The perfect love nest
Port Douglas is a holiday destination known the world over. In this competitive market, thriving resorts are the ones that offer something truly special and Shantara Resort Port Douglas does this with grace and remarkable consistency.
Shantara offers exclusive relaxation for couples, honeymooners and small groups, offering a serene atmosphere and attentive service. But this is not the only secret to Port Douglas’ success. The resort is run by Marianna and Luigi Bonomi, whose management skills are matched only by their enthusiasm for their business that they perceive as ultimate relaxation. One of the things that makes this resort special, is the fact that it is adults-only, and therefore free from the distracting energy of young children, a rule that the Bonomis call, “re-energising”.
For Marianna, managing is all about her guests’ enjoyment, whether that involves relaxing by the pool or sitting out on the balcony, Marianna aims to make sure there is very little if any noise for the honeymooners, independent travellers and small groups that frequent the resort. Shantara possesses a five star rating, this is impressive, being one of the latest properties built in Port Douglas, established in 2007.
The resort itself boasts stylish décor with modern fittings and furniture, plus facilities like two swimming pools – both heated – one linked by a tropical island to an excellent undercover BBQ and entertainment area. The air-conditioned gymnasium keeps up guest’s fitness levels and a day spa where the Shantara staff custom design treatments tailored to their guests wishes. Marianna says she enjoys seeing guests “enjoying themselves and telling us about their holiday experience at Shantara and Port Douglas,” and often her favourite part of the industry is the opportunity, “to make some beautiful friends from all over the world”.
Marianna and Luigi come from humble beginnings. “We have been in Port Douglas since 1996, we moved our family from Adelaide to Port Douglas to manage a small 22-room motel,” Marianna explains. “It was the first motel that had been strata titled by a developer in the area and it was our first time to be involved in management rights.”
This was their first time involved in the industry and as a result it became somewhat of a culture shock. “We operated the motel for five years, we cleaned the rooms, made breakfasts in the morning, attended the office maintained the gardens and looked after our girls who were enrolled in primary and high school at the time.”
This was all a little much, especially during a particularly arduous few weeks: “Two weeks in and the first time we experienced a full motel, Bill Clinton the president of America came to town, all the accommodation properties were full and so we had the bomb squad, dog squad, the police motorcyclists stay at the motel. The Clinton entourage stayed with us for two weeks and it was the busiest time ever!” They were certainly thrown into the deep end but survived and the family sold their rights in 2001 and moved into a newly built apartment complex in 2003, marking their second management rights building. “We sold the management rights in January 2007 and moved into Shantara in September 2007.”
The impact of this move was phenomenal, not only was the complex regarded one of Port Douglas’s most “perfect apartments” on TripAdvisor but it also had a reputation for serenity and service. Consequently, the resort is in a continual state of improvement, like the “soft refurbishment in 2011, where we had custom made sofas, rugs and prints for the apartments”. And these refurbishments were well received, with “guests, owners and agents really pleased to see a much more modern and attractive décor”.
And the satisfied guests are now worldwide, with Shantara marketed internationally by Marketing Agency Pinnacles Tourism Marketing, they are able to “accommodate many international travellers from the UK, Europe through to the USA and, more recently, some Asian markets”.
With such size and scope, it is easy to see that you would face some hardships and Shantara has had no shortage of challenges in its journey to becoming a world renowned pinnacle for relaxation. The first of which was financial. “We opened Shantara in September 2007,” says Marianna, “and no-one knew it at the time but this was the start of the global financial crisis.” They faced some harsh challenges in the following years, including new owners and a hostile committee.
Marianna claims that, “Every day was a challenge and we reached a point of almost giving up but with the support of our loyal employees, some good owners and the support of our two daughters working for us at the time, we managed to come through the other end.”
They not only survived the financial crisis, but are now thriving with, “a beautiful and successful property and great owners that appreciate our persistence and devotion”. The hostile committee was eventually replaced “with the help of a very good solicitor, John Mahoney” and the “new friendly committee” allowed them to work together harmoniously.
Marianna and Luigi were able to overcome all their challenges with consistency and teamwork, but that did not exempt them from the power of hindsight. “When going into a new property,” they warn, “check if the developer has many units in the complex to sell and what arrangements the developer has with letting out of his units with management. Multiple unit owners will give them the power to vote on matters that suit them and are not necessarily beneficial for all the investor owners and managers.” She also says to make sure that, “when in a new complex, find out who is the chairperson” because “if they have complete control of the complex, this could leave the manager in a very precarious situation.”
Often the strange experiences are the more memorable though, Marianna points out: “three men walked into Shantara with bibles, they asked us if we had any bibles in our rooms, which we did not. They said a small prayer and left us 60 bibles to go into each room.” For Marianna this experience can only be described as an omen…
Though luckily for Marianna and Luigi, this omen has not affected business and Shantara continues to receive rave reviews, creating a relaxed atmosphere for child-free adults who are flocking to Port Douglas from around the globe.
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