Foreshore Holiday Apartments
“Location is the prime attraction,” said Bruce Thompson, manager of Foreshore Holiday Apartments at Mermaid Beach on the famous Gold Coast.
“Guests love it because of its absolute beach frontage. We have people coming here because it is quiet and peaceful. The majority of guests are repeat customers and many have been returning for 28 years.”
Guests can enjoy stunning ocean views from all the one or two-bedroom apartments. There are no roads or footpaths to cross, allowing guests direct access to the beautiful beach, with the patrolled beach only 100m away.
Built in 1982 with six levels, 18 of the 35 apartments are in the letting pool plus another two that are available during Easter and Christmas. A novel attraction for guests is the opportunity to enjoy a Harley motorbike ride around the surrounding countryside or further afield to Byron Bay or the Sunshine Coast. Both staff, including Bruce, are experienced and enthusiastic motorbike riders with years of experience.
“Besides giving guests the opportunity to go for a ride, during my time off I go riding on my Harley. That’s my circuit breaker,” said Bruce.
Bruce has lived a varied and interesting life before venturing into the accommodation industry. “In 1980 I went to Darwin from New Zealand and lived and worked as a teacher on an island called Milingimbi, which is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, for three years.”
Following that Bruce was involved in civil engineering and shipping for a number of years in far north Queensland including the Torres Strait, the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea. “I worked at the shipping company for a few years when it was privately owned and when another company bought it I was asked to manage it, which I did for 17 months until the business changed again.
“I became involved in the hospitality accommodation industry in 2002 after my then partner and I sold a business on Thursday Island. After we sold Burleigh Heads management rights in 2006 and went our separate ways, I bought a business, which didn’t fair well during the GFC.”
Bruce re-entered the accommodation industry at Trilogy Gold Coast in 2009 as a property manager. In 2010 Bruce was offered the opportunity to manage Foreshore Holiday Apartments and was later given the option to purchase the business from the current owner.
“This was something I was licensed for because I knew the industry and it gave me a house and an opportunity to start building up again.”
The guest demographic is primarily 45 plus. During Christmas and Easter there are often families as well.
All the units have been renovated at some stage with some as recently as mid 2011. The self-contained apartments feature fully equipped open plan kitchens, laundry facilities, ceiling fans, ocean facing balconies and lift access to all apartments.
Bruce continued, “It is important to work with the body corporate to decide which direction this building is going in. Times are changing and marketing needs to keep abreast of the changes.
“Some 70% of our bookings come through sources, such as Wotif.com (45%) and booking.com (25%) and the rest from repeat customers and direct marketing,” explained Bruce. “Everything is changing. People look more to social media than websites now. We are looking at marketing in social media but our demographic doesn’t usually subscribe with social media particularly, so we have to look at ways that doesn’t restrict the market.
Most people are affected by superannuation, the dollar value and the GFC. The ability to be able to pay for two to three week holidays every year is diminishing.”
Foreshore Holiday Apartments offer guests that time out from their busy life because of its peaceful location. However, if guests want to experience the numerous attractions of the Gold Coast they can still come back to their quiet apartment to relax and enjoy the ambience of the ocean and surrounds.
Location is always a key factor and that’s where Foreshore Holiday Apartments has an advantage, being absolutely ‘on the beach’. For the adventurous, the famous Gold Coast theme parks are 30 minutes drive north. Golf enthusiasts have numerous golf courses to choose from with 13 international golf courses and additional public courses in the surrounding area.
Then there are the world renowned beaches famous for their cleanliness, warm blue waters, golden sand, and, of course, the sunshine. For those guests who prefer to take to the mountains, the Gold Coast’s hinterland offers a different type of paradise with beautiful wildlife, tropical plants and spectacular views.
After a day out, or just relaxing, when it is time to eat, guests have a choice from a wide selection of local restaurants, cafes, takeaways from a diversity of international cuisine including, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Thai, Chinese and much more. Nobby’s Beach Surf Club is only two minutes walk away.
For those wanting to cook their own meals there are nearby supermarkets and boutique shops.
Foreshore Holiday Apartments gives guests the advantage of having a very quiet and peaceful holiday away from the busy night life, but still within easy walking or driving distance to all the Gold Coast attractions.
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