Travelling to the Cairns region in Far North Queensland, you are presented with a number of options when it comes to selecting somewhere to stay and on my most recent visit I opted to stay at the Peppers Beach Club & Spa.
If you’re looking to stay in central Cairns you’ll be right in the thick of it with the laid back hustle of the city full of young backpackers exploring the area. A lot of people opt to go further north and stay at the resort town of Port Douglas, a smaller city with access to the reef and a closer stepping stone for those looking to explore the Daintree Rainforest.
The best place to consider when staying somewhere in Cairns is the Cairns Northern Beaches and more specifically the very chilled out Palm Cove which is only a thirty minute drive from central Cairns. I stayed here for the first time in Palm Cove and was lucky enough to experience the very luxurious Peppers Beach Club & Spa, one of the most lavish accommodation options you’ll find in the area.
PEPPERS BEACH CLUB & SPA (PENTHOUSE) AT A GLANCE
Price: AUD $709.00 per night
Check In: 15:00
Check Out: 10:00
Room: 6232
Floor: 3 of 3 (2 Bedroom Garden Penthouse, Building 6)
GETTING HERE
If you have a hotel transfer as part of your stay then there is no need to worry as you’ll be whisked off from the Airport straight to Palm Cove and this is the best method if you plan to take it easy whilst in the region. If you plan on renting a car like I did, it’ll take you approximately thirty minutes to drive from Cairns Airport to Palm Cove and is a great option if you wish to go out on a whim and explore some of the great coastal roads right on the footsteps of Palm Cove.
Driving there is really easy, heading out of the airport all you need to do is turn right and follow the signs to Port Douglas and Mossman. Once you turn off for Palm Cove you’ll arrive at this sleepy town, making your way all the down to the main street. Peppers Beach Club & Spa has a small area out the front where you can park your car whilst checking-in.
CHECKING-IN
Upon approaching the resort you are greeted by the friendly team at the reception desk as you walk up the open air entrance with the Lime & Pepper restaurant on the right and the impressive resort pool and spa right in front of you, surrounded by the many guest rooms that occupy the resort.
When you check-in you’re given your room key on a lanyard as well as a separate key for the safety deposit box located in the room, an access code for the car park located under your building and an access code for the wifi that can be tapped into from anywhere around the resort.
Car parking for the resort is located off the main road from the highway, rather than the main beachside road. Depending on which building you are staying in, you then use your access code to access the underground parking which includes a lift for getting you up to your room level. There is plenty of parking available on site however you need to be wary that the resort is also home to some private residents and that those car parks are off limits.
Originally I had booked a Garden Spa room (the cheapest in the resort as I certainly cannot pay the full price of the other rooms) and was lucky enough to be upgraded on my arrival, which was fantastic and probably changed the way I had planned to spend my time up there as I didn’t expect to have such a luxurious room.
THE ROOM: GARDEN PENTHOUSE SUITE
Two words come to mind as I enter the Penthouse Suite, blown away! I couldn’t believe that I had all to myself a two bedroom suite that included not one but 3 balconies, one of which is on the roof spanning not only my room but the room next door, making it double the width of the room and included my own private spa.
Back to the room itself which included a fully equipped kitchen, dinning room with a table to seat six people, lounge with large screen TV and stereo system that then leads out to the second balcony. From this balcony you look out into the palm trees and on the ground level is the Serenity Pool spanning the entire length of building six.
The bathroom is a reasonable size with a spacious shower and basin with the toilet in a separate room next to the bathroom, which is a good touch if you’re sharing the room with a family. Wrapped around the kitchen is the staircase that takes you up to the rooftop balcony which is amazing all on its own.
Not only is this where the private spa is located but up here you’ll also find a bar fridge to store your refreshments, a large lounge suite for a large gathering of family and friends, dinning table and to top it off your own private barbecue.
VIDEO: Peppers Beach Club & Spa Penthouse Tour & exploring the Skyrail
The large area up on the rooftop is ideal for large family getaways and the penthouse rooms can easily be converted to be much bigger with the room next door being available as an interconnecting room. The only issue I found with this in the separate room configuration is that when the people staying next door came through the shared foyer area it was really loud and the doors would slam which startled me a few times when things were quiet. For a large gathering in the penthouse suites at Peppers Beach Club & Spa you could potentially have six people (or more) using this wide open luxurious space.
