A Stay At Hilton Hotel Residences, Surfers Paradise [Review]

Sponsored by Gold Coast Tourism

It’s got the location, it’s got views, and it’s got comfort, not to mention a plethora of space and a vibe that makes me not want to leave the apartment door.

The Hilton Hotel Residences in Surfers Paradise was the highlight of our trip to Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.

I didn’t even know Hilton did apartments, but I am so glad they do. Apartments are our preferred accommodation choice now that we have children.

It’s easier, cheaper, and creates a home environment that our girls really appreciate.

But what is a stay at the Hilton Hotels Residence Surfers Paradise like for families? Below I have shared my honest review of the hotel and shared our experience staying here.

About Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel & Residences

Located in Orchid Tower on Orchid Avenue, just a 2-minute walk from Surfers Paradise Beach and a 5-minute walk from Surfers Paradise Boulevard and the Skypoint observation Deck, the location really cannot be beaten.

It’s a 35-minute drive (33 km) to the Gold Coast Airport.

As with all other Hilton Hotels around the world, the Hilton Hotel Residences Surfers Paradise offers high-end luxury and 5* service.

Guests can choose to stay in guestrooms (standard hotel rooms) or in one of their apartments. They have 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom apartments, as well as a penthouse available to rent.

Facilities at Hilton Surfers Paradise

We didn’t stay in one of the noise-free guestrooms, so can’t vouch for that, but when it comes to the apartments, here is what you can expect.

All apartments come with a spacious open-plan self-contained unit, with a separate living area to bedroom, a private balcony, and a huge bedroom with premium bedding (Egyptian cotton sheets – I know, luxurious right!)

The bathroom is spacious and kitted out with everything you need, from towels to free toiletries. Some rooms have a spa tub.

There is also a large kitchen area with a microwave and tea maker. Rooms also have a smoke detector, fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, security system, and first aid kit.

The resort has its own onsite restaurant, Catch Restaurant, which serves delicious seafood. You can also find a gourmet breakfast served at the onsite cocktail bar, Ms Margot’s Bar & Eats, each day.

Swimming Pool and Eforea Spa

There is also an indoor pool and four outdoor pools with a poolside bar and deck bar. There is also the Eforea Spa which is a full-service spa with a sauna, spa treatments, and massage services.

There are also laundry facilities, in-room wireless internet access, daily housekeeping, valet parking (for a valet parking fee, or you can park yourself for a self parking fee), an executive lounge for premium members (we didn’t go there), and 24-hour room service.

Our Experience Staying at Hilton Hotel Residences Surfers Paradise

There are rooms for them to run around and play in, beds to bounce on, mock cafes to set up, comfy couches to watch TV on and fridges to clean.

Yes, Kalyra set to work while Mummy lay on the couch and watched. Is that not how it is supposed to be?

We arrived after a hectic two weeks of travel and were looking forward to having a more relaxed pace on the Gold Coast.

We’ve been to the Goldie so often that we decided, this time, we didn’t need to explore, just enjoy time together as a family.

We arrived in the afternoon and immediately began our usual hotel inspection routine, where Kalyra runs around exclaiming at a hundred miles an hour how much she loves each room and bathroom, and drawers with “hair dryers and knives and forks in them. “Like so amazing!

This time, Mummy and Daddy ignored her as we squealed and raced onto the balcony to enjoy the views.

Stunning.

Looking out over the ocean and back over the Hinterland and over the Surfers Paradise canals as well.

All I wanted to do was sit with a coffee and read a magazine. All my girls wanted to do was crawl all over me.

We put that dose of Mummy sanity aside and went for a wander around the property. It was winter so we could not enjoy the swim-up bar and pool areas, but I could imagine how they are the place to be in the summer.

Savannah and I had a quick little snuggle in one of the pods before her, Craig, and Kalrya went swimming in the heated pool and spa.

I snuck upstairs for some time out, called catching up on work!!

On our first evening staying at the Hilton, Craig went down to Woolworths to buy food to cook in our kitchen. There was a knock on the door, which kinda freaked me out because I have watched far too many scary movies.

I peered through the little peephole and saw two ladies standing outside.

