Accommodation Review: Club Wyndham Airlie Beach

Accommodation Name: Club Wyndham Airlie Beach

Address: Mount Whitsunday Dr, Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia

When we stayed: August 2022 & August 2023

Room type: 1st stay; 1 bedroom apartment,

2nd stay 2 bedroom deluxe apartment

Nights stayed:  1st stay; 2 nights, 2nd stay; 3 nights

Where we booked: Club Wyndham

Facilities:

• Onsite restaurant

• Outdoor swimming pool

• Hot Tub

• Free onsite parking

• Free Shuttle Bus Service

• Free WIFI

• Ocean Views

• Balcony

• Golf Cart Service

Overview: 

Club Wyndham Arlie beach is tucked away on the side of the hill behind a residential area, making it nice and quiet. Being on the side of the hill means every apartment has ocean views, however it also means there is a lot of stairs and lifts to get around the property. While not right in the heart of Airlie Beach, Club Wyndham is 1.5kms from Arlie Beach Lagoon, meaning it’s only about a 20-25minute walk to go down and have a few drinks at one of the bars, go for a swim at the Lagoon, or dine at one of the restaurants or cafes on the Esplanade. Resort is on the side of a hill and the road up is very steep, even for cars, but you can contact reception to drive you to the bottom of the hill in the golf cart and call them again when you are ready to be picked up to come back up the hill, or you can book the free shuttle bus to take you all the way down to Airlie Lagoon.

There is an onsite restaurant and we have found the meals here to be great. There is also an infinity pool and hot tub next to the restaurant and reception area, however the pool can get crowded. The staff are friendly and always happy to help, they can even book tours and experiences for you.

There is free undercover parking onsite and there are plenty of spots that have good clearance for higher vehicles, however some of the parking bays are a little narrow. Driving up to the resort is very steep and many cars have stalled on the hill, there was actually a car that had stalled and rolled over the edge of the cliff the week before our first stay here, everyone was ok.

Now let’s get to the apartments, as with most Club Wyndham resorts the apartments and rooms are very spacious. They have everything you need to prepare basic meals throughout your stay. The all-in-one microwave/oven take a bit to get used to though. All apartments have good sized balconies with ocean views, where you can sit and watch the sun glisten on the water and the boats come and go from Port of Airlie. The beds are comfortable, and there is adequate seating in the living and dining areas. There is free WIFI, but we personally haven’t found it any good.

Pros:

• 900m to Port of Airlie

• 1.5k to Airlie Lagoon

• Free shuttle bus to Airlie Lagoon

• Walking distance to Port of Airlie

• All apartments have a balcony and view

• Onsite restaurant

• Free onsite parking

• Often offers discounts to booking.com genius members

Cons:

• Steep hill

• Not really anything onsite to keep kids entertained

While Club Wyndham Airlie Beach wouldn't usually the first place we would think to book for a family, we like this resort and have enjoyed both of our stays here and plan to go again. The whole family has found something to watch from the balcony as we relax and it’s been easy enough to get around the main Airlie Beach area on foot from this resort, even while heavily pregnant. However, if you are planning to do day tours check where the tour leaves from and if they do hotel pick up, otherwise we would suggest having a car, especially if you want to explore the general area. We also recommend Tides at Airlie Beach (the onsite restaurant), La Marina Italian Restaurant Bar (down the hill at the Marina), or Treehouse Café if you are looking for somewhere to eat, although, I can’t say we’ve ever had a bad meal anywhere in Airlie Beach, yet.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of the resort or the rooms, only the view from the balcony, so the resort and room photos I’ve shared are from booking.com, however they are a pretty good representation of the apartments we stayed in.