Starwood Preferred Guest - Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Queensland Australia [Master Thread]

I will be checking out tomorrow from Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas, Australia after a five-day stay as a part of my holiday tour in Australia.

I was particularly excited about this property hearing all good
(outdared) reviews. Also, I was thrilled to know that it was recently voted
as the best resort in Australia according to the Australian magazine
"Luxury Travel".

I was very disappointed when I got into the room. I was upgraded to
the best room and indeed it was the best room this property could offer.
Unfortunately the term "best" here doesn't match Starwood's reputation
and class even for a Sheraton!
From the first glance I realized that luxury doesn't exist. Fine
enough, after all it's a Sheraton not a Luxury Collection or even Westin.
Spending ah houre in the room, I concluded that the room can't be refered
to as functional. The shower pressure is too weak and the
hot/cold-water mixer works in a funny way. The A/C seems worn out and can't coop
with the afternoon heat. Strikingly enough this room, being recently
renovated, is supposed to be in the best shape compared to some other
rooms.

I would barely classify this property as "ok". To be fare, Port Douglas
is facinating and this Sheraton is purly a waste of space. The
property used to be part of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) but it was
dropped two years ago. I say to LHW good move and to Starwood drop it or
fully refurbish it.

I could have been more disappointed if I was paying for the stay. I
got this aginst points (10k per night) and I may check out and move to
the nearby Radisson and pay for a decent room.

I need to point out here that the above facts apply to the hotel rooms
not the villas which I haven't seen.

In short, I don't recommend this property at all even on Starwood
points. People here are extremely nice and helpful but you can also find
them at decent and 'functional' hotels/resorts.

I visited Port Douglas a few years ago on a small cruise ship. It was a jumping-off point for the Quicksilver to the Barrier Reef. My recollection of Port Douglas, was that it was a sweet, small town; one not especially given to luxury hotels. Perhaps, some of us have to lower expectations when we go to small towns and redefine "luxury."I am not being critical. Just an observation that all destinations and Starwoods are not necessarily equal. I would not expect the same level of service or accommodations in Port Douglas, that I would expect in VCE.(for example)

I absolutely adore Port Douglas but haven't stayed at the Sheraton. Reports are of excellent Platinum recognition.

I highly recommend the Thala Beach Lodge (http://www.thalabeach.com.au) (though I haven't been to the property in about 4 years and some recent reviews at tripadvisor mention rooms have gotten a bit tired).

I loved Surya at Port Douglas. I did walk through the Sheraton and was not impressed.

http://www.suryaportdouglas.com.au/about.html

I stayed at the SMPD about 4 years ago and was also disappointed. It has some nice aspects, but reminded me too much of a nicely landscaped office complex. I checked out early and moved to the Thala Lodge. Like the previous poster I too enjoyed my stay there. It is not luxurious, but it had a good retreat feel about the place. Good food too (but that was 4 years ago).

obscure2k: I totally agree with you but what impression would you get of a resort that has been voted by Luxury Travel magazine as the Best Resort in Australia?! The Sheraton Mirage was also included in Conde Nast gold list last year.

Here is just another follow up on this property.
I just checked out this morning and I was suprised to know that the comments I posted less than 24 hrs ago have reached the front desk!
Mr. Jackson Emblin, assistant front dest manager, told me that he read my comments on FlyerTalk and he was sorry about the experience I had. He acknowledged that problems do occure and he told me that the hotel WILL undergo renovation. He even offered to refund half of the Starwood points I used for my stay. Very welcome and nice touch, although I wasn't expecting that at all. That by itself confirmed my impression over this property: staff/managment (softwear) is very professional and extreemly polite but the building (hardwear) is falling apart.

To sum this all up: The hotel is not in its best shape but that shouldn't deter people from staying there. If you happened to be unfortunate and end up in bad room, make sure you bring it to the manager's attention and the matter will be resolved promptly. BUT DON'T COME HERE BASED ON WHAT MAGAZINES HAVE ADVERTISED.

