Kicking off our honeymoon officially with a stay at Gold Coast’s Rhapsody Resort! I honestly didn’t know what to expect because a number of reviews online mentioned some potentially concerning downsides of staying here, but I’m really thankful that none of those came up at all. The resort sits right next to the beach, and also has a bus stop and a light rail station (Surfers Paradise North) conveniently located nearby.
Check-in
We were greeted at the reception by Corey, a super friendly guy. When we were terribly clueless about how to retrieve the wifi password, he patiently tried to direct us to find it and (because we were such a lost cause) eventually wrote it down on a post-it note for us. The staff members from different shifts at the reception continued to extend the same friendliness to us throughout our stay. Checking in was a breeze and just before we headed up to our room, Corey passed us some treats to celebrate our honeymoon with. What a nice touch (:
Room
The room we booked (Ocean View Apartment) was located on a staggeringly high floor with an insanely spectacular view! The look on my husband’s face as he walked through the door was one of sheer jaw-dropping amazement. From the sleek furnishings to the extensive floor-to-ceiling windows across the space, everything seemed to be reflecting and drawing in the vibes of the ocean and the beach. The room was a good size and generally clean, although one could see the wear and tear in various parts of the space. I didn’t fancy the fact that certain items and areas looked heavily used, but that’s just me nitpicking. The whole experience really was a very comfortable one.
Having a washing machine and dryer within the room was real handy because my husband didn’t pack enough clothes to last the whole trip (#lifesaver). Finally, the spacious and windy balcony that was truly the icing on the cake. My husband spent most mornings chilling here with either his breakfast or toothbrush in hand (while I spent mine in bed sleeping, heh). It was easy to lose our sense of time as we sat back and silently watched the hypnotic lull of the waves, absolutely relaxing.
Some reviewers mentioned that they had difficulty sleeping due to the whistling sounds made by the strong winds moving through their windows and the lift shafts. I heard these sounds ocassionally when the windows weren’t closed tightly enough and while waiting in the lift lobby, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, probably because our window seals were fine and our room was located further away from the lifts.
Facilities
We set out to explore the entire resort (well, at least the levels we had access to) and found a few interesting nooks and crannies. There is a chill-out guest lounge with comfy chairs and air-conditioning (especially essential in summer), and adjacent to the lounge is an outdoor spot looking out towards the beach. This level has several meeting rooms as well but access to them probably requires booking in advance.
In addition to the resort’s gym and pool, there is also a barbecue area available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Located on the topmost floor, this space offers a 180-degree view of the beach and the surrounding buildings. The winds here were extremely strong and given my small frame, I seriously considered the off-chance of getting swooped up and blown off the side of the building. Anxiety-provoking thoughts aside, I’d still definitely recommend firmly securing your hats or loose items before coming up here.
Rhapsody Beachside is the resort’s restaurant located on the ground floor next to the reception. We didn’t dine here mainly because we had already shortlisted other restaurants to visit. Maybe next time!
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. The highlight of this experience was, without a doubt, the breath-taking ocean view that we woke up and came home to every day (: Coupled with a nicely furnished room and warm greetings of “hi, how are you?” and “have a good day!” from the staff, this place was really something special. My gut tells me I can’t give this a full 5-star rating because some areas in the room could still use more tender-loving care (eg. water stains on windows, dirt and dust in crevices, worn carpets) but in all fairness, I must say that the experience here was one I could genuinely get used to, so much so that I was really reluctant to pack up and leave!
Dania Experiences 