My husband and I were very surprised after reading a lot of not so great reviews on Hayman Island. This is a fantastic resort that offer everything! No - it's not the cheapest - but it does offer excellent accomodation, food and atmosphere. This is a 5 star resort after all! We quite liked that there were not many children around making lots of noise - this is a very relaxing holiday. Our pool room was beautiful as was the included buffet breakfast that also included a 'all you can drink' champagne stand - nice! We did 'sneak' in some of our own bottles of wine and enjoyed a couple of sunny afternoons on the balcony overlooking the Whitsundays. Unless you are a complete critic of everything you will love this place! Well done Hayman! We will be back every year.

A fair value. We stayed in Rm 111 (on the lagoon). There are many rooms w a view of the ocean but 111 is not one of them. Instead our spacious patio bordered a tranquil pond with bright flowers, swans and other water birds - it worked just fine for us (ocean views are just a few steps away). Our suite was more than spacious and nicely appointed - either marble or bamboo floors. And it was squeaky clean. Just beyond the lagoon is a pool and beach bar and grill. The pool scene is quiet but the more active pool at the other end of resort is not far away. Food and service at the several restaurants is good (definitely get the breakfast and dinner package). Many activities - I swam with a sea turtle on outer reef. Child-friendly. We'd come back if only there weren't so many other places to see!

My husband and I traveled to Hayman in late January for our honeymoon and it was, hands down, the best vacation I have ever taken. They thought of everything to make the experience as convenient, flawless, and problem free as possible. We traveled to Hayman from Hamilton Island and from the moment we exited the terminal we knew our experience would be like no other. The Hayman desk is the first one you see as you exit the terminal. There was a wonderful gentleman to greet us, take our bags, and direct us to the boat.

I used the word boat but it is most definitely a luxurious yacht. The yacht was spacious and nicely appointed. Zoe and Laura greeted us as soon as we boarded with a tray loaded with wonderful cocktails. Our glass was never empty the entire way and we were served some tasty snacks. You are given your key once you board so you can go straight to your room and start enjoying your vacation versus waiting in line at the front desk.

Once we arrived on Hayman we were greeted by Christopher Brown, the head butler, who escorted us personally to our rooms. And what a room it was. We stayed in a 1 bedroom suite in the Lagoon Wing that was uber modern and enormous. The floors were a combination of marble and hardwood and the bathroom was out of this world. I'm still trying to get someone to transport it to NYC.

During our stay we dined at the Oriental, La Trattoria, Azure, a beach cabana, and Fontaine. They were each unique and special dining experiences. The Oriental has these cozy platforms where you can have a private dining experience. We absolutely LOVED the duck spring rolls. La Trattoria was excellent as well and my gnocchi was out of this world as was the foccacia. The seafood buffet at Azure...another wonderful treat and it is right on the beach so perfect for a romantic dinner. Azure is also the location of the buffet breakfast that includes champagne and bloody marys. Our final meal was at the Chef's Table at Fontaine. I live in NYC with no shortage of amazing dining experiences and Chef Anthony prepared one of our top 5 meals ever. He is definitely a chef to look out for. I was fascinated by the preparation of the smoke of salmon (absolute must have when you're there) and loved the flavor of the duck. You MUST take advantage of the Chef's Table if it is available during your stay. And I almost forgot the delicious picnic lunches we got for our island excursions.

Now let's talk about the island excursions. If there is one thing you should do when you're on Hayman, it is take the helicopter to Whitehaven Beach. It is absolute paradise and very worthy of being deemed one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sand is blinding white and so soft. Take your jewelry with you if you want to give it a nice cleaning in the 98% silica sand. Let me not leave out how clean and picture, perfect blue the ocean is. And because it's not easy to get to you practically get the beach to yourself. During our visit the only beach goers were me, my husband, and one other gentleman. To top it off during the helicopter ride you get to see the most magnificent views of the Great Barrier Reef. Definitely, definitely worth the investment. We also went snorkeling on Blue Pearl Bay and it was another great experience. The staff takes care of everything from towels, to chairs, to food, to gear so all you have to do is show up. The main resort pool was enormous (I think I heard 7x Olympic size) and finding chairs at anytime was never a problem.

If it's not obvious we had a trip of a lifetime at Hayman. It was worth every penny. The accommodations were beautiful, the activities were endless, and the cuisine was divine. However what made this trip most special was the kindness and care given to us by the staff. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and stopped at nothing to ensure our every need was anticipated. Similar to our arrival, we received our bill and departure arrangements the last night of our stay, left our luggage in the room, and simply walked out to the transportation that took us back to a different and even more fabulous yacht. We never had to wait in a line to check out. This hotel has figured out all of the pain points around travel and eliminated them and infused the experience with everything possible to make it something we will remember for years and years to come.

We were so sad to leave Hayman but we will return!

It was meant to be the dream resort. Unfortunately it's nothing like that.
First of all I would like to start with the positives:
- The site is absolutely fantastic. Beautiful views, great beaches around the area and also nice vegetation in the resort. Hat off to the landscaper!
- One of the restaurants "Fontaine" is outstanding (we went there twice). Great food and wine lists (although the latter is a bit pricey). We didn't have the chance to try the Chef's table as it wasn't available during our stay. The seafood at the Beach Pavillion was excellent. Oriental was disappointing though.
- Diving is excellent: organization, diving sites, the staff is professional and very nice
- Same for the Helicopter Tour. Clearly the highlight of our trip. If you come here, don't miss it
- In general the staff is very welcoming and very nice

All this is great if it wasn't spoiled by the many negatives to come:
- The Hotel: it's very tired. I am sure it was great in the 60s but we are in 2012. The style is dated, the furniture in the rooms is of average quality and there is no harmony whatsoever across the resort. Oh BTW, the shutters in our room were broken. We asked for them to be fixed but it didn't happen. We even asked for sleeping masks but the hotel didn't have any. We ended up waking up every day at 6AM!
- Price: AUD$ 850 a night + 10% government tax. That's more than the Amanpuri in Phuket or the Reethi Raa in the Maldives. Whilst the sites are equally stunning, the service and the quality of accommodation is so superior.
- The Gym: it's outdoor. Though to train when the temperature is 30 C+. The equipment is very old and dirty. The staff is very nice though
- The Beach Bar: Fantastic site with great views on the sea. How on earth is it closing at 7PM?? This would have been the perfect spot for after dinner drinks. BTW there is no bar open after 10PM.
- They use the restaurant overlooking the sea only for breakfast. I find it hard to understand why the opportunity of having a nice romantic dinner by the sea is wasted!!
- Then add the extras. The transfer from the hotel to the Island by boat is AUD $290 per person. That's by far the most expensive boat ride I've ever had. In all resorts in this range of price I have been (such as Aman, Four seasons or Six Senses...), the transfer is included in the price of the room rather than been sneaked in.
Overall, I would say Hamilton Islands is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Though Hayman is not living up to its expectations. It's a shame because the potential is HUGE. It just needs to be better managed by people with experience in other great resorts (preferably in Asia). Leading Hotels of the World should go there again and review their judgment.