Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore — Hotel in Palm Cove

Where do I start. ||The room a 3 bedroom beachfront apartment was tired and poorly maintained - it should not be used as a guest room. We had multiple issues with the apartment including major appliances that did not work including the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. We had a significant water leak that was coming through a live power point. The limited maintenance on this unit is a major issue and was a failing by The Alamanda and Lancemore Group. For a room at $800 per night this was just beyond words. Being offered to move rooms 3 days in was unreasonable and of little help with 5 people having to pack up and relocate. It was bad enough having to use other rooms to do our washing. Not an easy process. Even though we were offered help it defeats the purpose of having a room that has laundry facilities. ||There was major construction work in the main pool which meant the entire day from early morning was filled with power tools being used and a work site where the centre piece of the entire resort was meant to be. The most comical was a 'relaxing' yoga session in the pavilion near the construction site with a wood saw and drill roaring away in the background. Ahhh the serenity! We were not advised by Qantas Holidays or the Alamanda Hotel that this work would be happening during our booking. Although the fact The Alamanda had 'lost' our booking may have been the cause of this. Yet another breakdown in the standard of their processes that impacted us. ||We only became aware of this work when we arrived. If we had known we would not have booked for this period of time. There is no sane person that would pay nearly $5,000 to stay at a hotel when this was happening. The fact that we were not given the option to make our own choice was incredibly unfair and goes against all customer service requirements. The Qantas Holidays website still does not disclose this situation on their website as of today if someone made a booking. I have reached out to Qantas Holidays to get their feedback on this situation but I don't have high expectations of getting a fair response from them.||Your booking manager Jo is horrible. Each time my husband and I had to deal with her including re-booking when my son broke his elbow in January and when I emailed 2 days before our trip in April to confirm the booking as I hadn't received anything from the hotel she was difficult and abrasive to deal with. With the lack of booking I was bluntly advised via email that they had no booking under our name. Very comforting when you have 5 people checked in to fly to Cairns on holiday. I would think that a polite phone call to follow up would be more appropriate. The lack of empathy and manner in which she deals with paying customers is terrible. I would never book at The Alamanda again because of her attitude. Jo does not belong in a customer service role, she is a blight on the Lancemore Group and the hotel.||On a positive note Justin went above and beyond to help with the multiple issues we had with the apartment including the major appliances that did not work including the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. He also assisted with a significant water leak that was coming through a live power point after a storm on day 2. The limited maintenance on this unit is a major issue and was a failing to The Alamanda and Lancemore Group. This room should be taken out of use and maintained to the standard advertised on your website and that of any travel agents that take bookings on your behalf. Justin did his best being put in a bad situation so hats off to him. Aluisia at LM Spa was lovely and the complimentary treatment I received was amazing. ||The Lancemore Group need to consider the state of this hotel and expecting customers to pay top dollar for what is a run down and tired establishment that is well past its used by date. This is not a luxury resort or not at least the room we were put in and the amenities that we used during the stay. If you have a choice in Palm Cove stay anywhere else until the basic maintenance and construction...

I have just returned from a 12 day stay at Alamanda by Lancemore resort, half of the stay accompanied by my older Mum. We stayed in a 2 bedroom beach view apartment on the second floor (Building 1, Suite 17) booked through AirBnb. For a significantly cheaper price I would recommend booking through AirBnb, our apartment cost much less when compared to the hotel website.

Similar to other reviews, I wouldn’t consider this a 5 star resort, it is a self-contained hotel so even if you stay under the umbrella of the hotel itself, there is no daily maid service, concierge, pillow menu, blockout blinds, no elevators, everyday spa access, mini bar, room service or pool bar. It’s important people are aware of this prior to booking IF booking through the hotel directly. As I used AirBnb I was aware of this.

As a self-contained hotel, there are many positive aspects but some negative also. The location and views are simply the best in Palm Cove, overlooking the picture perfect palm cove (which is absolutely full of rainbow lorikeets, swallows and bats at night) the town is renowned for. I would return simply for the view and location! I honestly felt like there was no where else better to spend the time than on the balcony or by the pool. It is the only resort with direct beach access on the whole strip and the adults only pool is located right next to the water under the palms. With lots of families staying at the resort, it was bliss being in a pool only for adults. The balconies of the beach view apartments are private and being brick you can’t hear your neighbours if they’re also using theirs. The apartments are spacious and comfortable, with fans and air conditioning in every room. The hotel gardens and magical and well maintained, they’re lovely to take a stroll around.

The major negative is that the building has no elevators, which can make it tricky if you have toddlers, lots of luggage or in our case an older parent. From the underground parking lot to the bedrooms and bathrooms it’s a total of 4 flights of stairs (5 if located on the upper floor). My Mum struggled and for anyone disabled, elderly, with respiratory issues or out of shape, this isn’t appropriate accomodation unless on the ground floor.

Overall, I would return solely for the view and location alone - it’s just perfect. For those considering booking, I would recommend trying AirBnb, choosing a beach view apartment (however taking the stairs into consideration) while also considering the time of year to visit as the beach is closed for many months due to stingers and box jelly fish. If you’re a palm tree lover like me, this is the...

We just spent a fantastic week at the Alamanda. Before we arrived they arranged transport for us from (and to) the Cairns airport through Exemplar, an excellent shuttle service. A small discount is applied to the transport charge when the Alamanda makes the booking. From arrival and check in until we reluctantly said goodbye, every staff member including Kiley the manager were helpful and friendly. The kitchen/living area of our oceanfront one bedroom suite (#35) was on the top floor with our spacious en suite bedroom, and a second bathroom with shower, on the floor below. The furnishings are modern, there is Miele equipment in the kitchen and laundry, and the entire place was immaculately clean. The wonderful view from our big balcony took in the beach, palm trees, and one of the three swimming pools. The main pool was being renovated but unlike other reviewers, we never heard any construction noise from it. There was an occasional sound or two from what was probably routine maintenance or minor construction, but it was never a nuisance. The Alamanda is at the end of the main street that runs along the beach and is situated such that the street turns before it passes in front of the side of the building where our suite was located. As far as we could tell this was the only accommodation in Palm Cove that didn’t have the street between it and the beach, so no traffic noise. ||It is a short walk to the many restaurants, bars, and shops on the main street (DO NOT miss the restaurant Vivo - see separate review). Restaurant La Mesa at the Mantra is very good and gives a discount to Accor members, but only if you have your Accor card with you. There is a small well-stocked grocery store very near Alamanda, and a short distance past the store is the Palm Cove Tavern and bottle shop. Gabi in the office were eager to help us sort out an excursion to Kuranda via the historic train from Freshwater, and back down the mountain via cable car. One tour was based from Cairns which would have required us to pay separately for transport to the train station and back from the cable car station. Upon looking at the many brochures in the office we found a brochure for Brett’s one-day Kuranda tour that originates in Port Douglas with a pick up in Palm Cove, eliminating the need to pay for separate transport. It pays to look closely at the brochures. Gabi booked our tour with Brett’s excellent tour (see separate review) and the charge was put on our room. We have told friends and family about our wonderful stay here and some of them are already planning their visits. We will...