Oaks buys luxury resort likened to “cheap run-down motel”
A luxury Port Douglas hotel panned by guests in a series of damning reviews has been bought by Oaks Hotels & Resorts.
Accomnews reported in June that the QT Port Douglas, a part of the uber-trendy boutique QT chain, was on the receiving end of some brutal reviews which implied it had fallen from grace since being launched by the brand in 2012.
Euphemistically describing the tropical north property as “renowned for its laidback holiday charm,” Oaks says the resort is “ideally positioned just a stone’s throw from Four Mile Beach and the tourist town’s most popular attractions.”
The Oaks group has acquired the freehold interest of the 170-room property as well as adjoining land and says the Oaks Resort Port Douglas will present holidaymakers with “smart simplicity and spacious apartment accommodation in a coveted coastal destination”.
There is some reputational work to be done.
Stained bed linen, broken furniture, rodent droppings, poor service, cold showers, dirty cutlery and rotting food left in rooms are among guest complaints about the QT Port Douglas, one reviewer commenting: “wouldn’t stay here again if you paid me”.
Others commented: “We felt like we were in a cheap run-down motel”, “If I could rate this zero stars I would” and “It feels like the management have given up and it’s sliding into disrepair”.
Back in June, QT did not reply to questions about whether the resort was being slowly run down prior to its sale.
But Norman Arundel, Event Hotels operations manager told news.com.au: “While QT Port Douglas has been a much-loved part of the QT family, the property is on the market following an asset review in 2017.”
The new owners are keen to stress the dress circle location of the property, saying: “Guests are just five minutes from Macrossan Street – Port Douglas’ shopping, wining and dining hub, as well as the sparkling marina and award-winning golf courses – which can all be accessed on the historical Bally Hooley train, which stops off right in front of the Resort.
“For adventure seekers, the Resort is also just 20 minutes from sheltered swimming holes and easy walking tracks at Mossman Gorge; and just over an hour from the world’s oldest and heritage-listed rainforest, the Daintree. The Great Barrier Reef is easily accessible for snorkelling and diving enthusiasts, with a number of local operators departing from Port Douglas daily.”
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