Long Island closes for refurb
Whitsundays’ BreakFree Long Island Resort will undergo a major revamp in a bid to tap into the growing Asian tourism market.
The plan by Ocean Hotels and Tourism that operates the resort, includes 160 new accommodation units, increasing the total to 300.
Some upgrades already have begun and the resort will close completely at the end of January.
In addition, planning for a major redevelopment of underutilised land at the resort, including building 160 new accommodation units is also well underway. A formal development application is being prepared for submission to the Whitsunday Regional Council in early 2015.
Current facilities on Long Island include 140 guest accommodation units in the main resort, with the majority enjoying absolute beach frontage and outstanding water views, as well as 50 beds in its backpacker accommodation (Barefoot Lodge), and 45 staff units.
Long Island Resort is superbly located on the Hamilton, Daydream, Long Island and Airlie Beach ferry circuit and is the closest Whitsunday Island Resort to the mainland. The resort enjoys outstanding access to the natural beauty of the Whitsundays with its location on the large Long Island National Park. Long has extensive walking tracks and wildlife and flora over its 9km of length. The resort is built on the Happy Bay beachfront which is acknowledged as one of the finest beaches in the whole of the Whitsundays.
The resort was originally developed by tourism company Contiki in the mid 1980s at a cost of around $30 million at that time and has been owned by the Ocean Hotels and Tourism group since 1995. Over the last two years Ocean Hotels and Tourism group has invested several million dollars into upgrades and refurbishments of its other assets including Sunlover Reef Cruises in Cairns, and Club Croc Hotel Airlie Beach.
The substantially upgraded Long Island Resort is expected to reopen in 2016 after closing for the Wet Season at the end of January 2015.
