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Located 27 km across the Coral Sea from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, Green Island Resort is a boutique eco resort on the Great Barrier Reef. With just 46 suites nestled amongst the rainforest and secluded from the day visitor facilities, this beautiful resort offers a unique blend of first class accommodation and service with unparalleled access to the Great Barrier Reef.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Modern
Languages Spoken
English, Japanese
Location
Great Barrier Reef, Green Island, Queensland 4871 Australia
Green Island Resort
1,261 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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Ah what a whirl wind, absolutely love my time at GIR! Only stayed the 1 night but it was plenty of time to soak it all up. The resort provides so many included options that the little extra in accommodation really is value for money.
The room is spacious & comfortable, with a bath & shower, in room movies, luxury amenities items, bath robes, torch for night turtle watching, day bag. I was even given a late checkout so I could do another tour, without any issues.
Loads of extras snorkel gear, stinger suit, wind sailing, beach seats & umbrella, canoe, complimentary drink, breakfast, glass bottom boat tour, usage of all these after check out. There was also night feeding & night tour but it started raining, so I think these were cancelled on our trip.
I hadn’t snorkelled before & it was fantastic, so easy & so much amazing marine life to see, just near the beach. Crystal clear. I loved having a walk down the beach once everyone had left, it was so secluded, like it was just us on the island. The snorkel tour was great, so kind & helpful. Saw some turtles, stingrays, big fish & big jelly. Glass boat tour was also surprisingly really nice, saw some big GT’s, turtles, big clams, heaps of fish.
We had the beach dinner hamper but sadly it rained & we had it at the pool, not to worry. However I did feel it wasn’t really dinner appropriate food, the prawns were pretty awful & I was hungry not long after. The burgers at the cafe were delicious.
We had a lot of issues with reef fleet terminal parking and couldn’t fit our car under parking, this resulted in a fine for the second day. It might be helpful if the resort provided some details prior regarding the best options, going forward.
Staff were all really nice & helpful.
Overall, I would definitely come back & try some of the other tours or bring my kids back some day. Thanks!
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Green Island resort in June 2019. We both are very easy going travellers as long as my partner can swim in the ocean and I can paddle any sort of craft on the sea!. Practically every holiday we take has to have these for us to choose a location. Green Island resort has lots going for it and a few things not so good but overall we really liked the resort. Firstly, the customer service was good - staff tried very hard to meet our needs. For example, we were upgraded to a bigger room for a minor issue I had with the booked room which was a nice surprise. Every other request we had was met well. On the minus side, several times our room was serviced and the coffee/tea/milk things not re supplied. A quick phone call and that was remedied. The restaurant provided breakfasts and evening meals. Generally pretty good, maybe there wasn't a great range on the evening menu and at our stay a decided lack of asian dishes but the meals were fine. As I mentioned, the use of a kayak of some sort is important to me and the resort offered free kayaks. However, for several days I couldnt use the kayaks because of a 'strong wind warning'. I fully understood the need for such a policy for public safety but the strong wind was 15knots which is quite moderate for me and so it was frustrating. Anyway, eventually the wind petered out. My partner could snorkel and swim each day so that was good. One thing that other travellers might have a problem with (we didn't mind much) is the day tourist numbers on the island. Because the island is so close to Cairns, travellers come to the island about 9am and leave about 4pm. The island main shops/eateries are pretty busy during this period. However, the resort is well designed to provide a good buffer between the accomodation and the public areas so one doesn't notice the day tourists too much. However, if you are looking for total seclusion for your holiday, this might not be for you. The ferry transfers to/from Cairns to the island were easy and short and most enjoyable to see the islands and Cairns from the water. We really liked the look of Cairns for a future destination. Not enough time this trip to see much but we will come back. Thankyou to Michelle the resort manager and staff
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Date of stay: June 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from QSGA, Guest Relations Manager at Green Island Resort
Responded 15 Jan 2020
Hi markcremorne, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on your time and experiences with us. We are glad that you enjoyed the majority of your stay! We will take your feedback on board regarding restocking during room cleaning. We look forward to seeing you again in the future! Kind regards, Team QSG
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Let me start by saying that all the comments regarding the staff in other reviews are totally false. We were a family group of 8 and found the staff very helpful, polite and great at their jobs. We were greeted by Krystal and the reception staff who provided a smooth transition into Green Is. Kayla, Craig and Michi were great and efficient in the bar and restaurant and later in the week Tom and Bri took over.
Room layout, decor and cleanliness were very impressive.
Being in COVID times did mean that some activities were not available but they were things we weren’t interested in anyway such as massages. The menus were not extensive but the quality was excellent.
We would like to thank the house staff as our rooms were spotlessly cleared each day and in fact thank all the staff for making our family holiday very enjoyable.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â All rooms are good
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort was recommended by our travel agent as part of our 2 week tour of Australia. We visited this resort for 3 nights having been advised that it’s a 4.5 star resort with loads of extras. On the web site it’s being sold as “an upscale luxury island getaway.... a new dimension in luxury!
On arrival we found loads of tourists coming on the Island using most of the common areas for the day including the big swimming pool, and beaches. This is very annoying if you signed up for an island getaway and you have to share it with day trippers. Having said that the island goes back to normal after 4.30pm when all the day trippers go back home, thank Goodness.
Staff are great.
The pool that hotel residents are supposed to use is very small, located in the middle of the hotel. Not very pleasant.
This hotel was built in 1994, and don’t think much has been improved since then.
Room is ok, clean, good internet and tv service.
Beaches are clean.
Hotel seems understaffed. We called reception to connect us to the restaurant to book dinner but we were told that they could not do it and that we need to go personally to the hotel restaurant to do this. Once we went to book we were also pressured to book at 7.30pm. We had to do as they advised since it’s the only restaurant on the island. Cleanliness of resort is not what we expected too especially on the paved walkways, and even on the floor of restaurant next to the windows. Bird dirt is all over the place and don’t think that much effort is being done to cleanse the affected area. I suggest that these areas are cleaned daily.
Food is okay.
Extras. You get to go on the Great Barrier Reef which i would say was the highlight of our stay, tour on a glass bottom boat, complimentary kayaks, walking tour and sun beds / umbrellas.
Finally, island has a lot to offer but hotel need to catch up with the times, some serious investment is needed if it wants to classify itself as a 4.5 island luxury getaway. I suggest that the owners & management take a trip to the Maldives or Bali to understand what 4.5 luxury beach getaways should look like.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed for 5 nights on the Luxury Escapes package and are not sure how to rate it as we had some hits but also misses. Our room was a decent size, with a small balcony overlooking the pool area. Small fridge and kettle but no other forms of appliances in the room. No water kept in the fridge for us and we weren't sure if the water from the taps was drinkable or not. No mini bar in the room due to covid, but tea/coffee replaced daily for us. All food we had at Emeralds restaurant was delicious, however the service was hit and miss with some items forgotten or the staff member being confused about our order (we didn't request any changes to menu items). Trev was fantastic though and somehow kept a smile on despite obvious problems and understaffing issues. Breakfast was included in our rate, however we felt the options for other meals were limited and pricey. Due to covid, not all dining options were open each day and at each time. Would recommend bringing some of your own food, however with very few facilities for cooking in the room or elsewhere it limits what you could bring along and enjoy. We did bring stuff for sandwiches each day to keep in our fridge, which kept the cost for lunches down a bit. Snorkeling from the island was not what we expected. The main beach has mostly sea grass, not corals. Can get lucky and spot a turtle here, but not much else. Best snorkeling from the island was to the left of the jetty when looking at the jetty from the beach. You do need to snorkel almost to the end of the pier in this section to reach the corals though. Once you do, we were rewarded with lots of fish life and turtles here. Check your tides though, its easier to snorkel here with a lower tide. Spotted lots of turtles from the jetty after the day trippers went home. Happy with the overall price we paid through Luxury Escapes package, but wouldn't pay the current full price for our room and would stay for a shorter time (we extended our stay to avoid having to take a helicopter , with the boats not operating 2 days a week).
