Immerse in the luxury of the Sanctuary Cove Queenslander Suite
The Queenslander Suite, Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast, Australia
LOCATION
Gold Coast, Australia
RATING
5 Stars
TREND
Technology
MAPPING
Hospitality, Housekeeping, Customer Service, Sustainability, WHS
Welcome to The Queenslander Suite
We’ve all had the opportunity to stay in a hotel room. It’s so relaxing to stretch out in a large freshly made bed and shower in a big shower, it's especially nice when you know you don’t have to make the bed in the morning.
But when I think about the size of a standard hotel room, the size can vary depending on the age and location of the hotel. A standard room can be upwards of 35sqm, but also as pokey as 20sqm but a suite can be over 50sqm. Sometimes, that extra bit of space can make a difference, so if you are looking for a really comfortable stay and a little luxury then a suite could be a preferred option.
Recently I had the opportunity to stay in a suite at the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove.
So, let’s “check in” to The Queenslander Suite
THE ENTRANCE
The Queenslander Suite was located a short walk away from the main reception. Located on level three of the Phoenix Wing; the suite was identifiable by it's own sign at the entrance that gave a sense of stature to the room.
WELCOME AMENITY
A nice touch! A complimentary bottle of sparkling water and welcome card were waiting for us on arrival.
The bedroom
Bedside tables provided ample drawer space, there was an alarm clock on the left and phone on the right. Both sides of the bed had power points and two USB charging ports.
The wardrobe
The wardrobe contained all the essentials expected in a 5 star hotel
including an iron & board, safe, robes, spare pillows and a rug. There was also a selection of coat hangers to use for different garments.
Inside the wardrobe was a set of drawers that hid all the odd things hotel's like to hide. If you have a partner like mine, then the first thing to do is find the hair dryer! In this wardrobe we found laundry bags, slippers and the hair dryer! Something not often seen is bathroom scales.
An emergency torch was attached to the
top shelf in the wardrobe for use in an emergency. It was quite prominent when accessing the wardrobe. This appeared to be a good WHS initiative, the important thing must be to remember its there.
The bathroom had a heritage feel with small floor tiles and a dark green tile border along the walls. A distinct theme that flowed through from the heritage feel of the homestead. Although I feel sorry for the housekeepers (because of the extra cleaning), we are lucky to be able to choose between a shower or a bath.
There was a choice of hand-held shower or rain shower. Toiletries are the Bal d’Afrique range by BYREDO and hotel uses refillable bottles rather than miniature giveaways in keeping with IHG sustainability policy.
The bathroom amenities were the essentials and not excessive and included a shaving kit, dental kit, mouth wash, tissues, hand soap, cotton buds and shower cap.
The living room
The living room gave that extra bit of space to spread out and really soak up the experience. This living room had everything you would want, but overall because of its location and room design it had an awkward feel. There was ample room to lounge about and watch television. There was a spacious desk with a lamp as well as a dining area that seated four. At the opposite end of the room was another coffee table and a reading chair.
There were two televisions in the suite, one in the bedroom and one in the living room, a welcome message appeared on screen when the TV was turned on for the first time.
A key change in guest viewing habits and technology has seen hotels change their entertainment options. At this hotel there are no in house movies. The options now include a choice of watching local TV or guests could log into their own Netflix account or they could stream other services.
The in room hotel information
The resort compendium detailed everything a guest would want to know about the hotel. A copy was on display on the desk. There was also a dining guide that outlined all the food and beverage venues within the resort. The Hotel had gone one step further to provide a QR code to access an online version of the compendium. I simply scanned the code and logged in with my room number and name. This allowed me to access hotel information on the go. Once logged in for the first time I could access the link again when out of the room. The online version provided more detail and the option to interact with the app to make restaurant bookings or make a housekeepingrequest.
The mini bar
Pod machine
Tea and sugar
Glass selection
On the desk next to the television there was a coffee pod machine with 9 capsules, quite a generous number. The mini bar itself was neatly tucked away in drawers under
the television. Tea and sugar and glassware could be found in these drawers along with a kettle. There was also a small and compact bar fridge that contained a small selection of
drinks including, sparkling wine, white wine, juice, soft drinks and beer. In the neighbouring drawers there
was red wine, spirits and small snack selection to choose from. A copy of the mini bar pricing can be found in the teacher resource section below.
Stephen's Take
Unit of Competency Mapping
Teacher Resources
For further information please take advantage of the following documents and website links!
Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove website
Article and photos original by Stephen Duncan