Feeling safe, I opened the door slowly and stuck my head out the door.

“We’re the turndown service. Do you need us to turn down your beds?”

I was a little taken aback, although very impressed.

A quick glance to the right reminded me how the girls had made themselves welcome by scattering their toys all around the bedroom.

“Oh no, it’s okay, but thank you anyway.”

“What about some chocolates then?”

Their arms glided towards me with palms outstretched. A few little bars of turn-down chocolates smiled up at me.

“Oh okay then thank you.”

I eagerly awaited the knock on the door at around 7pm the next night and sure enough, it came. Kalyra nearly tackled me out of the way.

“Why Thank you!”

After dinner, Kalyra and I snuggled up in my bed together to watch some reality TV cooking show, instead, we mostly pulled faces and talked five-year-old-I’m-tired-and-silly talk.

Signature buffet breakfast at Catch Restaurant

One of the highlights of staying at the Hilton Residences was the buffet breakfast.

We developed quite a crush on Luke Mangan the week before on our P & O Pacific Dawn cruise.

Luke is one of Australia’s top chefs and we ate twice at his Salt grill restaurant on the ship.

It is beyond delicious.

His food is simple, yet exotic with a heavy Asian influence.

I fell in love with his take on mango and sticky rice, my all-time favourite dessert.

How excited were we when we discovered the restaurant at Hilton Hotel Residences is Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill?

I say very. Even Kalyra got up in the dining area to do a little dance.

I loved having miso soup for breakfast, followed by a hot brekkie, chased down with a smoothie shot.

We actually had a lot more than one of those, and way more than our fair share of smoked salmon.

The Hilton Hotel and Residences is perfectly located on Orchard Avenue in the middle of the action in Surfers Paradise.

This area has always been famous for the party, particularly for school leavers at the end of the year. The last time I partied here was for Schoolies in, wait for it, 1993.

Over the past few years, its seedy reputation has not done it any favours.

I was really pleased to see how much work they are putting into cleaning up the area and adding some class and style to it.

The Hilton Residence Towers for one, the new Soul building for another. The whole Cavil Avenue area is getting a facelift.

We spent the day blissfully walking up and down the beach strip, chasing seagulls, playing in parks, and enjoying the Gold Coast sunshine.

Before hurrying back to soak up the comfort of our luxury hotel apartment and those views.

Rooms and Residences

Hilton Surfers Paradise offers hotel guest rooms and residences in different types. The property features city, ocean or Hinterland views with renowned Hilton services.

Spacious residences feature a private balcony, kitchen and laundry benefits. You can choose from one to four bedroom residence rooms. There are king rooms and suites also available. See all room types here.

Check-In/Check-Out Experience

It was pretty simple checking in and out. We had to provide our booking confirmation and a government-issued photo identification plus the credit card or debit card we booked with.

Check-in is from 3.00pm and check-out is at 11.00am. The reception does not offer after-hours check-in so you should inform them if your arrival time is late at night.

The minimum check-in age is 18.

You can also make special requests for optional extras such as extra beds and cribs for children, but you can only get rollaway beds for ages 0-2.

Surfers Paradise Tips

The Hard Rock cafe has the best vegetarian burgers I have ever eaten.

Q1 tower is the tallest residential building in the world. The views from the top are beautiful as are the cocktails, but it will cost you $21 to go to the Observation deck. Luckily our apartment had views that were pretty darn good.

If you want a cool local cafe then you must go to Black Coffee Lyrics. It is hard to find upstairs hidden away in a small arcade. It has a real alternative vibe, excellent Panini’s and good food.

Final Thoughts on The Hilton Hotel, Surfers Paradise

Overall, we had a very comfortable stay at the Hilton in Surfers Paradise. The only downside for us is that the free Wi-Fi wasn’t great. It was slow and disconnected often, which is not great when you work online.

It also makes the price a little expensive. If you are staying in a 5* resort, the least you expect in this day and age is good wifi.

But if you can look past this little nitpick, then it’s a pretty great place to stay. And for us, those balcony views were way better than looking at our laptop screens!

Top Tours and Attractions near Surfers Paradise