Hayman Island — Local services in Whitsundays

My family were recently guests at Hayman for 8 nights in a two bedroom premium suite. And whilst the kids had a blast in the heated pool, my partner Cath and I were quite disappointed in the stay.

Firstly, we had the concierge service, which was actually a disaster, as all the activities were were wanting to book were “unavailable”.

Fishing, private seaplane, private tours for snorkelling, spa treatments etc…. All booked out or unavailable even though we had been in email correspondence prior to our arrival to book these activities in.

Spa treatments were booked direct with the spa staff - who had no issue securing us wonderful treatments - even though we were told by concierge they were unavailable.

Most disappointing and confusing was when Cath got so frustrated with the roadblocks for our adventures, she took it upon herself to meet the guys who take the boats out. And although we were consistently told that no activities were available by the concierge, the actual staff facilitating the tours were able to confirm that the activities were available and booked us in.

We were very fortunate to have such wonderful assistance and experiences with these activity staff - Tom & Tim.

Fishing was amazing, we caught tuna and trevallie and had a wonderful time. When we docked back at Hayman the fish were sent to Bam Bam to be prepared simple ceviche and sashimi. The chef made a great few plates of the Tuna, but no other fish were presented. And when we received the account we were charged for the preparation of the fish. I would have though this was included in the $1000 fishing fee? Confusion by our concierge when checking out - this was promised to be removed from the account. Which it has not been.

Whitehaven seaplane we were told not running - however when we went there on a private boat there were seaplanes flying and landing. This was so confusing for the kids who were so looking forward to that experience. They felt duped. We all did.

We have travelled to many wonderful places and been privileged to stay in luxury resorts, where there are polite and helpful staff. But our experience at Hayman was very ordinary and not at all what we expected. It left us feeling quite confused - almost to the point that we had played parts in some satirical comedy movie with the double narrative of binaries - yes means no etc… upstairs downstairs.

Also, each morning we were greeted by delightful cockroaches in the bread bar….

What was very telling was the lack of engagement by any senior management during the stay. What would have occurred in most Lux resorts is an introduction to the GM or F&B manager. But zip contact. And no way of connecting with you to help us navigate the confusion. The absence of management was very telling and I did feel quite sorry for the young staff just doing their best.

Covid has been v very tough on all industries, however as I was trying to get my head around such a farcical experience, I just could not point the finger at Covid.

I do hope things improve and that this...

5 days into a 7 day stay. I do not underestimate the effort that the management and staff put into providing guests a great experience, but this is an expensive resort and could easily be much better.

Accommodation Housekeeping has been below expectations. Beds not being made properly, no change of bed linen, room rubbish uncollected, vacuuming not occurring each day, some smell occasionally from, I assume, the septic or waste collection system.

Housekeeping staff's ability to communicate in English was a challenge. On day 3 we had to chase housekeeping 3 times to get the room made up after we accidentally left the DND button on in the morning. This was turned off at 11am and reception was contacted and advised. The room was serviced at 6pm!

We had to request a change of mattress as the bed was so soft that our backs were a nightmare after the 1st night. This was actioned quickly and without fuss.

I also requested an office chair to replace a stool in front of a small work area which was also supplied immediately.

Restaurants Choice of 3 but only 2 are open each night. Very expensive but food was generally good to very good. Had a terrible steak on the 1st night at Ameci but we have been to all restaurants and would return to each.

We are in a beachfront pavilion which has a stunning view and is nicely fitted out. There is a fantastic indoor/outdoor area which has been brilliantly designed.

There is no ability to stream pay TV from the in-room TV.

Resort Lighting In some places lights are out or there is simply no lighting. we tried to report this to a range of staff, but nothing has been done. it can be quite dangerous at night as the carts whizz around on the same paths people walk on. We literally almost got run over on the first night of our stay.

Walking Tracks It appears that the most used parts the main track around the island and subsidiary tracks have not been maintained for 2-3 years. Extremely rocky and quite dangerous in parts. In some cases, foliage was obstructing the track and the lookouts were overgrown and difficult, if not impossible, to see the view. I know that there has been significant rain and maintenance is always challenging. Signage around the tracks is very poor & the numbering system at the base of the track at each end is not replicated on the tracks so you literally do not know where you are.

Notwithstanding the above issues Hayman Island is beautiful place and...

We have just come back from a fabulous trip to Hayman. From the first moment that you step on the Boat at Hamilton Island to be greeted with some lovely Champagne and a platter of Nibbles with a huge smile from every staff member really set the tone for our stay. To be met at the island by a personal concierge person and shown the resort was a really nice and personal touch. Over our stay we had lots of engagement with our Hayman person (Kim)and she organised restaurant bookings and ensured we were looked after at every opportunity without being over the top. Special Shout to Kim Arthur, Gemma in the restaurant and Adam who looked after us around the Pool. Also the Girls at the Day spa were so accommodating and really wanted to make the massage very special (which it was). The Facilities, pools and general resort was impeccably presented wand we rarely saw any maintenance people roaming around which made everything seem calm. The Food and service at every restaurant was absolutely spot on and enjoyed in the beautiful indoor outdoor setting. Bam Bam was the pick and we ended up going there twice. The food was world class and the great variety of wines and cocktails ensured we had lots of new things to try. Overall i rate the Hayman experience as truly world class, we have been lucky enough to travel all over the world and Hayman should be very proud of the experience they offer, and best of all its in good old OZ . If you are contemplating doing a trip...