To Mr. Emblin/Starwood: I would suggest that you bring down the Reward Category down to Cat 3 untill the resort is renovated. There are many alternatives in the area at better value. Starwood loyal guests shouldn't be getting lower value deal just because they chose to continue to be loyal to Starwood. Thank you.

How did they identify you from your post? The only person staying who had redeemed points with your specific checkout date??

I've noticed that several of the Starwood properties in Australia have excellent management -- Westin in Sydney, for example, but also the Melbourne Westin and the W. Far better than average and better than Starwoods in the rest of the world. Thus your experience with the hotel noting the problem proactively and offering a solution doesn't surprise me (just try that at any London hotel!). The proactivism shows considerable effort and earns these hotels proportionate loyalty on my part. Unfortunately it doesn't help with the hardware problem for those few hotels that are worn out and needing more than cosmetic refurbishment.

I couldn't agree more with you. I've tried Westin Melbourne and now I'm staying at Westin Sydney. Both have outstanding managment and they treat Platinums very good. As with Starwoods in London... ahhh..they are at the bottom of my list when it comes to Platinum recognetion or even customers relations matters.
I would highly recommend the Westins in Australia... the only are of improvment I noticed is the concierge knowledge and experience. Overall I would give them 9.5/10!

The property used to be part of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) but it was dropped two years ago. I say to LHW good move and to Starwood drop it or fully refurbish it.


I was given the information that both Mirage properties in Australia (Gold Coast and Port Douglas) will not remain with *wood and are being sold this year. *wood has already lost four properties last year in AU/NZ, so it's getting hard to remain loyal if they continue to sell all their properties.

I agree with you that the Sheraton Port Douglas is really not a luxury hotel. The rooms in the tropical decor simply look cheap to me. Stayed there once and never returned, and for 10k points it's definitely overpriced.

the only are of improvment I noticed is the concierge knowledge and experience. Overall I would give them 9.5/10!Interesting ... FYI the Westin Melbourne lost an excellent concierge (lured away to work at a hotel in Europe), and several others have left in the past 2 years. Maybe inevitable to have that kind of turnover, but the fact that you notice might convince their management of the importance of finding good replacements to staff this key position. Often it is the concierge that makes the difference between an excellent and a great hotel (and I don't mean their ability to recommend a restaurant for dinner).

I was given the information that both Mirage properties in Australia (Gold Coast and Port Douglas) will not remain with *wood and are being sold this year. *wood has already lost four properties last year in AU/NZ, so it's getting hard to remain loyal if they continue to sell all their properties.



They have already been sold and the new owners have renewed management contracts with Sheraton.

I've noticed that several of the Starwood properties in Australia have excellent management -- Westin in Sydney, for example, but also the Melbourne Westin and the W. Far better than average and better than Starwoods in the rest of the world. Thus your experience with the hotel noting the problem proactively and offering a solution doesn't surprise me (just try that at any London hotel!). The proactivism shows considerable effort and earns these hotels proportionate loyalty on my part. Unfortunately it doesn't help with the hardware problem for those few hotels that are worn out and needing more than cosmetic refurbishment.

I couldn't agree more with your accessment I recently wrote a letter to the management of the Westin in Sydney thanking them for letting me be a guest in their property all these years.
They always create value for me as a guest and make me proud to earn and be a SPG Platinum member.
I would like to see this management team along with the Westin Grand Vancouver management team train other hotel managers about fostering strong lifetime relationships with customers.
Its the best form of advertising in the world.
And while I am at it let me give recognition to the fine hard working and helpful folks at the Sheraton on the Park who also always do a first class job.

The fact is that the Australian properties usually do amongst the most responsible job of any Starwood properties.
Bravo to the Down Under properties making Starwood proud.

I'm heading off for a 4 day/3 night trip to Port Douglas and used points to book a "deluxe lagoon room". Reading these posts I'm wondering if anybody has visited this property lately and can provide an update? Also, do they have a spa?

Finally, many folks mentioned "smaller operators" for the snorkeling experience - any suggestions/names? Thanks!

Finally, many folks mentioned "smaller operators" for the snorkeling experience - any suggestions/names? Thanks!

