Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort

After travelling all over, this place was a lovely surprise. The rooms are remarkably spacious with luxurious furnishings, and the unit is stocked with the comforts and essentials you'd expect from a 5 star stay. The location is a big part of the appeal too.

I came back to Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort after a great first visit, and the second stay was a serious letdown. The first time, in Unit 10, the clean, well-presented one-bedroom apartment matched its description and had an ocean view. It also had a fully enclosed bathroom, though I hadn't asked for that specifically. I didn't need to deal with management then, and the good experience is why I booked again. This time I was put in Unit 2. Its bathroom had no door to the bedroom, and a window without glass opened between it and the kitchen, dining, and living area. That setup felt unhygienic to me. Trees significantly blocked the ocean view, and there were several locked doors in the apartment. I reasonably wondered if one might lead to another bathroom. I asked the property manager if another bathroom could be unlocked so I wouldn't wake my partner at night. The response was rude and unhelpful, and I was told it would cost $50. He said I should have checked before booking whether the bathroom had a door, which I think is an unreasonable expectation. He also brought up that I booked through a third-party site and should have used the property's website, though that had nothing to do with my concern. He said he wasn't the owner or architect, only the property manager, as if expecting a bathroom with a door was unreasonable. I strongly disagree. I think most people would expect an enclosed bathroom and a window with glass, and would find this arrangement unhygienic and inappropriate for the accommodation's standard and price. Unit 2 cost the same as Unit 10 despite being clearly worse in its layout, amenities, and overall experience. I rebooked because of the quality of my first stay and didn't expect to have to ask for something as basic as a bathroom door. Other reviews suggest I'm not the only guest with these concerns. I urge management to take the feedback seriously and make changes. I won't return, and suspect others may feel the same. Rainbow Beach and Carlo Sand Blow are still beautiful places worth visiting. But I can't recommend this resort, particularly Unit 2, because the accommodation was misrepresented and the service was poor.

We had a wonderful stay at Rainbow Ocean Palms Resort in April 2022. The apartment was spacious, very clean, and had breathtaking views. Its amenities were fantastic, with bars, restaurants, cafes, and beautiful beaches all close by. Getting down there is a short drive or taxi ride, or you can walk to the beaches and views. The walk back up the steep hill is a workout, but doable. A lovely place for couples, family, or friends. We'll definitely stay again next time we're in beautiful Rainbow Beach.

We'd visited about 3 years ago and enjoyed the resort, so our family returned recently. Check-in went smoothly, but as soon as we entered room 8, we noticed a terrible smell. The manager agreed there was a sewage problem, so we had to move. She offered room 3, which was a significant letdown, while insisting that our paid-for ocean-view room cost the same as one looking at trees below ground level. We thought we'd stay in room 3 until the sewage was cleared, since she said it should be fixed by the next day, then return to our ocean-view room. She called that crazy and said we were being unreasonable to the cleaners. When we asked about other options, she said every other room was booked, but offered a room across the street. It was awful: no aircon in summer, and some kind of poop on the bedsheets. In the end we reluctantly took room 3. Horrible service, and we didn't enjoy the stay.