The Reef House is the elder statesman of northern Queensland luxury accommodation. Starting life as a private residence, it was the first and only accommodation option at Palm Cove for many years – a friendly oasis at the end of a long, unpaved road – and gained a reputation as a relaxed homelike place where visitors were treated as family.
As it has grown it’s stayed true to its roots as a home away from home for travellers, many of whom return “because we make them feel special”, says general manager Wayne Harris.
The most renowned of its former owners is undoubtedly Brigadier David Thomson. A World War II veteran and later, a federal politician, Brigadier Thomson’s influence remains strong. At 5pm every evening complimentary punch is served with canapés at a bar named in his honour. At all other times, guests can help themselves, recording their drinks on ‘chits’, as in an officers’ mess of old. Woven grass matting, artefacts on the walls and a glass cabinet of items from the resort’s storied past further lend an old-world air that resonates with the dedicated clientele.
The boundary between indoors and out is intentionally blurred at The Reef House. The restaurant is without walls and, facing the sea, welcomes the breeze. Out front, ancient melaleuca trees give an element of grandeur to an otherwise understated entrance. The front deck is artfully woven around their massive papery trunks, and it is here that guests gather for breakfast as the sun, rising out of the Coral Sea, makes silhouettes of slender palms that line the beach across the road.
While The Reef House offers booking services for marquee northern Queensland experiences, including the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, many guests are seasoned travellers who have ‘been there done that’ and they are keen just to stay put, relax and rejuvenate, taking advantage of the resort’s many signature inclusions.
It’s three o’clock in the afternoon and a pool butler service is delivering cool towels and sorbet to guests soaking up the sun by the pool. In the lounge, a peal of laughter erupts from a small group of guests shaking up a storm of cocktails. The class, an inclusion which involves lots of testing your own creations, dovetails conveniently with punch and canapés, which are served at 5pm every evening. Very soon a palpable air of bonhomie is bubbling away in the lounge as guests share a drink, swap stories and relax The Reef House way.
Along with bikes, yoga, Indigenous heritage and marine conservation talks, The Reef House offers a dedicated concierge, who is available for anything, anytime.
The Reef House Restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, aims to put Queensland on a plate. A menu highlight is the lavish seafood platter, closely followed by barramundi with Thai coconut sauce, and pork belly with scallops.
Reflecting its history, The Reef House offers 12 different room styles. Some are evocative of a stylish, old beach house, with swing seats on their balconies and wooden lattice-lined stairs. Others have spas, a private pool or beach views. Regardless of type, all are serviced by well trained, smiling and genuinely friendly staff.
But perhaps the thing that sets The Reef House apart the most is what it doesn’t have – children. The resort has been adults-only for three years with no plans to change. “It’s a place for couples to rejuvenate and relax,” Wayne says. “We’ve gained a unique part of the market and want to go deeper into that space.”
While Palm Cove has changed around it, The Reef House has stayed true to the values upon which it was founded. Consistent across the decades is an enviable location and an ability to imbue its visitors with a feeling of warmth and care that makes them inclined to return.