I went a few years ago, so I'm not 100% sure, but I think we went with HABA (http://www.divethereef.com/DiveTrips/1336227097.asp). We made the decision based on who included wetsuits and optical snorkel masks as part of their package, rather than charging extra, and were very happy with the company. I spent most of the trip out to the Reef getting sick, and they were super nice to me--nothing like seeing a latex-gloved hand reaching out for your used bag and handing you a clean one when you've got your head between your knees! ;) Fortunately, the medicine kicked in after that, and I was able to enjoy the snorkeling.

What a horrible property. Checked in today after a flight from Sydney. The check-in person was unable to find my reservation for quite awhile. When I asked if he needed the confirmation number, he said "No!". I waited. He finally found my reservation. When I asked about breakfast he said "you're on QUITE a discounted rate; you do NOT get any breakfast. . ." First of all, I am on points and had to pay a surcharge since they did not have any "traditional rooms" left. Secondly, I don't care WHAT price somebody paid; you don't mention it to the guest (especially since when checking out of the Sydney Sheraton this AM I paid them several thousands of dollars.. .). Then had to wait over 45 minutes for the room to "get ready." The room itself is one of the worst hotel rooms I have ever been in. Paint chipping, air conditioner dripping, lamp covering coming off, dirty towels, dirty bathtub, etc. But what makes it even worse? The staff at this property. Everything is met with "no" or "that choice doesn't exist. . " It's VERY frustrating to say the least. I am EXTREMELY disappointed with this property and the fact that nothing was made right.

Absolutely horrible. I was soooo looking forward to this vacation - exchanged a boatload of points for each night (11.5K per ight). The vacation in terms of the hotel has been a disaster. I spoke with both the front office manager as well as the GM. Nothing has been done although both of the men were VERY nice and EXTREMELY courteous. Now I have to scramble to try and find another place to stay during PEAK season here in Port Douglas.

The only good thing about this place is its proximity to a gorgeous beach. I would NOT recommend anybody stay at this property (btw - I am Platinum and am 3 nights away from requalifying for next year).

Now I have to scramble to try and find another place to stay during PEAK season here in Port Douglas.Do you have to stay in Port when you're back during the peak season? If not, go a bit farther up to Cape Tribulation. It's about 90 minutes north of where you are now, and barring exceptional amounts of recent rainfall, a regular car will get you all the way there (most rental contracts won't let you go beyond, due to road conditions).

Far North Queensland is way too beautiful a place to be ruined by a less-than-perfect hotel. Hopefully you were able to enjoy the rest of your stay.

Reviving a really old thread... :)

I will be in Port Douglas in '06 and am looking at options to stay. A majority of folks on this thread seem to be saying that the hotel is overpriced and would not go back.

Has anyone had recent experiences with the hotel and is the above sentiment still accurate?

Reviews on other sites seem to suggest that some of their rooms are rundown and not worth it. Only the superior lagoon view rooms (which were recently renovated) are recommended. Also some people complained about the pool being dirty etc.

A deluxe garden view room (non-renovated) runs about 402 AUD per night ($289 US) or 10,000 points. A superior lagoon view room (renovated) runs about 514 AUD per night ($370 US) or 11,500 points. I probably have enough points for 3 nights.

Preferably I do not wish to spend more than $150US per night in Port Douglas on a hotel. Given that, my two options are either get another hotel for a cheaper rate or just spend the points to get 3 nights free, but I question whether that is worth it given some of the reviews.

Any thoughts?

would not recommend this hotel to anybody. I stayed there in late August of this year.

One of the worst stays I have ever had anywhere. I paid premium points for the stay and had been looking forward to it since it was a vacation. The room was disgusting, the staff was probably the most unpleasant group of people I've encountered, Platinum amenities were not offered, it cost a lot for a taxi to get to town or anywhere off property, etc.

I really would not recommend this property. There are many other properties at a lower cost available in Port Douglas. The positive spin on this property is that it was on the beach which was great but again, there are other properties that you can walk to the beach. I wrote to the GM and received a form letter that basically said "sorry we don't participate in the Sheraton Promise program".

In other words - too bad things weren't good - we don't care :D I think that perhaps once their renovation is done this might be a good place to go but right now I wouldn't recommend it based on my stay in August of this year.

