In November, 2021 I went to stay for a weekend at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort in Port Douglas for my birthday.
My mum, dad and sister went with me. We had a very nice Garden View room on the ground floor. I liked being on the ground floor because we didn’t have to walk up any stairs and we had a lot of space outside our room. There are a lot of carpark areas and we parked our car in the carpark near the block of buildings our room was in. It was an outside carpark and there was a covered walkway we used to walk to our room from the carpark.
When we booked in a nice lady named Karen helped me and told me all about the resort. She showed me on a map where my room was because there are lots of buildings there with so many rooms.
I told Karen I was there for my birthday and later she sent me some very nice cakes and macaroons on a plate that said Happy Birthday in chocolate. They were very yummy and it was very nice of her to do that.
The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is a very big resort and we did get a bit lost on our way to our room because there are a lot of pathways to follow. We looked at the map Karen gave us and asked a staff member who was walking by and then we found our way. If you need help it might be good for someone to take you there the first time.
Our room was beautiful and there were two double beds, a nice table and chairs in the room, and an awesome table and chairs outside the room in the garden and a very big bathroom.
I liked the bathroom a lot, especially the shower and toilet. It had a big window to look into the room and out to the garden and it was very light.
There was a fridge and a very good TV. There was air-conditioning and fans to keep us cool. I liked the white robes and the slippers that were there and I put them on at night when I was watching TV.
I really liked the very big swimming pools that were there. They call them lagoons and there were a lot of them to swim in. We spent the whole afternoon moving around and swimming in all the lagoons and there were so many sun lounges and chairs to sit on. The water was so warm and nice. There is also a swim up bar and we had some drinks and hot chips for a snack.
There are restaurants at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort but we decided to walk into Port Douglas for dinner. We thought it would be a quick walk but it took around 45 minutes so after dinner we caught a taxi back. It was only $12 and a lot quicker. You can walk along the footpath near the main road or along the beach all the way into Port Douglas. There is also a bus you can catch to go into Port Douglas. We had a nice dinner at a chinese restaurant and there are lots of other places to eat at Port Douglas.
The beds were very comfortable to sleep in and the room was very quiet. The pillows were very comfortable and there were nice doonas on the beds. We slept very well and in the morning we went for a big walk on the beach which is right next to the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort and then came back through the gardens. There were lots of palm trees and pretty flowers to see and it was a lovely walk.
We had a very delicious buffet breakfast at the restaurant, which was included in the price of the room. There was fruit, bread, bacon, eggs, omelettes, sausages, pancakes, muffins, pastries, cereal and lots of juice and hot drinks. We sat inside the restaurant because we wanted the air-conditioning but there is an outside area too near the pool.
We had a late check out so we spent a few more hours swimming in the lagoon pools and it was a very relaxing morning. I liked how you can order food and drinks on the App when you are by the pool and they can bring it to you so you don't have to leave your sun lounge.
All around the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort there were very nice paintings and photos on the walls and it was decorated very nicely.
There were also toilets and showers near the main pool and a desk to get pool towels and sunscreen and hand sanitiser. You could also get water and sparkling water for free near the swim up bar. There are also games and activities you can play near the pools, like very big chess and table tennis.
I really liked staying at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort and think it is a great place. I think most people would like going there to stay. The rooms are awesome and the pools are so amazing. The staff were very friendly and helpful. When we were leaving Karen had another chat to me and asked if I enjoyed my stay and said she hoped I would come back again one day and I would really like to.
Tips from my travelling companions -
There's little wonder why the Port Douglas Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is a world-renowned, first class, 5 star hotel! There was really nothing we could find to fault at this magnificent resort. From the moment we arrived, and throughout the entire stay, we were suitably impressed with the staff who were professional, friendly, courteous and efficient at all times, the rooms and the facilities. Upon check in we were greeted by the lovely Karen, who took great care in explaining where our room was, and the layout of the resort to us. She was very patient with Flynn and treated him with great respect, making him feel very welcome and important. She took the time to ask why we were staying, and upon finding out it was for Flynn's birthday, organised a lovely plate of treats to be sent to our room. Later that evening when Flynn went to thank her she took a lot of time chatting to him and was very kind.
The gardens and lagoon pools are extroadinary, as is the position of the resort, right next to the incredibly picturesque Four Mile Beach. There was an abundance of sunlounges and chairs/tables and places to sit around the pools and plenty of staff to attend to your needs. We really liked the App to place orders for food and drinks by the pool so that you didn't have to leave your spot to get refreshments. This was a very good tool for Flynn to use also as it is an easier way for him to put in an order rather than using verbal communication.
The breakfast buffet was also a highlight of staying at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort! The food was fresh, delicious and the range on offer was more than ample. Our breakfast was included in the room price and is definitely a great bonus to staying there.
The entire resort was immaculately clean and well kept. For an older resort it certainly is not dated and has been maintained very well.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort as a great luxury getaway in stunning Port Douglas.
by Flynn's mum, Jenni