Palm Bungalows

We spent 9 nights at Palm Bungalows and had a wonderful time, with everything within walking distance. It was quiet and clean, and the cleaning staff were friendly. The shower pressure was superb, all the amenities were provided, and the bed was made and supplies topped up each day. The downside was the very hard, uncomfortable bed. You could feel the springs, so it needs a new mattress or a topper.

The bright spots were the lush greenery, lovely balcony view, excellent hammock and occasional brush-tailed possum visitor. And the gentleman at the Reef View Hotel was kind, understanding and really tried to turn things around. Since this was our second visit, his efforts mattered a lot. Without him, this might have been a much less composed review. We came back to Hamilton Island after previously staying at the Reef View Hotel and chose Palm Bungalows for the self-contained setup and the fun of parking and charging our buggy outside. On our last trip, late returns or evening drives up to One Tree Hill had become a game of finding somewhere to park, so this seemed like a step up. Day one started at 8am with jackhammering. We hoped it was brief, maybe some island-related work, but by 10am the walls were vibrating and the bungalow next door had turned into a construction site, with scaffolding and saws. Reception said the noise would stop around midday, though the work was scheduled to last about two weeks. We understand maintenance is needed, but being put beside heavy construction on a holiday felt like booking a massage and getting a jackhammer instead. Staff did move us to another bungalow, and the improvement was immediate. It was quieter and fresher, and stopped vibrating like a phone on silent. On day three, after a full day of jet skiing and activities, we came back mid-afternoon expecting the room to be refreshed. Housekeeping arrived after 3:30pm while we were napping and said their shift was ending, so they couldn’t reset the room. We gratefully took fresh towels. The bathroom also turns a shower into a mini water park, so you have to mop up afterward. The white towel we used for that came out brown, which prompted a serious discussion about wearing shoes indoors, maybe even in the shower. Some areas need a deeper clean. The floors looked like they’d seen things, the pull-out sofa mattress seemed to have hosted an insect convention, and the sliding door only locks if you push the top and whisper encouragement. Better planning around maintenance and room allocation could have avoided the move, unpacking, repacking and holiday reset. My partner was understandably devastated. We work hard all year and genuinely look forward to this trip.

The departure service left a very bad impression of Palm Bungalow. It was pouring, and with our Brisbane flight at 12:40 PM, I called reception to ask for a ride from the bungalow to reception. They said they only collect luggage, not guests. It was inconvenient, but I accepted that. I then politely asked if they could send two umbrellas with the luggage pickup. That was refused too, and this time the staff member was very rude. They abruptly said umbrellas “might be in the closet”, although I couldn’t find any, and then hung up. In bad weather, with guests trying to catch a flight, basic courtesy and empathy matter. Providing umbrellas or speaking respectfully costs nothing and makes a real difference.

Loved my business stay. The clean, beautiful bungalow was close enough to walk everywhere, and native animals were all around. Bliss.