My wife and I stayed here during our honeymoon. I made the choice strictly based on the fact that I could use points and get the room for free. We had an excellent time for two weeks in Australia by not having to pay any money for hotel rooms and having all the money to spend on great food and fun. The hotel was fine. Not great. Not what I'd call horrible. Just middle of the road. Maybe a bit overpriced. But factor in having that money to spend on other things might make it worth it for you.

I've not had time to write a full trip report yet, but all of our pics are posted here:

http://www.travelscholar.com/australia
http://www.travelscholar.com/greatbarrierreef

The Port Douglas pics should be fairly obvious, as all the pics are in chronological order for the most part. Port Douglas was the week after the week in SYD.

Mr. Harlot and I stayed at the Sheraton Mirage in February of 2005 for five nights. This was an award stay. We were very satisfied with our stay there. The staff was very pleasant. Our room was quite nice, well maintained. The saltwater lagoon was certainly clean and enjoyable. Transportation into Port Douglas was relatively easy - scheduled hotel shuttle (free, if I remember correctly) until 6 pm and Acacia Limousine after that time, $12 for pickup in Port Douglas.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to go back.

Mr. Harlot and I stayed at the Sheraton Mirage in February of 2005 for five nights. This was an award stay. We were very satisfied with our stay there. The staff was very pleasant. Our room was quite nice, well maintained. The saltwater lagoon was certainly clean and enjoyable. Transportation into Port Douglas was relatively easy - scheduled hotel shuttle (free, if I remember correctly) until 6 pm and Acacia Limousine after that time, $12 for pickup in Port Douglas.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate to go back.

In August the cost was $19 per way - no free hotel shuttle except for certain hours of the day and not in the evening. When I was in town and called a taxi (that was not associated with the hotel) to take back to the hotel it was $12.

I'll be posting a full-scale Australia trip report, in the trip report section of Flyertalk at a later date. In the meantime, my experience with this Starwood property was a bit different than some of the other reviews on Flyertalk.

The hotel was dated but appeared to be well-maintained. I was told that both the Gold Coast and Port Douglas properties have been sold (but will still be managed by Starwood) and that they are scheduled for renovations beginning later this year, 2006).

Check-in at hotel was effortless. They offered platinum amenity and daily high tea since they don’t have an Executive Lounge (the high tea goes for $29 for 2 people). They also said that we had been upgraded from our garden view room. They didn’t mention the free continental breakfast that is available at the hotel restaurant. The room was extremely nice and large. We had a large bath with a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. Our terrace, which faced the ocean, had a covered area so that we could sit when it was raining and an open area out into two of the salt-water lagoons. My only complaint would be that the shutters in the room did not close out the early morning light. The Room itself was very reminiscent to me of the J.W. Marriott Ihilani in Hawaii. When we got to the room, we immediately went to the bottle shop in the hotel shopping center and purchased wine. It closed at 6:00 p.m. by the way - very affordable, decent wine inventory. We ordered room service and had a wonderful meal.

We took the complimentary shuttle into Marina Mirage and did some shopping and caught the shuttle back to the hotel with no problems.

We went to high tea and had some sandwiches and sweets – it was excellent.

The box of chocolates and bottles of Bailey’s liqueur left for us in the room were greatly enjoyed. In room movies were $14.95 AUS.

We thought that it was a huge rip-off for the hotel to charge $15 to take you into town at night. The local bus is $2 and we found it to be very clean, efficient and reliable.

Also, we were a bit surprised that most of the staff refused to help the Japanese tourists with their bags (women golfers, etc.). They were pretty blatant about it and I even heard the head porter outside refusing to allow a junior staff member to help someone because “you aren’t going to get tipped and you’re not going to assist.”

We caught the local bus back to the hotel at night a couple of times – they actually dropped us off within the complex at the hotel shops.

We just came back from this resort last month... It was really fantastic... The rooms were quite nice, but the bathroom not as large as I thought... I might have posted on it immediately upon our return, so do a search for it... The rooms now have two doubles, but, if you get the double bedded room, the room's a bit tight, very close to the entryway door... not a problem, just a surprise. I think this resort has the absolute best location along the Gold Coast... we felt very isolated when we were on the property.

We are Gold & got upgraded to a pool view... We really were happy with this resort.

Has anyone stayed at this property recently? I'm looking to use some award nights next May / June -- actually I have them already reserved. The stay is bracketed around a liveaboard cruise for diving that I need to reserve.

Wondering if the hotel is worth the 10,000 points per night? From a dollar cost of over A$ 450 per night, it doesn't seem like a bad trade-off.

Appreciate thoughts regarding the quality and service of this property.

My wife and I stayed there last August for 5 days during our 2 week trip to Australia/NZ. We had a great time there. The rooms are by no means luxurious, definitely a little dated, but comfortable. The reivews I read on Flyertalk prepared me for this. We had a jacuzzi and a lagoon view but the 10,000 points is defnitely more for the loacation and beach access. We enjoyed the themed dinner buffets but also took walks and the shuttle bus to town. We found the staff to all be very friendly.

Port Douglas is nice becuase it is where the boats depart for the reef. We utilized the tour office at the hotel and found them most helpful. They arranged 2 different trips to the reef as well as an all day tour to the rain forrest.

The only complaint we had was the gym. My wife is a gym buff and theirs is at the golf course across the street. The equipement was also dated and did not offer the best workout.

I am sure you will get some mixed reviews of this hotel but we definitely enjoyed it and felt it was a good use of 37,500 points (I was able to utilize the 25% off point redemption special from last summer) ^

Enjoy your trip.

We were there in December. I would say the property is well maintained but dated. I would pass along the advice I received to rent a car/SUV to explore the area. We enjoyed Port Douglas and the wonderful restaurants there very much. We rarely ate at the hotel.

Keep an eye on the Cash & Points as they are frequent participants.

I hated it. Hated everything about the property - poor/indifferent staff, horrible rooms, total lack of service, $ to get into town, lack of food service. The only good thing was the closeness to the beach.

I wrote a previous trip report detailing my stay. I would never recommend this hotel to anybody. After talking with the GM both during and after my stay and not receiving any satisfaction at all I would strongly urge you to look elsewhere. There are many other properties/apartments/etc. that are less expensive, better located, and seemed to have happier and more accommodating staff.

I'm really not all that "high maintenance" and have to say that this really ranks in the top 5 all-time worst properties no matter what hotel. Feel free to PM me if you want further information.

On the other hand - Wavelengths who took me out to the reef two days was incredible! I would HIGHLY recommend them!

My wife and I stayed here for one night earlier this month, also on points. I don't think I'd stay there again for that price. :) I wouldn't call it "horrible," but everything was a little more dissappointing than it needed to be. The room certainly wasn't enough to justify the price. It was too far to walk to town, and the shuttle stopped at like 6 (according to the schedule). They gave us a ride in a golf cart from the front desk to the room, which took longer than a walk would have. I think we still have the champagne amenity, so I can't comment on the quality. :)

We were on a cash + points award. I could see being more disappointed in the hotel had we paid a high rate or used the regular number of points for an award. We were also on our honeymoon so we were generally in a good mood.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

James

Unless you are redeeming points, I'd recommend one of the condos that are nearer the beach: Easy walk along the main 'strip' (such as it is), the beach, or even to catch the catamarans to the GBR.

Condos can be rented short term that are larger, have cooking facilities, pool, and multiple bedrooms, for reasonable prices.

Hey There! :)

Heading up there shortly for S.O.'s birthday. We love the resort, although are aware it needs a bit of a reno - but nevertheless, the thought of diving straight into the pool from the room sounds perfect.

Does anyone have any experience with their Specialty Suites? The description is:
SPECIALTY SUITE, LAGOON VIEW, SEPARATE SPA BATH SHOWER, SPACIOUS LOUNGE AND DINING, SPACIOUS PRIVATE BALCONY, DLX STE W/LUXURIOUS FURNISHINGS AND SPA IN BATH. SPACIOUS PVT BALCONY. KITCHENETTE W/ MICROWAVE AND ICE 152SQM

Although unavailable on points, I was able to snag this on an SPG50 and it hasn't worked out too badly. Better than the BAR anyway.

Just wondering if it's worth the $? Has anyone seen it?? Thoughts???

I searched this property heavily before staying there in August 2005. While this would no way be the highest rated hotel in the system I found the reviews to be very mixed between thought it was a good stay for the $/points and those who hated it. I liked the staff and the travel agency was excellent in helping with every excursion we did. The rooms are definitely dated and the gym facility across the street was less than spectacular.

To get back to the OP's original question, I do not recall any mention of the suite you are talking about in any of the threads I searched on.

I agree, stayed there last year and would not recommend it at all. you should try www.voyages.com

I like this property. It's older in style and parts need a bit of a renovation, but I've always enjoyed my time here. Something about this place reminds me of the movie "Pretty Woman".

As far as Platinum benefits go, the usual 500 point Amenity, and I also got a bottle of bubbly, chocolates, flowers and welcome letter from the manager. Nice, and certainly not expected. No problems with the 4pm checkout either, since this is a resort we're talking about.

As far as I know, free breakfast is not a platinum perk, and there is no executive lounge at this property.

Within regards to the rooms, see if you can get your hands on an Oasis Spa Room. They are ground floor corner rooms with spa, outdoor patio and have had a bit of a renovation done to them. The Executive Suites are quite nice too. If I were you, I would give the resort a call, and ask them to tell you which room types have had a renovation done to them. I know some of the suites in higher categories, have not.

Enjoy!

there IS no exec club and certainly NO free breakky. you MAY get upgrade to ocean premium room but I havent had a suite there in years!

Just to chip in on my recent experience.... I found the whole place to be very dated.... it was like going back in time to the 1980's.... service was good, but the rooms were average, bathroom was rubbish and the shower pressure would have been better if someone was going to the tap and throwing glasses of water over me.

I would much prefer to see a decent hotel in Cairns to compete with the holiday inn, hilton & shangri la

I would much prefer to see a decent hotel in Cairns to compete with the holiday inn, hilton & shangri laBut then you'd have to stay in CNS! :eek:

Plenty of independent properties in Port Douglas, much closer to town. If you want to redeem points, there's the dated Sheraton. But no matter what I'd choose Port Douglas over Cairns.

I was in Port Douglas early this year and while I did not stay at the Sheraton Mirage, I did run into a few people who were guests. Overall, the general feeling that I got from speaking with them was that it was a) very expensive and b) run down. That seems to echo what people here on FT think and I am glad that I took the advice I received here prior to going. In fact I can't believe it is still an AMEX FHR hotel.

If you're looking for a recommendation for another property, we stayed at the Sea Temple and it was very nice but also expensive. However, for their relatively high prices you can at least get large rooms with multiple bedrooms, plunge pools, etc. I would further recommend if you stay here to make sure you get a room on the pool rather than one with a garden view. The resort is somewhat large and it is a pain to get to the pool from a garden room - well worth the extra money.

In 2005, we paid about USD140 per night at the Meridian Apartments at Port Douglas (http://www.portdouglasmeridian.com/). We were really happy with the location and quality. Very nice staff as well. It looks like the rates have inched up a bit (or maybe just fx weakness for USD), but still worth a look.

I just returned from a trip to the land down under and wanted to do a quick write-up on the Sheraton Port Douglas. After reading many of the reviews on this board, I was hesitant to book this hotel but thought I would give it a chance as I really wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and my points were begging to be used.

The check-in process was extremely easy and the staff was very polite. As a Starwood Gold I received a room upgrade which was a surprise. The only odd part portion of the check-in came when asked if I would like to use the room safe. As many people have reported on this board, the hotel is an older property and the rooms are in need of refurbishment. The hotel safes used a lock system that required the guest to carry the lock and key. The safe key required a $150 deposit but would be returned when the key was and lock were returned.

