Halcyon House

This is a truly special place. The location is everything that a (grown up) beach holiday in Australia should be. The rooms are thoughtfully and beautifully decorated with nothing forgotten. The food is delicious - all meals, in every way, accompanied by an interesting wine list. More than anything, the team at Halcyon House is second to none. They are thoughtful, kind and welcoming. This is a place which sets the standard for luxury accommodation, and I wish that all hotels were even half as good. I can't wait to go back, and am so grateful that we have discovered such a gem

Set in an excellent location very close to the sea, the Hotel could be described as a boutique hotel with designer style decorations. Our Master room on the top floor had excellent views of the sea and was extremely comfortable, spacious and well appointed and the free bar including alcohol was appreciated - nice wine too. Half board is included in the price and the breakfasts were very good . However if you stay for five nights, as we did, you will get bored with the same menu every night ,except for occasional specials. The staff are Ok but for my liking the service is just too slow and the atmosphere is too cool and precious. Some exceptions though like the sommelier are more chatty. During our say we never met who was supposed to be in charge and staff should wear names badges. I suppose its an ideal place for 2 or 3 day breaks but be prepared to dress smart for the evenings - shorts, t shirt and flip flops will not hack it! We never tried the spa so cannot comment.

Our second stay at Halcyon House was as good if not better than our first. The staff are amazing. A special mention to Aly and Michael who both manage Paper Daisy with a smile. Aly, in particular, is incredible! She is such an asset to Halcyon House. I had the most amazing massage from Claire in the spa. If you are looking for a relaxing beachside break head to Halcyon House and be prepared to be completely spoiled.

My wife & I had a most thoroughly enjoyable, relaxing, and memorable stay at Halcyon House the last weekend in April, 2023. Shanna warmly welcomed us, and immediately made both my wife & me feel like valued guests, insisting she wanted to unpack our vehicle and take our suitcases and other items to our room for us. But first, Shannah walked us from reception to the bar area of the restaurant, where we enjoyed our welcome drink (Ink Old Fashioned - Husk Ink Gin, Burnt orange and rosemary syrup, lemon bitters). Less than fifteen minutes after we had arrived at Halcyon House, my wife & I were relaxed, and enjoying the calmness and serenity of being in such a nice and special place. Our package included dinner (Saturday and Sunday), and breakfast (Sunday and Monday) at Paper Daisy, but after having enjoyed our first dinner and breakfast, we decided to indulge by having lunch at Paper Daisy on the Sunday, and were glad we did. The dinner menu at Paper Daisy changes on an almost-daily basis, and the food coming out of the kitchen (whether it be for breakfast, lunch, or dinner) is truly fresh, flavoursome, and well-presented (see photos for evidence). The service my wife & I received at Halcyon House was truly "world-class"; in addition to Shannah, Matthieu, Alliki, Dirk, and Siobhan (whose names we were able to get - there were others we did not) provided exemplary service to us, for which we are both thankful and appreciative. While not inexpensive by any means, Halcyon House provides an experience which is unique (including no-charge daily replenishment of the in-room mini bar). Staying at Halcyon House was reminiscent of staying in an up-market beachside hotel in Florida (like the ones my parents took me to when I was a young boy growing up in the USA in the late 1960's and early '70's), but offering a "far-superior" dining experience from what I remember from all those many years ago. If you're considering a getaway for a special occasion, and want to be pampered and indulged, I highly recommend you consider Halcyon House. Thanks to everyone at Halcyon House for having made my wife's & my stay as special and memorable as it was...!

Halcyon House has absolutely perfected the art of making guests feel calm, relaxed, and pampered. From the personal and helpful booking (which we did by telephone and email), through to the warm welcome at arrival, attentive service and delicious food at dinner and breakfast, even the turn-down service - every interaction had some element of 'surprise and delight'. We were fortunate to have beautiful warm weather in June and were able to make full use of the pool and beach - both right on our door-step. We even tried our hand with the Hotel's surfboards. Our room was spacious, beautifully decorated, and light-filled. There was a little bit of noise from the room above - reminding us that this was a very tasteful re-model of an old property - it didn't detract from the experience at all. A lazy breakfast in the sunshine while reading the papers just topped off a perfect 24 hours. We didn't want to leave. Every team member at Halcyon House deserves recognition for their warm and friendly professionalism - thank you for giving us such a relaxing, idyllic, mini holiday.

This is a hotel that has been very well put together but as is often the case in Australia, is let down by the quality of the staff. Some of whom are quite vicious and resentful toward a clientele whom they clearly view with poorly concealed antipathy. It quickly became notable the hotel did not seem to attract a high calibre of guest. As a regular visitor to the region, i'd go out out of my way never to give the establishment business ever again after the abject interactions i experienced. Unfortunately the nastiness seems to originate with the hotel's management. One has to wonder whether the hotel's British owners in Brisbane are aware of these issues. When its all put together the value simply isn't there. It's a shame really.