Where to stay in Port Douglas: Peppers Beach Club

The air is sticky and humid, I’m trying to be cool, calm and collected but I’m feeling a bit frazzled. My bags keep slipping, I can’t remember if I locked the car and I’ve no idea where my phone is. Feeling clumsy frustrates me and I’m in a downward spiral. We roll up to the front desk at Peppers Beach Club and are greeted with a big smile and a warm welcome as our bags are taken from us and wheeled off into the distance, toward our room. The relief is instant, suddenly my life is so much easier. I exhale my luggage-fuelled frustration and breathe in the resort relaxation.

Guided by a friendly staff member, we arrive at our penthouse one-bedroom suite and, as the door opens, we’re greeted with the cool caress of the crisp air-conditioning. All my stress melts away and I can’t help but smile because this room is freaking awesome. Instantly I wish we had more than two nights here. Two nights just isn’t enough!

A little bit about the resort…

We drove from Cairns to Port Douglas in a hire car, taking about 2 hours given we stopped at a few beaches and viewpoints along the way. The drive was easy and we didn’t need a GPS, we just followed the road signs. Driving into Port Douglas we kept our eyes out for Peppers and, sure enough, find it easily with no need for directions.

The resort is a tropical paradise, all-white set against lush palm trees, green gardens and a sparkling, bright blue pool. It’s equal parts fancy and welcoming, with all the charm of a beach resort and the upmarket glamour of luxe accommodation. It’s a place you can relax and unwind into, without feeling any of that uncomfortable edge you sometimes get at uber-modern digs, while still feeling special.

Our room is huge! A very spacious one-bedroom penthouse suite. We’re greeted with a selection of delicious sweets, cakes and pastries, which we make light work of. The lounge room is a generous size, boasting large and comfortable sofas and a one-seater, all with foot-rests, set among a coffee table. A large screen television sits on the wall, later that night I’ll sit with a cup of tea, watching movies.

The living room opens up onto the first of two balconies, with a cosy table and chairs and a BBQ, perfect for an evening fry-up with a cold drink. The balcony overlooks the huge and inviting pool, its bright blue water rippling between the palm fronds. People are relaxing in their pool-side recliners, cocktails in hand. It doesn’t look like a pool, so much as a copy and paste from Whitehaven Beach. I can’t wait to get in.

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But back to the room. The bedroom is equally spacious, with its own balcony and chairs, a very big king size bed, washer and dryer stashed away and a fantastic size en-suite with a very enjoyable shower. What makes an enjoyable shower, you ask? Excellent question! Great water pressure and lots of hot water are key. This spot has both, in spades. They have a few different room types, including some with swim-up and plunge pools, you can check those out here.

But, is the location any good?

Port Douglas isn’t a big place, which makes life really easy, whether you have a hire car or not. I like the option of being able to walk to and from places, rather than being forced to drive. It’s always nice to know you can have a few drinks with dinner and use the walk to work off some of the delicious meal you ate. Peppers Beach Club is in a pretty prime location. It’s a few minutes walk to Macrossan Street, where all the shops, boutiques, bars and restaurants are. It’s also a few short minutes to famous Four Mile Beach and, in the other direction, The Marina, where all the reef tours depart.

You can walk safely and easily to anywhere you need to go or, if you prefer, you can jump in your car and drive there very quickly. As far as locations go, they’ve really nailed it. If you were to stay on Macrossan Street itself, you might find the foot and car traffic a bit frustrating at times, so it’s great to be so close to all the action, but be far enough away that you don’t have to deal with it.

What is there to do?

The room was genuinely comfortable and the kind of place that feels like a home away from home. As I get older I tend to enjoy staying in self-contained apartments rather than hotel rooms, it’s just so nice to be able to throw your dirty clothes in the wash if you need to or cook your own breakfast if you feel like it. We spent time in the room watching movies or sitting on the balcony overlooking the pool.

The pool is spectacular, I’ve got to admit! It’s as though they took a tropical beach from the Whitsundays and just dropped it into the middle of the resort. You can easily spend an entire day or two just lazing by that pool, ordering food and drinks to keep you fed and watered. It’s a really relaxing space and unlike a lot of hotel pools, it’s huuuuge, so you don’t bump into anyone while you’re swimming.

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There are loads of ways to spend your days in Port Douglas, you can take a drive up to Mossman Gorge and the Daintree, take a day-trip out to the Barrier Reef and swim with turtles and fish. You can walk up and down Macrossan street, stopping in at boutiques, art galleries, cafes and restaurants. Honestly, there are so many things to do that if you’re only there for a few nights, you’ll wish you had longer.

The verdict

We had a really enjoyable stay at Peppers Beach Club and I would definitely stay there again. It’s the kind of place I would recommend to my friends but also recommend to my sister-in-law, who has three kids! The self-contained units make life really easy, but the rooms still have those crucial elements of relaxation and luxury. The service was great, with the staff all being friendly, welcoming and really helpful. I gotta say, it was a really great stay and I’d do it all again. Book Peppers Beach Club Resort here.

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