Gold Coast for the girls
There’s no denying a girls’ weekend is good for the spirit. All that eating, drinking and pampering. Reminiscing about old memories and creating new ones. And laughing so hard your stomach hurts.
Queensland’s Gold Coast might not be the obvious pick when planning an elegant weekend sojourn for the ladies, but my BFFs and I recently discovered it was a fun, affordable spot for our much needed annual bonding getaway.
This is how we did it.
Where to stay:
QT Gold Coast is a relatively new player on the local hotel scene, but it’s certainly making waves. From the moment you arrive, the hotel has a trendy, relaxed LA vibe. All modern décor and lots of fun little touches that make you feel like you’ve stepped out of the ordinary routine of life for a moment.
Fun and fresh – the QT Gold Coast lobby
The massive pitcher of complimentary homemade lemonade and iced tea in the lobby is a welcome treat. As is the chocolate tasting tray delivered to my room by a cute bellboy moments after I arrive. It certainly is a great way to get a girl in the mood for 48 hours of oestregen overload (the chocolate, I mean… not the bellboy!).
Yum!
You can literally walk across the road to the beach. And ask for a room on the water side and you’ll enjoy stunning sunsets over that world-famous 42km strip of golden sand. Mad if you don’t pop a bottle of champers for this one!
A view worth admiring
Make sure you leave the diet at home, because the best thing about this hotel is the buffet breakfast. It’s set out like a giant marketplace with endless counters of brekkie treats. There’s no limit to how much you can eat, so you can’t help trying a little bit of everything. They even serve a good espresso. It’s no wonder they just won Best Hotel Breakfast at the 2014 Gourmet Traveller Awards.
Stingray Lounge, just off the hotel lobby, is a handy little spot for a drink and a dance. There’s a great vibe on Friday and Saturday nights until midnight. Sure, you’ll see plenty of fake boobs, tans & tube dresses, but it’s a fun crowd with good music and some awesome people-watching. And you probably won’t be the oldest person on the dance floor. But best of all, it’s only an elevator-ride to your room when you’re ready to retire!
Entertainment:
For a little old-school GC razzle-dazzle, head over to Jupiters Hotel and Casino. We saw The Ultimate Vegas Tribute show – complete with Elvis impersonator, professional juggler, and sexy showgirls wearing massive feathered headpieces (and not much else). Throw in a few strawberry daiquiris in LED flashing cocktail glasses and you’ve got a truly hilarious girls’ night out that doesn’t include male strippers.
The professionals
Our own interpretation
You’ll also have your choice of bars and restaurants, each with a different flavour. Atrium Bar downstairs is always buzzing – great for some pre-show bubbles. And for a post-show bite, the Italian restaurant Vivo has the most mouthwatering garlic bread and an absolutely divine tiramisu. I repeat: leave your diet at home. You really don’t want to deny yourself access to those carbs!
For something you can’t enjoy on a girls’ weekend anywhere else in Australia, head to SeaWorld! OK, it’s probably not the first activity you’d think of for a group of mature women, but we had a ball. There’s actually something incredibly cathartic about scaring yourself stupid on a rollercoaster and screaming at the top of your lungs as you hold on for dear life. How often do you get to do that in your daily life?
You can really get the adrenalin pumping on rides like Storm Coaster, Jet Rescue and Sea Viper. But be warned: one of my gal pals regretted her decision to wear all white that day after getting completely drenched on the Storm Coaster. She spent the next hour looking like she was competing in a wet t-shirt competition. And you do pull some serious g-forces on the Jet Rescue, so you’ll end up with a pretty awful hair situation. But who cares, right? I’m sure the girls have seen you looking a lot worse over the years!
Make sure you get a photo!
Oh, and it’s worth the price of entry just to see those ridiculously cute polar bears up close (well, through some seriously reinforced super thick viewing glass, at least).
High Tea:
What is it about tiered trays of mini treats and tiny sambos that we ladies love so much? Yep, it’s undoubtedly THE most clichéd experience for a girls’ get-together, but this isn’t any old high tea. It’s a Versace high tea… darling!
Couture cakes and dandy dainties
And it’s surprisingly good value. It might be called high tea, but there’s enough food there for lunch. The Palazzo Versace opened back in 2000, but she’s lost none of her pizazz. High tea is served in the stunning lobby bar. With its hand-detailed gold ceiling, enormous antique chandelier, and that famous Versace-styled mosaic everywhere you look, you’ll feel more like you’re in Milan than good ole’ Southport.
We loved it!
Dinner:
For me, the highlight of any girls’ weekend is frocking up and enjoying a fabulous dinner and flowing vino on Saturday Night. I wanted something extra special, because we also happened to be celebrating my birthday.
The private room at The Little Truffle at Mermaid Beach is a winner. It’s a cosy, stylish restaurant 10 minutes by taxi from the madness of downtown Surfers Paradise. They’ve been awarded a Chef’s Hat, and you can certainly taste it. The food is spectacular and the service is spot-on. