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One of our bestsellers on the Gold Coast! Located on idyllic South Stradbroke Island and on the water's edge surrounded by beaches and natural forest, Couran Cove Island Resort offers a truly unique experience for the entire family. All accommodation offers a balcony with views, a fully equipped kitchen and a flat-screen TV. En suite bathrooms include a hairdryer, iron and ironing board and free toiletries. Guests can enjoy a vast array of recreational facilities including a large lap pool, children's pool and playground, fitness centre, beach volleyball, basketball, tennis and mini-golf as well as a fun family activities program and new inflatable water toys including kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, trampolines and water slides in the lagoon. The extended boardwalk is where you can explore the tropical gardens and treehouse between the surf beach and the marina, and you can also pick up your supply of groceries at the general store. The on-site café, tavern and restaurants continue to receive very high praise from guests. The Portside Cafe and Marlin Bar overlooking the marina are popular spaces for relaxation and refreshment - great spaces to start and finish a fulfilling day of fun. The Poolside Café is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ferries operate regularly to Couran Cove Island Resort - it's an experience not to be missed just minutes from the Gold Coast.
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
Modern
Mid-range
Location
Gold Coast, South Stradbroke Island, Queensland 4216 Australia
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From terribly poor communication with phone calls and emails never returned to slack customer service, this was a disappointing experience. As ridiculous as this sounds, no one at this resort could tell us what room rate we were paying or what deal they had put us on! (It was a price matched, direct payment). Therefore we missed out on a whole night’s accommodation because they did not advise us that we were actually on a pay 4, stay 5 deal. So we booked 4 nights only and left after 3. Annoying and frustrating as we paid to stay on the Gold Coast for $290. The room we were upgraded to had no cooking items like a frying pan or microwave bowls and the dryer did not work. Makes the holiday less enjoyable. Only one restaurant was open for dinner at night due to flooding with heavy rains. Very few vegetarian options on the island anywhere. Beach bar was open once. Bottled wine was three times the regular price. Positives: the kids loved kids club and reading by the pool was relaxing. The view from our deck over the marina was nice. Be aware, the ocean is a 2.3 kilometre bike ride away. Trips around the island by 4 Wheel drive cost a minimum of $150. The ferry cost our family over $200 return. In its prime, when all facilities were running, this may have been a great family resort. My advice - try North Stradbroke instead! 🙄
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
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 came to Couran Cove to escape the Gold Coast, and what an escape it was! My plan was to catch up on reading, bike/run, eat and do some painting and primarily to be left to my own devices.
I found the ferry ride over was easily found (you just have to follow signage) and upon arrival the reception is directly in front of where you are dropped. The receptionist was lovely and well organised. She provided me with a map for my room. I got my room key and off I went to my studio. The photos provided on their website I feel are accurate. I enjoyed a view of the marina area where I saw multiple dolphins on multiple days. I found the room more then big enough for one, and I enjoyed taking long baths in the deep tubs. As it was a self contained studio I didn’t use housekeeping but ran into them after a bike ride and enjoyed pleasant conversation about a mix up (a simple error no one was at fault).
I was also provided with complimentary bike use which I absolutely had a great time riding around the island! Every morning I rode to the surf beach, took a quick dip and rode back. Or I would leave the bike in the racks provided locked up (built in bike locks) and explore the vast sand dunes for hours. There is vacant beach for miles but there are no flag areas (not the resorts job) so you have to be careful and at least know how to identify a rip. In the afternoons I would ride to the sunset beach and if the weather allowed watched the sunset. I saw a bunch of wallabies every single day and it was fantastic.
At night I mainly ate at the main restaurant but due to going into a 3 day lock down take away was only available. Staff were always doing their best to accomodate and given that they only had less then a few hours to prepare you have to give them credit for their response. The only improvement I feel the dining could benefit from is signage of opening hours and times for locations. But I feel like during my stay with a lockdown it’s understandable.
Bearing in mind that Covid-19 took out entire businesses even on the Gold Coast you have to cut the resort some slack for ageing areas. Sure they could absolutely use renovations but that cost money and I feel the entire hotel industry is only just getting back on its feet. At the end of the day if you are able to entertain yourself and don’t expect to be doted on by staff you are going to have a great time here! The Gold Coast is struggling enough, so I am very thankful this resort is still operating despite the struggles and lack of tourism in the entirety of Australia.
Thanks for a great getaway!
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
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 booked a family holiday here to enjoy the resorts location and facilities with the kids. It’s an awesome natural location surrounded by river, forest and ocean, which is quite unique. However from the moment we arrived it’s obvious the place has been left to ruin. The huge amount of wood used on railings and decks is rotting and was dangerous in our apartment outside. One of the kids got a handful of splinters from the railing right outside the main bar area. The water park is a hazard for kids, 2 of our them got deep cuts from barnacles under the inflatable slide. The parks and surrounding areas look like the movie set of a ghost town from the Wild West, with old buildings, bowling greens and parks left to rot away and be consumed by nature. Such a shame to see the place decayed like this when it was so great back in the day. They’re still charging 5 star prices for what is really a 3 star stay. The reception area closes early too most days so make sure you take plenty of your own supplies; food and drinks.
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Date of stay: January 2021
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 have been been to Couran Cove 5 times now. This time being left extremely very disappointed to say the least . The quality is very poor . Very badly run down. Nothing is available to use , no virtual game room, no putt-putt, the beach access has fallen apart , beach restaurant is closed and run down broken deck etc. The aqua Park is not pumped up to full capacity. The children's large play ground tennis court gym etc is non functional run down badly maintained . The only thing that is good for activities is the pool . The room was lovely , but in saying this when you are paying $648 for 2 nights in a 1 bedroom you would stleast expect to have shampoo conditioner toilet paper etc. There was none. The mattress was very springy and hard . Mattress on sofa beds were ripped and rust stained . The cleaner did not even nock she just came straight into our room while we were sitting in the lounge .
Reception is not beautiful how it used to be it now where the bat was. The prices are over rated and terrible. The food and beverage manager has no decorum, nor respect for his patrons ,my meal was coldhe picked up and put his finger in it to see if it was cold .our meals came out with no vegetables when they were supposed too , not to mention half of the food on the menu was not even available. sunset beach , broken chairs and umbrellas no cicktails$18 upserved in a plastic cup . Any cocktail we asked for they had no ingredients, the wine is $9 per glass and it's gossips wine . That is just unacceptable for a resort who states they are 5 star . Every that is on there website is not how it appears .
Out of all staff they only friendly ones were 4 of them , Nick from pool bar , Leticis from restaurant bar , Larrisa at reception and the lady who signs off the bikes .
Everyone else . No words .
I will never go back nor recommended Couran Cove to anyone again .
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
What a shame! This resort would have been magnificent in its heyday. Facilities are run down to the point of being dangerous. Splintered boards and loose planks on board walks, very dirty carpet in children's activity room, concrete areas as you exit resort and restaurant area need a good hose down and the water in the 25 metre pool was smelly and cloudy with a greasy line around the tiles. The owner/s, manager/s are obviously not concerned about the safety and welfare of their guests. I was also concerned to see a dog , unleashed, leave from one of the boats, moored in the marina, wander around the resort with its thoughtless owners ,who were obviously quite unconcerned about the impact it could have on the fauna of this beautiful place. There is so much that could be done to enhance a visit to this lovely island resort with its natural beauty , birdlife and fauna and access to a beautiful surf beach and bushland. Where is the information centre that could share the island's history with visitors? Also opportunities to learn more about bird, plant and animal life? Perhaps the employment of a ranger could help enhance the visitor's experience. It's hard to understand how such a well appointed place has been allowed to deteriorate in this way. One needs to come well supplied with food and drinks. The water has a very unpleasant taste and the shop ,when it is open, has no fresh fruit or vegetables and a limited range of items. Poorly managed and organised and not doing this wonderful place justice. Shame on you management.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Location
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.
We stayed for a week in an air bnb unit at Couran Cove.
