Just returned from a week at the Mariner Shores. Slightly dated looking on the outside, but all apartments updated with lovely kitchen, lounge and bedroom furniture. Even new flat screen TV's. Excellent sauna, steam room and indoor spa pool as well as the lovely outdoor pool and other spa pools. Excellent service from the reception staff who put up with stupid questions and were incredibly helpful all the time. Awesome position just across the road from the fabulous Miami beach.

Delighted with the location, the service and the apartments - will definitely be back again.

We just had a fantastic holiday at Mariner Shores! With 3 children aged 11, 13 and 16, as well as my mother-in-law, we had done a lot of research on where to stay and were absolutely delighted with this location, the amenities and the easy access to everything you could possibly want.

The apartment was clean, spacious and had a lovely seaview. We had really pushed for a seaview from the moment we booked so were delighted even though we were only on the second floor at the front of the apartment block. However, we just loved the position, we could watch all the people using the Esplanade pathway, with the 'gym' equipment for public use at regular intervals all the way down to Burleigh Heads. We could see the sunrise and the surf from the balcony, without leaving the apartment and the fabulous barbecue deck was just above our apartment, which we used every night. The barbecues were always spotlessly clean and the deck area immaculate. Just watch the heat on the barbecues though, they get extremely hot and there's no way to regulate that except let it go off! (the management might like to moderate that).

We barely saw the children, our 11 year old boy loved all that the Games room had to offer but particularly the X-Box. The free movies in the 'theatre' were a hit, if only for the novelty factor. Our 13 year old daughter made sure she used and tried just about everything, the games room, the spas, the in-door heated pool and we all borrowed boogie boards and hit the beach several times just to have a go (they are free to hire from the resort). Our eldest daughter was a slave to the spas, and of course, all three children had to go to Dreamworld. Together with friends they caught a Shuttle Bus to and from the park (which came to the door of the resort), which meant we adults could make the most of the steamroom and sauna as well as the indoor pool and spa. We just didn't get into the gym, or onto the tennis court, there just wasn't enough time, although the children managed to fit in a game of putt-putt with their Gran.

We did have a meal at the Surf Club the first night and for 6 of us we felt it was good value, the portions were very generous and the quality of the food was good. The rest of the time we barbecued, although Pancakes in Paradise in Surfers lured us back for the second and third time!

The little shopping centre across the road has everything you need, supermarket, chemist and varied take-aways including a great cafe called Zaraffas with delicious butterscotch muffins! Just down at Burleigh Heads is a surfing school called Godfathers of the Ocean and all the children had a memorable 2 hour session along with several other budding enthusiasts. The beach across the road was well patrolled and we took full advantage as we can't always swim in the sea in the Far North.

We did relent and go to Wet'nWild for the day, but check before you go as there were a number of rides closed for maintenance and all the hot spas were emptied (luckily the weather was good but we would have been very cold if it had been overcast and the temperature lower with no hot tubs!). The bus service is excellent and pick up and drop off is right outside the resort.

The staff were brilliant and could not have been more helpful. Stfan, Aleisha and Dawn were great and went out of their way to accommodate us and answer all our questions. We would not hesitate to return, this resort has everything you need for a beachside holiday, just a wonderful place to relax, close to everything you would need and just perfect for spending time on the beach in a carefully patrolled area. The children could never be bored, they ran out of time to try everything and so did we. We all absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back!

Stay here most years, and have done so since the resort opened around 1989. In those days came here with young family and it was a great and safe place for the kids to play and swim, with great access to the beach. These days we still come back, this time as a couple or with adult children. Great restaurants nearby, excellent walking along the esplanade to Burleigh Heads (and around Burleigh Heads). Good public transport along Gold Coast Strip, ideal holiday location, families or couples.

Location - good, 100 m walk to the nearest supermarket and various restaurants/cafes. Surf club just across the road on the beach, but we found it a little bit more expensive than the other surf clubs we'd been to on the Gold Coast. Buses going both directions stop right outside on the highway. It's a pleasant & leisurely 15 minute stroll along the esplanade down to Burleigh Heads shopping centre.

Resort - the rooms were nice. Our two bedroom / 2 bathroom apartment was on the third floor overlooking the landscaped garden and outdoor spa - no sea views, they go to the timeshare owners. The apartments appear to have had some renovation recently, with caesarstone benchtops and glass splashback in the kitchen. Cooking equipment was a bit tired, one teflon frypan was severely scratched and the other had such a warped base it barely touched the cooktop. The apartment also had reasonable iron and ironing board, and a washer / dryer.

The ensuite spa was disabled due to water restrictions, so we used the main bathroom with a good walk-in shower rather than the over-spa one in the ensuite. Master bedroom was on the garden side, and was very quiet; the second bedroom was on the highway side and excruciatingly noisy, and the beds in the second bedroom were like blocks of concrete. During the day, the noise coming in from the road was incredible. Also, if spending time in the apartment during the day, we were subjected to the constant rumble of the outdoor spa and the yelling of those using it (to make themselves heard over the rumble of the spa!).

There's a lovely BBQ area on the rooftop deck, as well as others under cover near the reception area. The family games room has a Wii, XBox and Playstation with LCD screens mounted on the walls, all free. Internet service (adults use only) is also free, although very slow, but that's tolerable given it's free! They have a small cinema in which they run selected DVD's from Mon-Thursday (free!).

The entire resort is smoke free, so you don't have to worry about second-hand smoke drifting into the apartment if you leave the balcony doors open. Check-in staff were wonderful, friendly and cheerful and very helpful. Overall, a lovely resort - the only true downside was the noise from the highway.