The much-loved tropical destination is set to gain a new resident with The Hilton Palm Cove Cairns Resort & Spa.
Picture-perfect Palm Cove is the ultimate beachfront vacation spot, where rainforest meets reef. Loved for its year-round tropical climate and laid-back attitude, this idyllic gateway to the Great Barrier Reef is defined by its golden shoreline dotted with palm trees and its azure waters. Hilton, in partnership with Tyche Asset Management, is set to redefine tropical luxury accommodation in the area with the new Hilton Palm Cove Cairns Resort & Spa.
Palm Cove is home to pristine beaches. (Credit: Vince Sofia/Tourism and Events Queensland)
The resort is set to open in October 2026, just 25 minutes north of Cairns Airport and 40 minutes from Port Douglas. It will offer sophisticated coastal accommodation just minutes from the beachside village’s pristine shores and vibrant main drag, William’s Esplanade, which is lined with quaint eateries – including the popular Nu Nu – and boutique shops.
Housed in the former Hotel Grand Chancellor, which has been fully refurbished, guests can expect breezy interiors evocative of the surrounding landscape within spread-out, low-rise buildings. Coastal tones punctuated by colourful contemporary artworks and complemented by light timber joinery and natural textures, will envelop everywhere from the foyer to the guestrooms. Each of the 140 contemporary rooms and suites will feature private balconies overlooking tropical gardens or sparkling pools.
The hotel’s breezy interiors are reflective of the surrounding landscape.
Two outdoor pools, including a lagoon-style pool, are sure to keep little ones happy. While a wellness centre, equipped with floating pods, infrared sauna, steam room, therapy rooms and Japanese head massage, and two distinct bars, including a pool bar serving light tropical bites, will cater to adults in need of relaxation time. Euca Bar Grill, with its flame-led menu, will serve as the hotel’s restaurant, and Sol food truck will round out the offerings.
While it’s always been a popular holiday spot for Queenslanders, recent awards, including “Best Beach in the World" by Condé Nast Traveler, have fueled Palm Cove’s growing appeal with everyone from young families to honeymooners and nature enthusiasts. The Hilton development is a direct response to the region’s thriving tourism market, and is the third Hilton property in the region, following nearby Hilton Cairns and DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns.
Rooms and suites feature calming neutral tones.
And while you might find it hard to pull yourself away from this pretty pocket in Tropical North Queensland, basing yourself in Palm Cove also means you’re within day-trip distance of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest.
Details
Address: 10 Coral Coast Drive in Palm Cove
Opening date: 31 October
Best for: Young families, honeymooners and those looking for the perfect base to discover ancient rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and Hotel Addict. She's responsible for the foundational content on AustralianTraveller.com, helping to manage and grow the brand’s destination guides. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love and Bed Threads. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.
The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.
Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.
Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.
Exploring K’gari
Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)
This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.
If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.
The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.
Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)
If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.
While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise. Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.
The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.
Unwind at sunset
Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)
As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.
The Sunset Bar, located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.
When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.
Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.
Indulge and disconnect
Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)
Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.
The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.
Getting there
The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)
Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.