Additionally waiting for me in the room was a bottle of sparkling wine and a cheese platter meaning it was going to be an awesome party for one! Along with that came a nice welcome letter (although they got my name on it wrong but I found that amusing) as well as some beverage vouchers to use at the Lime & Pepper restaurant or pool bar, which I actually didn’t end up using.
A recommendation would be to also join the Mantra Plus program before booking and arriving as Peppers is part of the Mantra group of hotels and resorts, guests tied to this loyalty program seem to get a few extra perks during their stay.
HOTEL FACILITIES
Peppers Beach Club & Spa is packed full of features, the main resort swimming pool is located in the centre and is inspired by a beach with its own sand cascading into the crystal clear blue waters and surrounded by four of the accommodation buildings. It also houses its very own pool bar in the centre and a second pool is also located here accompanied by a spa as well for those wanting to stay away from the larger pool but still be in the centre of the resort.
A third pool is also located near building six called the Serenity Pool. This pool is a quiet zone with children asked to be kept quiet and is a good pool for anyone wanting to swim laps. Its seclusion amongst the palm trees gives you the feeling of swimming in the rainforest. This end of the resort also boasts a tennis court and gym for guest to use, whilst the front of the resort has its own spa that is used for massages and beauty treatments.
For breakfast guests are able to grab a bite to eat at the Lime & Pepper restaurant located at the front of the resort, offering a standard hotel breakfast. Whilst here you can help yourself to an array of teas as well as asking for a freshly brewed barista made coffee. The restaurant also caters for diners at lunch time and is also responsible for servicing the room service menu which will unfortunately attract a $5.00 room service charge.
The food on offer at dinner time is amazing. I started off with Barramundi Spring Rolls for entrée whilst my friend whom I was dinning with (who works at the hotel in the interest of full disclosure, and as you can imagine the reason I was upgraded) opted to have, but more because of my curiosity, Bundaberg Ginger Beer marinated Kangaroo, you can’t get more Australian than that. I’m not a seafood eater usually but I did love my Spring Rolls.
For mains I opted for the Pork Belly which was also just as delicious. The menu is always evolving with the head chef putting a lot of love into what he serves guests at the resort through the Lime & Pepper restaurant.
CHECKING-OUT
Checking out of the hotel was easy in terms of checking out and leaving, however it wasn’t easy because I just didn’t want to leave! I had an exceptionally relaxing time staying here so it was quite sad to have to leave and return home knowing the next day I had to return to my regular 9-5 job. After handing in my keys reluctantly, it was time for me to head back towards Cairns and the airport. Leaving the car park is easy, you don’t have to get your car out before checking out as you would have to at some hotels because the gates open automatically.
I really enjoyed my stay at the Peppers Beach Club & Spa and would love to return one day. Palm Cove in general is a great place to base yourself if you want to stay out of the main city of Cairns, which if I’m being totally honest, doesn’t really have that much going for it. Even if you cannot stay in Palm Cove, the Cairns Northern beaches area is the place to be for that truly relaxed atmosphere.
From Palm Cove you still have access to all the great activities in the region from the Skyrail and the Kuranda Scenic Railway, to heading out on a boat trip on the Great Barrier Reef from either Cairns or Port Douglas. You can hire a car and explore Mossman Gorge or even venture out further and checkout the Daintree area with a trip to Cape Tribulation and spot a crocodile or cassowary. Peppers Beach Club & Spa has it all to ensure you have a relaxing time when visiting Cairns and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
VIDEO: Part 1 Kuranda and Granite Gorge
VIDEO: Part 2 Skyrail & Peppers Beach Club & Spa Palm Cove
VIDEO: Part 3 Mossman Gorge, Great Barrier Reef & Cairns Airport Mangroves
GUIDE BOOKS
A guide book isn’t cheating! Before you leave on your next adventure ensure you plan to get the most out of your trip and check out the range of guide books from Lonely Planet. The comprehensive guide books on Australia from Lonely Planet will give you an insight on what to expect on your travels to this amazing country.
UP NEXT
Exploring Kuranda and the Cairns Skyrail
(COMING SOON)
ALSO CHECK OUT
A day out on the Great Barrier Reef & why you need to see it now
(COMING SOON)
Dan
Just your average guy doing his 9 - 5 job as a Senior Payroll Officer by day, writing about his travel adventures and hopefully giving you inspiration and ideas for your next travel adventure here at loneXplorer...
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