Couran Cove Resort

Resort

Needs updating, feels like a resort that time forgot… a bit sad. Beautiful entrance and lodges, but no heated pool, kids play area needs a lot of work!
Shop in resort could be so much better and allow people to stop going to mainland for a 4 hour trip for food etc.
This is where they could make money!
Fine if you are here for a weekend, but for a week, forget it!
Nothing Fresh just the basics, and I mean basics.
Pool supposed to be heated, asked at reception and they said… yeah not for a couple of years now. A couple of years, OMG that just goes to show what the owners think of the guests.

We had a great weekend. Sunset beach was a beautiful spot to see sunset. Staff were fantastic and very helpful. Accommodation was very clean and nice to stay in. My fiancé, daughter and I have booked another two nights at Couran Cove again already. Will be a place we’ll visit many times to come.

The most amazing trip! friendly staff, room in perfect conditions and the view and activities were amazing. I'll be coming back for sure.

Don’t do it, rude staff crap apartments with glass and all in decks, worn out accomodation, food below average pool store always run out of stock was the worst trip ever and if was $160 a night would be happy as this is the standard certainly not $500 a night!

A nice spot and great marina. Restaurant is positioned well looking over the marina and the food is exceptional. A great place to park the boat for a night or two.

It’s a beautiful place to visit but still in much need of some upgrades, good staff and service. Noticeably some improvement from our visit last year but nevertheless, ill prepared for any influx of people ie ‘Howl at the moon’ weekend! Will still return because it has the potential to be fantastic and hopefully new management will give it the attention it deserves and needs!

Awesome place, and really friendly staff. I came to the cafe a little bit late, they had a sign up that the coffee machine was being cleaned and they weren't taking orders, but Bec recognized me, saw I was looking at getting an iced coffee from the fridge, and offered to make me a coffee. It made my day! Best vacation I've had in years.

Relaxing and quiet place to get away with relaxing self-service activities. When I was there, the kayaking equipment were free to hire. The beach was very relaxing, relaxing views, I loved the frequent buggy rides. Needed more work on the souvenir store, there weren't many choices. I did appreciate that I could bring my own food and drinks.

Very peaceful and quiet island getaway. The staff are very friendly, courteous and helpful. There's only a couple things to do on the island for couples there's the spa, vr world and water activities, highly recommend hiring a bike to get around on. I would say it's more a family friendly destination all in all though.

We had a wonderful 2 nights, made the most of bush walks and the surf beach which was amazing. Staff were lovely, we especially enjoyed the sunset drinks with music and fire. We then went to enjoy live music and drinks on the deck restaurant, it was relaxing and fun. Cooking facilities in our room was limited, and prices at the general store was rediculous. $8.00 for 1 dozen eggs!. We wish we had brought our own supplies, we'll know better next time. We spent too much money eating out, for what we got. The room was great but, stains on mattress protector and old/thin doona as well as rock hard pillows need to be attended to. Apart from the negatives, we had a great time.

I cannot understand any negative reviews for Couran Cove. I read them and almost did not come. This place is utterly amazing! The staff go out of their way to help you. The water front lodge we are in is stunning and super clean. The setting could not be more beautiful. The accommodation is spread out across a vast area, so you feel like the island is all but abandoned until you head to a restaurant or the pool… and catch up with more happy faces. I could not more highly recommend this resort for families, couples or individuals trying to find a peaceful escape. Thank you Team Couran!

Great place for a winter escape. There was hardly anyone there so we pretty much had the resort to ourselves. The eco cabins are well equipped and warm and cosy. There was a lot of activities to keep us all busy and entertained for the 3 days. I'd go back for a quick weekend away. Beautiful sunsets and the sand dunes were fun.

Ferry ride over was fine, staff were friendly and attentive. Took a bike ride down to the beach, very secluded and relaxing. Food is a bit pricey but not bad for the cost. Overall a fun experience for the family, but there isn't too much to do if you don't like relaxing. Didn't take the opportunity to do any of the nature walks as it was raining but was keen to check them out.

This place is great. You'll have to spend some money there but it is more than worth it since you can use the excellent facilities. Perfect for the family who wants a fun, safe day out. The lagoon gets a bit muddy at low tide but that is about the only negative thing. Staff are excellent and friendly.

So beautiful. Ferry ride was amazing, water so perfect, crew was very helpful. Check in was a breeze. Staff are really happy and eager to help with information and attractions. Our apartment is facing the marina and the hinterlands. Beautifully furnished room, bathroom is fantastic and really well appointed. Lots of storage! Pool area is awesome. This whole place needs to be seen to be believed. I highly recommend a tour via 4x4 of the beach and surrounding areas. Lachie of Stradbroke Adventures does an amazing tour at great prices. He also does awesome water sports, tube riding, stand up paddle board plus more. So much fun!

