heron and while the resort is looking dated and tired, it was clean and the accommodation we stayed had good air conditioning. Overall the holiday was magical but not everything went well hence the 4 star review. We had issues before we even arrived and Lauren the duty manager was extremely apologetic and we were able to come to an agreement during our 6 nights stay. Our Pros - 1. Staff were amazing. The restaurant staff and reception team both deserve a special mention. 2. The marine life was just great. So much to see and do. The water was warm and very clear when the conditions were right. 3. So easy to just walk from the room to the beach and swim with turtles, sharks and stingrays within a few minutes 4. The food was good! Tasty, generous and reasonable. Lunch menu is very limited but dinner offered more choices 5. We were lucky to see 2 sets of turtles hatchings. A once in a lifetime experience. Our Cons - 1. As many have mentioned the resort is tired 2. The booking system is broken.. many guests we spoke to also had issues with their booking where rooms were over booked for the period they had selected. Even with a confirmation email the booking was still not guaranteed 3. Not enough activities for the day and none set up for the night. When we first visited Heron 30 years ago they had live music at the bar. Guided star gazing at night. Various water activities running every day instead of some only twice a week. Perhaps it’s due to staff shortages or the Canadian owners trying to save money. 4. And this is a BIG issue. They don’t seem to have a process in place when things go wrong. The Heron ferry is the primary method to get on and off the island. The helicopter is the second option which costs $900+ per adult one way. The ferry only runs 5 days each week and the 6 days we were there it broke down on a Wednesday and still out of commission on the Friday we were due to depart. The usual schedule is for the departing guest on the ferry by 12:30 plenty of time to get back to the mainland to catch the 4:55pm flight back to Brisbane. One the Thursday management was aware of the issue and stated due to low tide and having to use a replacement ferry the delayed departure time will now be at 2:30. We changed our flight to 6:40 which is the last flight out of Gladstone and was reassured we will definitely make our flight. Friday morning the story changed and now we were told 3:45 is the new departure time but the airline has been made aware of the late departure implying they will hold the flights for us. We did not leave the dock till 4:30. Missed our flight home. Had to pay for a hotel for the night, two taxi fares and got home almost 12 hours later. Our issue? The management would have been well aware the arrival time of the replacement ferry. A 4 hour delay. We were never going to make our connecting flights. They chose to not be honest about the situation and it seems they just wanted us off the island so it wasn’t their issue anymore.
Susan T
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