Marlin Cove Resort
Modern lounge suites, crisp white linen and sleek plasma televisions have replaced tired cane furniture and patterned bedspreads at Marlin Cove Resort, Trinity Beach. A refurbishment of the units in the holiday letting pool was top of the list of things to do for Derek and Kerrylyn Angel when they took over the management rights in September 2009.
Now, after 18 months and lots of hard work, all holiday units boast new fixtures and fittings.
Guest services manager Stephanie Angel says most owners wanted to be part of the upgrade and any units that were not available for refurbishment immediately were taken out of the holiday letting pool and tenanted for three to 12 months, depending on the timing of the improvements.
“The refurbishments were, and still are, being done in stages. Each of the units is slightly different and each unit owner had a different perspective on what order they wanted things done in. Some owners completed all the required upgrades at once and some chose to stretch it out over a couple of months,” Stephanie says. One of the challenges for the management team was costing new products, with items such as beds varying widely in price, making it difficult to select the right product. Hours of research later and most bedrooms have been upgraded and have king-split beds. Old cane bed-heads and bedside tables are a thing of the past.
Finding discounts on products that could be bought in bulk was an important consideration for the Marlin Coast Resort team. “In certain cases, as with the ovens and cook tops where we could get discount for a bulk order, we really tried to convince the owners to do this part all together to take advantage of the discounts they were being offered,” Stephanie explains.
By the time the refurbishments have been completed all units will have had old style televisions replaced by new plasmas. Some holiday units have new carpets or tiles and all now have Austar installed. Stephanie says that some owners had never seen their units and were unaware that the furnishings were not up to standard. “A few owners still haven’t seen their investments,” Stephanie says. “I had to send them photos to show them that they needed to upgrade the rooms!”
Improvements to the exterior include changes to the gardens and repainting the units to the rear of the resort. WiFi Internet access was also installed around the property. “Gardens have undergone a massive change, with the theme now more on tropical plants rather than the larger trees that were overshadowing the resort,” Stephanie explains.
The on-site dining facility, the Frangipani Bar & Grill, had been closed for about six months before Derek and Kerrylyn took over at Marlin Cove Resort. It was Derek and Kerry’s first catering venture and after re-opening the restaurant they then decided to close it again in November 2009, as improvements were needed. Green plastic chairs and tables were replaced with upmarket furniture and a new menu was introduced, along with a new chef to complete the revamp. “During this time we rented the venue for private functions, such as Christmas parties, before reopening it officially in February this year,” Stephanie says. “It now opens on Saturday nights and is popular with holidaymakers, residents and owners.”
Taking the plunge
Cairns northern beaches have a reputation for a relaxed and laid-back lifestyle, while offering visitors the excitement of trips to the Great Barrier Reef and 4WD adventures to the top end. This lifestyle, combined with the tropical climate, lured Derek and Kerrylyn to Trinity Beach and away from the Gold Coast.
The couple took time to stay in various management rights properties while driving from the Gold Coast to Cairns and liked what they saw. “It was a dream that had been sitting there for quite some time before we finally took the plunge and bought Marlin Cove,” Kerrylyn says.
The low-rise and well-spaced layout of Marlin Cove Resort attracted the Angel family, as it contrasted with the high-rise architecture that largely dominates the Gold Coast. “We wanted a business that lets us work together in a warm climate, where we can be in control of the day-to-day operations,” Derek says.
Management rights ownership also complemented Derek and Kerrylyn’s working backgrounds in finance and marketing.
Marlin Cove Resort has 97 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, 25 of which are in the holiday letting pool. Its dominant attraction is the large lagoon pool with its white sandy beach situated centrally in the resort. “Derek can be found in the pool at sunrise every day brushing sand out of the pool back onto the beach!” Stephanie laughs.
Derek and Kerrylyn are very hands-on; they work seven days a week and also help in the Frangipani Bar & Grill, where Derek can be found running the bar while Kerrylyn helps with waitressing duties.
The resort has a children’s playground and a full-size tennis court. It also boasts a lap pool, spa, sauna and gym. What sets it apart is the feeling of being in the rainforest while in reality being only a few minutes’ walk from Trinity’s beachfront. A rainforest corridor lies to the side and rear of the resort, giving guests the sensation of living in tropical north Queensland.
Sometimes this can be a very real experience, with curious wallabies and some less cuddly critters coming too close for comfort. “I’ve had a few close encounters with pythons,”
Stephanie says. “If they come too close to the resort buildings I just pick them up and take them back to the rainforest!” It’s all in a day’s work in the tropics.
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