My wife and I along with our two daughters aged 6 and 4 stayed here for 9 nights from 27th January. I have to admit I did read alot of the reviews listed here and I had a few second thoughts about making a booking. However we are so glad that we did!
Turtle beach is a fantastic place to stay as a couple and even more so if you are looking for a affordable yet brilliant location for a family getaway.
We had a two bedroom apartment on the top floor(only 3 levels) and overlooking the adults and main pool areas. It was my request for the top floor and I was advised when booking directly with the resort by their staff about the stairs, but I booked it anyway. In hindsight, next time we stay I will ask for a second or ground floor unit due to the stairs and being up and down them many times a day, but the choice was mine and in no way do I blame the resort for this.
Our room was great, modern furnishings with lots of room and it had everything we needed. Queen bed in the main, two singles in the second bedroom all with built in robes. There were two batrooms, ensuite off the main and also a seperate toilet too. Having a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher was great and the washing machine and dryer came in handy also. The air conditioner worked great and kept us very cool.
The facilities were excellent and very neatly maintained. Staff were always courteous to us and showed a genuine willingness to help.
We ate at the woodfire pizzeria twice during our stay as they make fantastic tasting pizzas that are generous in size, reasonably priced and they have nice cold beer and wine too!
We visited the Rainforest Cafe a few times for great coffee and a few milkshakes for the kids in a very tranquil setting. Sadly we did not have a meal here, but both the breakfast and dinner menu's looked good and again the price's were right.
The main pool area was quite large with 3 pools to choose from.(Main pool with heated spa, smaller lagoon pool and the kids play pool). The pools were always clean. The seperate adults only pool is a great touch and the lap pool is good for those wanting to keep up the excercise or just have a lazy and relaxing day in the sunbeds. There is another smaller pool at the front of the resort and another childrens playground also.
We did take advantage of 'Club Turtle" kids club during our stay. Sessions run for 3hours(3 times a day) and cost $25 per child. Our kids had a great time doing arts and craft, playing games, dancing and xbox play etc and they enjoyed it so much that they wanted to return, so we booked them in for a night session(5pm-8pm) and for a small fee they had dinner there as well. The kids club staff were very nice and caring towards the kids and again showed a genuine interest in entertaining the children and ensuring they had plenty of fun things to do. The kids club area was well appointed and the safety measures were all great. As a parent you left the children in a safe environment and felt comfortable in doing so.
Sadly we did not get to use the movie cinema nor the tennis courts as we were pretty busy doing the mandatory theme parks etc, but plenty of people that we spoke with had used these facilities several times during their stay at a small cost(for tennis) and were full of praise. The mini-golf course that snakes it's away around the resort was lots of fun and a thrill for the kids.
We did visit the on site convenince store for a couple of essentials, but with it being handy does come a slightly higher price. But all in all it was great having it there for those things that you forget to buy at the grocery store.
The location of the resort was another great point for us. It is away from the nosiy hussle and bussle of Surfers Paradise, yet so close to it and all of the attractions. We had a hire car and from the driveway of the resort it only took us about 8mins to get into Cavill Ave. There is plenty of transport available around the resort with a bus stop right outside the door. We witnessed the resort staff arranging transport for other guests all the time and it never seemed a problem for them in doing so.
Across the road there are a few shops including another convenience store, some food outlets and a bottleshop. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance as well.
We definatley recommend staying at Turtle Beach for all of these great reasons. We really did have a fantastic time here and were sad we had to leave and return to reality.
It is a great place to spend your family vacation. There is loads to keep the kids occupied and even a few 'chill-out' zones for the adults. We have no doubt that we will return here again next time we come to the Gold Coast.
I do suggest that you keep an open mind when going through some of the reviews on here, as it is our opinion that choosing this resort will definatley pay off for and your family after you arrive and spend some time at Turtle Beach.