To be honest our visit here was very disappointing. It was a special weekend visit for a number of reasons. The ferry trip was a great way to slow down before we got to Couran Cove… We walked a long way, very slowly as my husband was recovering from major surgery. I wish I had of known how far it was although staff were sparse on the ground. The room was spacious but it had the dirtiest, most stained carpet I have seen in accommodation for a very long time. I'm a redhead so the long black hair in the shower certainly wasn't mine. The food and food choices were very average… don't get excited but still take your wallet. We did enjoy the nature that surrounded us. My two stars are for the pair of kangaroos that were almost as interested in us as we were in them.

Friendly staff, great food, fabulous setting. Since our last visit a new management took over. The front line staff is trying very hard but the lag of repairs and maintenance is starting to let the place down. The place is supposed to have a great relaxing weekend but turning on a leaf blower on Saturday and Sunday morning before 7am in front of the guest accommodation? Sorry, no way. Reduced my review from 4 to 2 stars.

I absolutely love this place! We just visited Saturday and stayed overnight on our boat in the marina. The live entertainment is obviously something new and we loved it. Great singer to! It's like you're on a tropical island but it's only like 20 minutes from Jacobs well via boat. We will see you again some time soon.

What an amazing Day Trip. Didn't receive the best bike, but it didn't dampen the day. Pool, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, trail walks and endless beaches are some of the free activities. Took our own picnic lunch over, so was not an expensive trip. Though the food we saw looks amazing and will definitely be trying next time. Can not wait to book a long weekend stay.

Beautiful view and nice place to spend weekends, it is a family resort but not too many attractions to do for adults. I would not suggest to spend more than few days. There is no daily room service and not many food options. Pool is nice, you can get a kayaking opportunity as well as fishing from your balcony.

What a wonderful island resort. The accommodation is basic but functional and clean. A very layed back, family oriented environment. Wonderful facilities and lots of activities to keep everyone occupied. The food is fairly simple, but delicious. No portentous menus and pompous fair to be found. The "train ride" to the other side of the island is fun and leads to white sandy beaches and a surf club. The ferry ride over to the island was fast, fun and well priced. Although the booking process was tedious, the stay at the resort was memorable and one I will love to repeat again.

Lovely isolated island with nice facilities, only problem was it looked a bit run down. Getting arround the resort was a mission sometimes if you didn't ask for help or have the resort map. Would definitely recommend if you have your own boat to visit or on the sea plane for a day trip.

Couran Cove is a lovely spot with several amenities which have sadly not been looked after. There are 2 main pools with poolside bar and restaurant. The buffet breakfast is $19 and basic, but OK. Lovely long walks through the rainforest will take you to the ocean side of the island. The Surf club is now open. Lovely views.

Had a lovely weekend getaway in the island! Room was very clean and so spacious, lot of wardrobe room, nice big bathroom and beautiful views. Lots of activities included, such as tennis, mini golf, volleyball, kayak, transfers to go to the beach across the island and more. The food at the pool cafe was great, delicious garlic pizza bread! Yummy! 100% recommended!

So beautiful. Ferry ride was amazing, water so perfect, crew was very helpful. Check in was a breeze. Staff are really happy and eager to help with information and attractions. Our apartment is facing the marina and the hinterlands. Beautifully furnished room, bathroom is fantastic and really well appointed. Lots of storage! Pool area is awesome. This whole place needs to be seen to be believed.

Love the setting. Place looks a little bit tired and a bit odd with unkempt running track, mini golf etc. Maybe part of a later upgrade. Food choice's poor, especially for vegetarians. Only one dedicated menu item at poolside Bar and bistro (which was good). No vegetarian menu at resort restaurant. When I asked what the vegetarian options were after seeing not a single one on the menu I was told with a laugh that they serve 'plenty of chicken' (? ) and when I pressed whether they can make a vegetarian option I was told that I would have to get their early as the chef doesn't like being annoyed with such things once he gets busy. Found this disappointing and backward thinking. Great free watersports for kids and adults though and such a beautiful setting.