The unit was excellent. Clean and well stocked with everything we needed. The beaches and local area were amazing.....we had some great biking and hiking adventures and having the surf beach to yourself is pretty rare. We had an awesome week away. The resort though, well, given the reviews I read we weren't expecting much. We mostly self-catered. We had dinner once at the restaurant, and our meals were beautiful but we paid for it, as you expect on an island resort. The pool was great. The toilets at the pool were revolting! Given the current covid situation, I didn't see a staff member wash their hands, ever. Also the check in stuff was all very relaxed and would only be done if a guest took initiative. The saddest thing for us was the rubbish. The kids games room was filthy. Surely it doesn't take much to run a vaccum over the floor every day, wipe down surfaces etc? Communal bins were overflowing when we arrived, and stayed that way pretty much for the week, allowing rubbish to blow away into the pristine area. There was junk lying around the lagoon area. Even over at the disused surf club, rusting tractors etc. Nowhere in the place could you get a coffee in a cup. All single use disposable. I understand financially things must be tough for the resort, but the lack of respect for the pristine natural environment surrounding the place is just sad. For that reason alone, we wouldn't return. Clean it up.
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Date of stay: January 2021
Rooms
Location
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.
I made the mistake of having resort style expectations of this place and not reading the reviews. I was initially disappointed by the resort, however by the end I enjoyed our family time there. Once you get over the fact that the place is rundown, it is what it is, you get over it, they're doing their best and we focused on having a great family break.
Parking is the first big issue, we arrived early to no street parking and no sign, in regards to no overnight parking so we did park at the Marina anyway and expected out car to be towed but were lucky enough in the end to find our car ok, we just had no parking! There are no signs to where the actual ferry departs from so you do have to wonder around first so be prepared time wise.
Upon arrival, I was expecting some help with taking our bags to the unit seeing as I could see security staff (way more than needed) buzzing around in their golf buggies, however nobody assisted myself and my two children (husband didn't arrive until next day) so I had to lug everything myself over the boardwalk to our unit quite a walk away.
Arriving in our unit (booked through CC) we were greeted by about 10 mozzies (bring mozzie spray and repellent!), thick dust on bedroom corner walls, spider webs in each corner, previous dead mozzies squashed into walls, wheelchair access unit despite not requesting this. So no shower screen (not helpful with kids wanting to spray water everywhere) and low sink. Kitchen was small but fridge works well and it's 3/4 size. I would have liked to have opened the bifold doors to the deck however the fly screen was broken so had to have this closed at night to prevent mozzies coming in. I had expectations of the kids playing on the sand and swimming in the water in front of the deck however the water wasn't as advertised on the website and was muddy and not what I would like the kids playing in.
Now after I got over all this, we did a lot of bike riding which the kids loved. Bike road all the way to the beach and set up on the beach for the day which was fun. There were signs on the way mentioning a beach club but when we arrived it was yet another abandoned building. Lots of wallabies and ducks etc so it was nice to be immersed in their somewhat natural habitat. The "water park" blow up obstacle course was very tired and old looking however the kids didn't care and enjoyed it, the pool was huge and well kept. The pool bar wasn't open until Friday-Sunday for lunch so be aware of that, we had pizza there and that was great. I thought they served ice cream there but could only locate packaged ice cream.
Food at the Marlin restaurant for dinner and breakfast was on point, lovely food and we passed our compliments to their chef. Staff have to wear many hats there and I commend that because management are obviously keeping costs down.
I agree in that the resort definitely needs some love, whether or not that's a cost effective solution remains to be seen.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:unless you want lower level (which all seem to have wheelchair access amenities) then request top...
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 was our 3rd trip here in 10yrs... last trip was 5 yrs ago and we did notice then the standard had slipped a little from our first experience. Like a lot of people we read reviews of places prior to going and did this time after we’d already booked! We were a little nervous after reading a lot of recent negative feedback, which I guess took us there with low expectations. But we found the staff very nice & helpful. Our 4 bdrm Villa was very good also, despite being warned it was a little “dated” we found it quite cosy & liveable. We only had 1 eating out experience- breakfast from the buffet and ate our own food which was easy to whip up with our own BBQ. Sunset Beach was a highlight, but like most resorts drinks can be a little pricey. All in all I’d recommend the place, kids had an absolute ball and we’ll definitely be back!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
My wife and I read the reviews on Couran Cove before we booked and yes were a bit wary at first but decided to give it a go anyway - and happy that we did. This place must have been amazing at one time but I think the total idea was perhaps a bit too ambitious and way too big and expensive to maintain, so yes a lot of the outer areas of the resort are now in ruins – it’s quite sad walking through it all but at the same time quite interesting in imagining what it used to be and what they were trying to achieve. These days the main areas in use are just around the main block as you enter the cove which has reception, dining, store and games room all of which are maintained well. Food choices are a bit limited and prices a little on the higher side but to be expected with it being off the mainland. Bar prices also reasonable – no beers on tap but reasonable choice for bottles/cans. The pool area is well maintained too with its own bar. We stayed for 4 nights and took our own supplies for breakfast and snacks and that worked well. Our studio overwater apartment was quite spacious, comfortable & clean with a balcony overlooking the Cove so no complaints there at all. Tv and internet reception though is very patchy. We are a couple in our 60s that do a lot of walking and enjoyed the walks around the area and out to the beach which is a pretty easy 2km walk away. Unfortunately, the surf club is closed now and the walkway to the beach from there has collapsed but it’s still an easy walk over the sand dunes once you’re there and well worth the effort – its beautiful. There’s also a nice walk along the inner harbour from the old children’s play ground around past the Anchorage Boat Club to Tippler’s Cafe/bar. You would pretty much need a 4wd vehicle to get there otherwise. Bikes can be hired at $15 per day or $25 for two days but they are only suitable to sticking to the sealed roads – but there’s enough of those and they do take you out to the beach and around to the private residential part of the Cove. You can also hire kayaks and paddle boards for around $10 but use of those is limited to the inner lagoon so subject to tides. Ferry to/from the cove runs about 3 to 4 times a day and takes about 35 minutes $58 return. In conclusion there is no doubt this place is struggling with staff shortages and legal issues etc to deal with but if you just want a quite holiday with not too many expectations and to do a bit of walking away from it all – give it a go.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
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.
Oh my lord! Where do I start... we stayed at a private holiday home in Couran Point. We apparently had full use of resort facilities at Couran Cove Resort... what an a absolute joke. We had to enter the resort by climbing a log and cyclone fence that was pushed down near the ground. Then once in the resort it felt like we were on the movie set of Jurassic Park.... the resort was seriously like a ghost town, it was so run down and it felt like we were the only people there. We did meet a lovely lady who was there with her elderly mum who were feeling the same way we were. They got to the resort on Sunday expecting to be able to buy there meals from the resort restaurants only to find out that the resort was only open from Thursday-Sunday, therefore they had no food, the people staying in the apartment next to them were leaving the day they arrived so they gave them there left over food and they were able to have some honey toast for dinner! How ridiculous. We came here about 10 years ago and it was fabulous, people everywhere and the island well looked after, not like that at all anymore.
We went over to have a look at sorts precinct where the tennis courts and the running track are and it is so run down, weeds everywhere, it really was so in inviting. We went to have a look at the menu for the restaurant that is open from Thur-Sun and the window of the restaurant is smashed into a million pieces, so unbelievable!
It really is hard to explain how run down this resort is. I actually think they need to just shut it down or do some major Reno’s.
The swimming pools looked fine to swim in so that is a positive I guess! If you don’t like crowds then you are winning because I reckon you would have the entire place to yourself!
If you are going to come to this island make sure you bring all your own food and drinks and don’t plan on using the resort because you will be pretty disappointed if you do!
Very disappointed. We will not be back.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Bring your own alcohol and food. Beers $9, limited
Food at kiosk and what is there is very expensive. Load your suitcase up. Ferry allow alcohol in esky/bags. Only 1 restaurant open on our stay
Durban, South Africa319 contributions43 helpful votes
No, not a supermarket within the resort, however there is a convenience store with a limited assortment and intermittent stock supple. Basically I would take long life milk and freeze bread as we ran short on both counts and the store was out of stock. I cannot comment on the balance of the islands possibility of a supermarket.
There are more places to choose from in the South Stradbroke Island area.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Ramada Couran Cove Island Resort
LOCATION
AustraliaQueenslandGold CoastSouth Stradbroke Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
354
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, 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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