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Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is our 3rd visit to Green island, even though it is a beautiful spot, the resort needs to lift it's game to keep people visiting. To stay overnight and have 1 lunch option (fried food and huge waits) and 1 dinner option (overcooked fish and no acknowledgment of this on the bill) and then brekky charge extra for gluten free bread when not having all the cooked options seems steep. For people staying more than 1 night with no shop for essentials and no option of a pre packed sandwich for lunch, this has bad reviews written all over it. A real shame.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am sure this was once a great resort, sadly this is no longer the case. Staff are lovely, cheerful and helpful, but when you are paying a premium to stay, you expect premium facilities. The resort is in dire need of a good scrub and general update. The mould smell of the room hit us as soon as we opened the door, and although the room itself was clean, the smell from that and accumulated bird droppings just stank. Timber boardwalks are uneven and in need of repair, many eateries are shut and do not offer the types of experience as depicted on their website (eg. Dining on the beach? No, you can have a $85 picnic with a dirty rug, no cutlery and a dessert the size of half a match box). Our pizza was forgotten and we wanited another 10 minutes for that to arrive. When I enquired about the nighty fish feeding for the kids I was told the team member that runs this had left on the last boat, the same for the guided night walks. The buffet breakfast was not running which left little choice for the kids breakfast and we were told that whilst instant coffee is included in our $760 night stay, if we wanted a coffee from the machine we would have to pay extra! The inside resturant itself is closed, meaning you can only eat with day visitors on picnic / outdoor tables. The smaller eatery had scrubbed many items, including salads and sandwhiches, off the menu as it didn't have stock. The reef itself is lovely and great for children. I would visit again on a day trip and bring my own food, as we saw well informed families do. I would really not recommend staying overnight as the premium price sadly no longer reflects the resort in its current state. We left 2 days early after 1 night, which was enough for us.
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Date of stay: October 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Only worth a day visit.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
On arrival the fridge in our room was turned off and water on the floor, it also smelt of mould. Otherwise the room was clean and large.
They don't provide conditioner and you cannot purchase on the island, the do provide a shampoo that smells like gama wash for dogs. Due to the salt water and air and no conditioner I couldn't comb my hair for 3 days but had to just tie it up. The restaurant was ok but for the prices charged, meals were very small. 1 entree, 2 main, 1 dessert and 1 cocktail was $180 and we had to eat dessert with soup spoons as they had no dessert spoons. For the price, you would expect more than a piece of tuna with bochoy or porkbelly with raw cabbage.
Breakfast is a basic buffet and luckily its included in the room as you would not pay for it. I don't know why but they steam their bacon and sitting in a bay Marie it was cold. The fried eggs were rare but they would cook eggs if requested.
Most of the shops were closed and large areas of the wooden floor boards in the communal areas were rotten and being ripped up.
The staff were all very nice, polite and tried hard to assist with problems.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed three days on the Thursday there were no day trippers . Ten guests in all we had the island to ourselves. Fabulous experience . It is in a national park birds everywhere requiring lots of upkeep but well done . Dining even in the resort limited and dining area for guests needs to be more bird free. Loved the whole experience every day sorry to leave
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: I don’t think you can avoid the day trippers to the island . As a resort guest you have your own...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Went on a half day ferry ride from Cairns. It was disappointing. We were promised coral, turtles and fish while snorkelling, there were a few beautiful fish. No one on the trip saw a turtle and all the coral is dead. The water was murky. There is a patrolled beach where the best snorkelling is. Were shocked to see the entire beach between the flags covered in beach chairs to rent. $30 per hour. We were able to sit on our towels further around. The resort is run down and appeared mostly closed. I suspect this is due to covid and lack of international travellers. I waited a very long time for an expensive take away coffee and food available was very limited. People were having burgers and chips for breakfast as it seemed the only option. The only showers available are outdoor. The staff on the ferry were friendly and helpful.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Daisy- I hope you have a great time. Can I suggest you look at water temperature website -sorry but I couldn’t include the link (search sea temperature info green island)that would be far more accurate than my guesses. I wear a stinger suit/light wet suit all year round as it means I never need to use sunscreen
There is ground floor accommodation and the paths go down to most of the beaches, so you could walk the few metres to the lounge chairs or water for a swim. There is also a number of swimming pools. The longest you would have to walk with a walker would be from the boat to the island as it is quite long and I am sure if you let management know they could take you in on one of their small golf cart type vehicles.
Washington State Eastside19 contributions9 helpful votes
Sorry, it's no doubt I'm too late to help you. We travel on the cheap when we can. It was too expensive for us to eat in the dining room, so we ate our late meal at the poolside snack bar just before it closed and maybe a snack later. Usually holds us over until their nice breakfast.
There are more places to choose from in the Green Island area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$421 - AU$589 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
green island hotel cairns
LOCATION
AustraliaQueenslandGreen Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
46
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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