Day — 1 We tried to book the ferry online and it didn't work, the site wasn't working. We rang but the reception was closed at 5pm? Day 1 We had dinner in their main restaurant and all the dishes were covered in cheap, smoky sweet sauces — the menu was all sweet laced dishes, very limited choices if you didn't like sweet … Day 2 The next day we tried to find a restaurant open after 10am, nothing. The grocery store was a decrepit shed with very few options for children. We found a cafe, with baguettes. It took 30 mins to serve a baguette-very sloppy service — we were there at a quiet time, us and one other person. The afternoon of day two, we were sitting on our deck and the cleaners decided to take a smoke break on the balcony next to us, with all their smoke wafting over us. Stay tuned for Day 3

A great facility with so much to see and do. Room was clean and well appointed, staff friendly & helpful and such a large variety of different activities or just explore the awesome environment. Highly recommended, both with/without kids.

No blue water here, all tidal and brown. BUT, very relaxing. Good food and service. Better for families with kids. Beautiful apartment suites. Just go to the pool or bar at low tide.

This is a good location to get away from it all. Beautiful setting. Relax by the pool, do a walk, hire a bike, get a buggy ride to the ocean beach, have a workout in the basic outdoor gym, lots of things for the kids.

Awesome place and first class service. My new cell phone fell in the muddy water and I lost hope to get it back ever but one of their staff Mitch dived in bravely and saved my phone from deep muddy water and surprisingly the phone was on and completely safe. All the employees are very helpful and always smiling. Rooms are clean, spacious and very well managed and really good activities for all ages.

Ill start with a positive — the Staff on the whole were great. What was not great was the fact I had gone over for my birthday and there was nothing to eat for dinner! The restaurant was booked out for a private function which in itself sounds like a real money grab on a Saturday night when they had so many guests. Then it was off to the pool 'cafe' which was completely full with nowhere to even sit. But we had to eat so we waited in the Que to order. We waited for over an hour then asked if our food was coming, we were told it was so waited another 20 minutes than gave up and went to bed hungry. So we had paid for dinner we didn't even get! Happy Birthday! I told the staff the next day who were very apologetic and assured me a Manager would call, of course this never eventuated.

Amazing place. Awesome location. Fantastic staff. The service was brilliant and we can't recommend this location any more than we do. We absolutely loved Couran Cove Island Resort and can't wait to get back there.

Married here here 14 years ago, come back to a much less staffed run down looking place. We had studio room near water which was clean and comfortable small kitchenette fridge so u can take food to cook but minimal really. Probably more active in warmer months with more atmosphere so would go back to check it out. Just need a bit of revamp to bring it to 4-5 star but as it is 3-3.5 stars only Says your not allowed to bring alcohol on the island but we did just for nights out on our balcony which was nice.

Great location! I have only ever visited as a day tripper but I've always found the place to nice, a bit quiet, tidy and staff very helpful.

Lovely resort, has a lot of potential. People are super super friendly — too friendly even, would be great for a boys trip.

New management has really turned this place around! Affordable rooms with absolutely stunning views that stay true to the eco-friendly philosophy that Couran Cove was originally founded upon. Great food, live entertainment on "Island nights", and you're almost guaranteed to see the amazing wildlife that this Island has to offer!

We have been to Couran Cove a number of times, just recently we have had to cancel our booking as they wanted to charge us extra for mouring our trailer boat. This was just not a small charge but rather excessive. This is nothing more than a cash crab from the resort and will drive away visitors. We will not be going back with these fees imposed. Previous visits we were never charged as long as we were staying there. It didn't work before and it wont work now.

Great place, terrible management. It's been two weeks since our stay and they haven't been able to release the $300 bond to our account. When asked for help, they said there's nothing they can do and I'll need to wait. Sounds very professional on your behalf! (not) I understand there's an issue and it may be out of your hands (not really sure how), but that's when customer service could make a huge difference and your establishment has none.

Very very pleasantly surprised Food Gastro pub bistro more so than pub grub-great food, great kitchen staff… Great restaurant Vibe Great vibe and feel… Resort without pretension, family activities ++, miles to explore and bike, Great beach Chillaxed place for family reunions A great resort pub/resort play pool I'll be back with the crew… Accommodations The 4 bedroom villas are huge — well worth it Judging the prior reviews… Get a villa not a room… if ya looking for a wotif bargain… Expecting the world… Be dissapointed… Go with family and make ya own fun — — there's plenty of good kids facility… Just take ya rackets bats and balls etc Don't expect a club med if ya not paying for it… Simple I'll be back… I love the bush relaxed get away from it vibe The food The convenience The villas/lodges The fishn Btw: — The boatie/crew taking us over and back was full of character aussie charm and humour… See an earlier listed rv The staff at reception were great The bistro poolside chef was great, talked about his recipes and cooked well :p.