Once we were checked into the hotel the porter took us to our room. As described by many others, the hotel was built in the 1980's and is in need of updates. The room looked like it was from the 1980's but it was clean and did not have the feeling of being run down. The furniture was of a 1980's vintage but did not show a tremendous amount of wear. The bathroom was definitely old but the grout was not moldy and the shower had adequate pressure. A minibar was provided in the room which contained extra space in case you brought your own items.

The grounds were extremely nice and well maintained. The pools were clean and did not show discoloration or mold at the bottoms and were not cluttered with debris from the trees surrounding them. The only complaint about the grounds were the main beach and lack of furniture. The lagoon beaches offered full services including drinks and meals. Mrs. DCATravel enjoyed a few beverages from their selection and didn't complain about them. The lagoon furniture was not worn and the sand was in good condition (i.e. - smooth feel to it and not dirty looking). One nice feature was the availability of mountain bikes for guest use. There was no charge and many of them offered child seats if needed.

The food in the restaurants on the property were surprisingly good. We were told the resort just hired a new Indian chef and the food did not disappoint for a resort. I usually think of bad overpriced hamburgers when I eat at a resort but the menu offered a nice selection of Australian, Asian, and Indian offerings. While we mainly ate lunches at the resort and dinners in town, we were not upset with any of the food we received. Upon our return from dinner in town, I noticed a steady stream of people eating at the main restaurants.

The hotel travel booking center was extremely nice and very helpful. They offered a large number of excursions ranging from general tours to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest as well as fishing expeditions and restaurant recommendations. We booked some tours and restaurant reservations through the center. My wife was interested in eating at one restaurant but they were booked through the week. We made reservations at another restaurant but they kept calling the original restuarant to see if anything had opened. They had a cancellation and booked us immediately. As we weren't in our room, they sent a messenger to the lagoon pool to look for us and let us know of the new reservation.

Another feature of the resort is a small shopping center that is attached. This offers a hair dresser, small restaurant, liqueur store, and self service laundry mat. The laundry mat was especially nice as we needed to tidy up some of the clothes we took on the trip. $4 dollars for a washer and $4 dollars for the drier. Detergent was another $2 but it provided enough for three loads.

Overall we were very happy with the hotel. While it would have been nice to have a few more luxuries in the room, the service and staff more than made up for it. I have posted some pictures of the resort for everyone to see. While Mrs. DCATravel assured me she took pictures of the room, I've yet to find them on the camera.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DCATravelPhotos/SheratonMiragePortDouglas

Great review -- and -- even better with PICTURES! Thanks for taking the time to do this for us.^

I have to say that not only did the lobby and the lounge look like the 1980s, let's be clear: THE EARLY 1980s!!:(

I'm frankly surprised that their public areas haven't been renovated by branding contract with Starwood. Even Holiday Inns (for heaven's sake) are bound by licensing contract to renovate broad public areas (lobby, check in area, entrance) every 10 years. This Sheraton looks like it's been 20!

Great review -- and -- even better with PICTURES! Thanks for taking the time to do this for us.^

I have to say that not only did the lobby and the lounge look like the 1980s, let's be clear: THE EARLY 1980s!!:(

I'm frankly surprised that their public areas haven't been renovated by branding contract with Starwood. Even Holiday Inns (for heaven's sake) are bound by licensing contract to renovate broad public areas (lobby, check in area, entrance) every 10 years. This Sheraton looks like it's been 20!

It definitely had an early 80's theme going. My understanding is that the resort opened in 1987 and hasn't been updated much since then. When most people say the hotel hasn't been updated since the 80's, I think of the Sheraton in Columbia, SC or the old Sheraton BWI. Worn out furniture and horrible looking rooms. In this case the furniture was definitely old, but didn't have a worn out feeling.

There are many other reviews already posted on this board. I stayed there (as a Plat) 3 years ago and thought it was one of the worst Sheraton's ever. The furniture, the staff, the mold, etc. I'm glad to hear that OP had a better experience. My next trip to the GBR won't include this property; that's for sure. There are many other nicer properties around that area.

While it isn't one of the best properties in the system, they treated us extremely well. While they suite appeared to be very "Dynasty" like, it was HUGE and was not in the disrepair that you would expect for something of that hotel's generation.

