QT GOLD COAST
It’s part boutique hotel, part Gidget movie. QT Gold Coast’s open-plan ground floor has it all going on: calypso-style pool with fake lawn; lobby bar Fixx laying on high tea with Champagne; and Stingray Lounge pouring 50 shades of tequila. Dressed in retro leisurewear, vivacious staff serve the 297 rooms on 22 floors in record time ( just two and a half minutes to send up a phone charger!). Our modest seventh-floor suite has a sunny balcony, witty minibar and galah-shaped bedside lamp. Expect edgy art (Jennifer Steinkamp’s soaring digital artwork in the lobby is a standout) and a serious spa. The only dead spot is the charmless gym; plunge instead into the paradisiacal surf, a two-minute stroll away. 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise, (07) 5584 1200, qtgoldcoast.com.au
Someone has a sense of humour here. Case in point: “In-room robe removal may result in a slap or a tickle. Permanent removal from this room may result in a swipe (of the credit card kind).” Don’t miss the chance to cycle the beachfront. Grab a free retro bike and a hamper (sandwiches, water, fruit platter and sunscreen in a cooler bag, $55) and get pedalling. Chef-run stations at Bazaar Marketplace restaurant create a superior morning spread ($38), featuring chive and potato rösti, house-made baked beans and a dedicated coffee station. Also on site is Yamagen, a cut-above izakaya. QT minibars aren’t so much stocked as curated, and feature quality booze, an emergency bow tie and a beach ball. Stingray Lounge is a Baja Californian refuge from the hotel’s prevailing beach party, featuring tequila cocktails such as
Day of the Dead, with chilli tequila, lime and black lava salt.