Purchased our weekend away and was so excited have not been away for jonks… the ferry across was ok staff no personality but that was ok too. Reception was great very friendly staff and our room was ready straight away. Bonus! Lovely outlook onto the marina but if this was Deluxe then I am the Queen of England. I asked reception what the difference was with their standard rooms and Deluxe. I was told the Deluxe rooms were recently refurbished and modernised… Well not ours mate. Furniture was dated, carpets worn and stained, could not figure out how they made the bed up, got myself so tangled up, pillows were hard and thin so uncomfortable. Got a bit chilly so looked for a blanket found one and that was so old with stains on it too. : (Little kitchenette was so basic, there was no pot so landed up boiling our hot dogs in a glass jug in the microwave. Cutlery draw was dirty and the coffee cups stained, a little bit of man power and I got them clean to use. Sigh! Bathroom looked amazing until you noticed the mold in the shower. Blah! I was so disappointed with the sport facilities I honestly thought I was on the movie set of Jurassic Park, any minute now the T-Rex was going to pop out and devour us. Everything is so run down, they should not be advertising their recreation facilities as it is awful. The bikes are old but man I thought worth it, I loved the cycling around the place, my highlight of the weekend.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY Why I've rated Ramada Couran Cove Island Resport 1/5: — Room was very dirty, everything covered in dust, girlfriend suffers from allergies to dust. — The only place to buy food was the Poolside Cafe which is basically a very expensive canteen. The restaurant was "closed for maintenance" and the cafe was open for about 4 hours during the 3 days we were there. We were not informed that there are kitchens in the rooms so we assumed there would be sufficient food available, which was not the case. We were forced to pay upwards of $20-$30 per meal, 3 times a day for very, very, very average food. The poolside cafe was not even open all day… There was set eating times and no where else to purchase food outside of these times. We were forced to pay upwards of $120 each day for food for 2 people. I wouldn't actually mind paying more than $20 per meal, if the food was in fact worth that price. The food is very poor quality and very expensive. — The first time we left the apartment our key stopped working so we had to walk back to the reception to obtain a working key. Highlights: — Ferry was on time and prompt All in all, we ended up leaving 2 days early so that we could get some decent and non-expensive food. We felt captive on this island… It was not an enjoyable experience.

Beautiful place, excellent chef and lovely staff.

We have a great family holiday! We have a 1 year old who really loved being out doors and we had the whole island to enjoy — so many free activities and places to walk including a train ride. The rooms were great. But most of all the huge heated kids pool was the best as it was all shaded. Healthy and good quality food at the cafe. We'll be going again in winter next.

Worst experience and most incompetent management. Went there for two nights, left our bags in care of front desk while our room was getting ready. While waiting had some awful very overpriced garbage for food and rented bicycles for two day at $100. Came back to reception once the room was ready, our bag was lost. After 4 hours of aggravation and waiting took a boat back as one cannot stay in an island without personal gears and clothing with no stores around. We were promised to that they will reverse the charges for unused bicycles. They found our bag and after two days we had to go get it from their office they would not wanted to courier or deliver it back to us. More than three weeks has past. No refund, no credit back, they even have hold on to $300 security deposit as a charge to my card. My very precious hard to have two days get away alone with my wife was ruined. Do yourselves a favour and give this place a miss.

Stayed the 1-3 May 14 in a 4 room villa and it had a great setup, room was clean and well equipped. Staff where friend and helpful even though they where busy with a wedding and sports challenge. even with a huge storm the staff cleaned up quickly and keep things running smoothly. Great place that stay and relay. Recommend getting a bike and going for a ride around.

Awful — but I don't blame the staff — the resort doesn't invest in them — no training and they have no manager on site — what can you expect.

I wish I could give this no stars. Found a "deal" on groupon for a two night stay with breakfasts and a bottle of wine for $269. Thinking this was a good deal for a supposed 4 star resort, I bought the coupon and booked the trip on the weekdays during vacation. After booking I found on the website that you have to pay extra for transport to the resort AND parking fees to leave your car at the ferry dock. So all up it ended up costing more than I bargained for. I wouldn't have been upset had the resort been worth the money, but even with this discounted rate, the stay at this resort was not worth even a fraction of what I payed. We were not told ahead of time that their nicer restaurant was only open on weekends. They had one restaurant open that served extremely overpriced garbage food. It was so bad that I was actually disappointed that breakfast was included in the deal. Would have rather packed muesli bars and eaten them for breakfast. There was a surf club not too far away, but this turned out to be closed as well for the weekdays so there were no other options to eat. We had only booked a studio room without a full kitchen so didn't bring enough food for all the meals (note: bringing an esky on the ferry costs 20$ each way if you want to bring cold food). This meant we ended up paying way too much money for food that I'm sure came out of a cardboard box and was thrown into the deep fryer. Another huge disappointment was the lack of activities available.

