Confessions of a food-a-holic

Okay, so let me just make something clear before we get any further. I love food. I mean, I really really love food. Not the kind of love a trucky has for meat pies, more like the love between the cow and calf that pie came from.
So it’s no surprise then, when given the chance to experience an interactive seafood buffet dinner AND buffet breakfast at the Marriott Surfers Paradise (with the added bonus of a stay at the hotel), I push, shoved, and hurdled through crowds at the chance.
With Mr LML in tow, we pack up the car and head south from Brissy to the GC. With a quick detour via the iconic beach strip we soon find ourselves checking into the super lush five star Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort, and I was instantly blown away the minute I walked into the lobby. With an easy peasy check-in, we take the lift all the way to level 23 where we are welcomed into our (get ready for it)… executive suite! Hells yeah.
Opening the door, I am thinking to myself, “OMG this is amazeballs!” And then I take another step inside. Complimentary wine and treats? Check. Separate lounge and bedroom? Check. Two massive LCD TVs? Check. Sweeping ocean AND hinterland views? Check. Mammoth king size bed? Check. Spa bath overlooking the Hinterland? Check, check, check. This day can’t get any better. But it does…

I’m ready to call it a night, because I’m convinced that nothing outside is going to beat the luxuries of this suite, but I remember that when we arrived, I was given a ‘tester’ massage to enjoy in the hotels spa, so in the name of research, I head down to Lattouf Hair & Day Spa and give it a whirl.

The quick five minute treatment is enough to have me wanting more. But I bite my bottom lip and make my way down to the pool for a cocktail instead. The Marriott’s pool is seriously a wonderland. It has slides, caves, whirlpools, spas, a mini beach and even fish. Yep, fish! It’s like a tropical island right in the middle of the hustle and bustle. You can hire some snorkels out at the pool and go snorkelling for the day without having to battle through waves or fearing for sharks. If I had come here as a kid I would never want to leave.

It’s not just for kids though – the pool bar will have you just as entertained. Which is exactly what we did. “I’ll take two moijto’s please” right before stripping down to our togs and into a pool chair.

Before we knew it, my favourite time of the day had rolled around – tucker-time. We headed out the door of our executive suite where we were greeted with a decent queue to get into the much talked about ‘Citrque’ interactive buffet dinner experience. Despite my tummy making noises louder than the crying newborn next to me, I patiently waited until it was our turn to be seated.

For a self confessed food-a-holic, I knew I was in for a dangerous few hours ahead. Why dangerous? I wasn’t wearing unbuttonable pants. Crap.

Walking in, it was clear to see what all the fuss was about. The interactive buffet has four stations:
• The cold zone – with fresh local seafood, sushi and sashimi, salads, cured meats, antipasto and cheeses.
• The hot zone – with a selection of European and Asian dishes where you can order custom made dishes such as gourmet pizza, yum cha and more.
• The grill zone – offering a selection of Indonesian style satay and roast meats with all the trimmings.
• The decadence zone – filled with the most delicious looking handcrafted desserts, pastries, and homemade ice cream – H.O.L.Y M.O.L.E.Y!

I took a deep breath, fearing for my life. You see, being a food-a-holic, I must try everything, at least once. It was clear this night was going one of two ways. It’d end in me overdosing on Moreton Bay bugs or oysters kilpartic, or, I would survive the night with the assistance of Mr LML rolling me out the door.

There is a third option – I could potentially get thrown out for eating the buffet dry, like Homer S does in that episode of the Simpsons. Need a refresher… this is what I mean (it’s in Spanish but you get the jist):
Still need some help understanding?
Let me show you my entree:

And now for my main (with the necessary pork bun sides of course):

Meanwhile.. Mr LML is still on his entree.
For only $79 per person on a weekend, and cheaper throughout the week, this is serious value for money. Better still, you don’t have to be a guest to dine here. If you’re travelling on the coast and want some of the freshest seafood in town, not to mention all the other food they have, then this is the place for you.

They also do a killer brekkie, one of my other favourite times of the day. After filling up on so much the night before at dinner, I tried to pace myself at the Citruqe buffet brekkie. To start it was the delicious bircher muesli with a dollop of fresh yoghurt and peach, followed by an omelette made to order, and some waffles (for dessert).

As far as I was concerned, the Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort has outdone itself and exceeds well beyond my expectations. The hotel oozes elegance, and has amenities to suit any type of traveller. The pool is so tropical it even comes with its own fish, and the location is just right – close enough to walk anywhere but far enough away from the crazy happenings of Cavill Ave.

The food is…. well I don’t think I need to gush on any more about that – incredible. And all in all this has been my favourite feastcation to date. It’ll be a hard one to beat, so I’m already considering my return trip, just to make sure it’s really that good.