As mentioned before, I do believe that some of the male staff probably has some issues with women (particularly pushy women). But, it also appeared that so long as they were treated with respect, they gave the same respect in return.

If you're looking for the newest or best, this probably isn't your hotel. But, if you're looking to stay in the Starwood system, it seems that experiences are extremely varied. Mine was fine.

I stayed at this resort with my family in 2006 and it was definitely quite tired already then. The service wasn't anything special nor was it particularly bad. The setting, right on the beach, though, is unbeatable and that in and of itself was worth it. The swimming pool was a lagoon style and not the cleanest but when you've got a terrific beach to swim on, it's hard to want to stay in the pool. They could have offered beach amenities (chairs/umbrellas) though but none were available. In short, not the best place but not a place to avoid.

This Hotel and surrounding golf course is currently for sale by Tender.
Agent says Vendor must sell. Starwood are hoping to work with the new owner ;) to do a significant property upgrade.

is there any more recent information on this property? I plan to stay 5 nights in August and hope that things are better now than indicated in this somewhat dated thread.

I would be interested in any thoughts as well. I currently have two rooms reserved in late April but was told by the front desk that Platinum members aren't upgraded to villas. I'm wondering if it would be better off staying at a nearby villa.

I would be interested in any thoughts as well. I currently have two rooms reserved in late April but was told by the front desk that Platinum members aren't upgraded to villas. I'm wondering if it would be better off staying at a nearby villa.

I stayed there over the Christmas break and asked about Villas b/c I'm a plat as well. I was told that the villas are all individually owned and some owners have a deal with the property to rent them out. You can't get upgraded to them, and because they are all individually owned, you run the risk of having a place that isn't even up to Sheraton standards, etc.

The rooms were definately tired, but we spent most of the day by the pool anyways or in the restaurants, etc.

I found the staff very easy to deal with and super accomodating when you have kids in tow.

Stayed in Sheraton Port Douglas in Summer 2008 for three nights. Tired room and spotty service. Recreation facilities are nothing special. We did not spend time at the beach or the lagoons but rather used this hotel as a starting point for trips around the cost and dives at the Great Barrier Reef.
It took me numerous trips/calls to the service to get upgraded to just a marginally better room.
To conclude, I was treated better as a Gold in Hilton Cairns than PLT in this SPG property.

I am most likely heading to the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglass for a week this upcoming July. I am planning on renting a car in Cairns and keeping it the whole time. Does anyone know if there is, and if so how much, the car parking fee is at the hotel?

I found a weekly SUV rental at CNS of $400. I figure it is worth it (when I take into consideration that we then have transportation to get around Port Douglas as well as surrounding areas) to rent a car for the whole week than to pay round-trip transfer costs for a family of five from CNS to Port Douglas. Parking fees at the hotel could impact the decision though.

Thanks,

AC

I stayed there quite some time ago and valet parking was complimentary. You could also self-park. (The car parks are outdoors).

A little research indicated this should still be the case.

When I stayed there a couple of years ago self parking was free. I don't see it as necessary to use Valet parking. I would recommend hiring the SUV, if at that price of $400. Probably cost effective, plus having your own transport in Port Douglas is a plus.

When I stayed there a couple of years ago self parking was free. I don't see it as necessary to use Valet parking. I would recommend hiring the SUV, if at that price of $400. Probably cost effective, plus having your own transport in Port Douglas is a plus.

Ok, I went for renting the car. The price was pretty decent and I was able to get a Toyota RAV.

The only problem is that our flights from MEL get into CNS very late at 10:20 p.m. How long of a drive is it from CNS to the Sheraton Mirage?

Thanks,

Onedog

Ok, I went for renting the car. The price was pretty decent and I was able to get a Toyota RAV.

The only problem is that our flights from MEL get into CNS very late at 10:20 p.m. How long of a drive is it from CNS to the Sheraton Mirage?

Thanks,

Onedog

Onedog, the distance is 68 kilometres or 42.2 miles.
The road twists along the coast and the Crocodile Park along the way (not at night:eek::eek:) is well worth a visit.
My suggestion would be to drive during daylight hours (keep left!!) after staying a night in Cairns.