First of all when we arrive at the resort, the receptionist couldn't find our booking as we booked from expedia. Both the resort and expedia didn't help at all as both blame others for not able to find our booking. Then we were offered 1 bedroom deluxe to stay. At the time there was other specials available but they didn't tell us which was more expensive then special offer. When we went to our resort the people gave us the room block which we have to make sure we went to the right room. When we went inside the room the room was hotter than outside with both air-con running. We told the receptionist and they said someone will come and have a look, no one come as I was in the room. It was individual unit and they said due to everyone was using air-con so that why it was not cold at all. The floor was a bit sticky and the fly-screen was not intact and was using sticky-tape to stick on. The fridge was leaking with water and the freezer door was warm to touch. Overall the room was not good to stay, even just for sleeping. Secondly, it might be our fault not reading the welcome pack "Who will read everything when you go on a holiday". Anyway we were being charge $130 for cleaning fee. There was no sign at all apart from in the welcome pack that you will be charge if the room was not clean. So thats how much they charge for cleaning the dishes and throw away the rubbish. I don't mind paying service fee that at $130 is a bit too much.

We booked this several months ago for a 3 day romantic break. It wasn't. The room was very worn, carpet was stained, bed was stained, bathroom light didn't work, outdoor table was filthy, only one outdoor chair was available, deck stain was peeling off, kitchen had a cooktop but no pots nor pans to cook with. The much lauded restaurant was OK, my wife's steak was beautiful but my fish of the day was so hard and dry I could have put a stamp on it and mailed it home. This place is really a fancy family holiday camp with a wonderful range of facilities to keep the kids occupied even if they are a bit tired. To be fair they are trying to tidy it up but they don't seem to be very interested in customer service on the journey. We wouldn't go back.

Been there a number of times in the past with a nice experience, was not told this time would be any different (even though they would see from their computer history, we had been a number of times in the past), always paying the full rate. Shocking to experience, firstly the manager doesn't look you in the eye as he tells you a $300 bond is needed and you need to pay for your stay prior to completing it, Why?. We now know, you now put out your own trash, get your own supplies ie loo paper etc from reception. No concierge to help with luggage, no daily room service. We paid $340 a night, made to pay $40 extra to check out at 12noon, told we had to pay $15 a day extra to use the internet, treated like you were on a "coupon deal" by a manager that should be a debt collector. Told they were self rated 4 star now. I don't think they would reach 3 star. On the last day we were there the toilets and sinks were blocked for hours without resolve. We were glad to leave, probably never to go back.

My family and I stayed in a 4 bedroom villa for 4 days. My feedback is to acknowledge the actions of one of your staff members, who went above and beyond what would normally be expected. I should say before I describe the specific incident which attracts this special mention, that all the staff at the resort were extremely friendly. But is was Casey, with the bright red hair, who was the highlight. My rather expensive hat had blown off my head into the water, and even though the reception staff had provided me with a golf stick to try and retrieve it, it was still well out of my reach and beyond my physical capabilities. Enter Casey! She saw the problem, immediately offered to help and successfully retrieved the hat. Thank you Casey! I certainly hope your employers appreciate you, because I certainly do.

Visited Couran Cove as a birthday celebration for my partner. The booking process was smooth, although I was not aware of the additional cost of the water taxi. Although the new owners have worked hard to refurbish much of the resort, the rooms are a little tired. For example, the deck overlooking the water needs a good sanding back and re-oiling. The table really needed a table cloth to cover the grubbiness. If I knew beforehand I would have brought along my sander and did the job myself. The staff we very helpful but often run off their feet. To get a coffee was often an object of testing your patience. The food was limited because of a conference being held at the time. Only one restaurant open and the resort does not "really" cater for Gluten Free needs. The pool side cafe is much too noisy to enjoy a quite dinner. Bike hire cost is ridiculous. I could have purchased a bike for the rental cost so bring your own. Riding about was fun though because of the nature trails about. Internet is about 20 years behind todays expectations for access to the internet. It is free almost anywhere, coffee shops, trains, parks these days. Why is this feature an additional cost at this resort. I think it should have been included. After booking in at the reception, I believe our bags should have been delivered to our front door. (After all we are "Ramada") We (and you) will have to drag them a long way to your room via a typical "I have a mind of my own" shopping trolly.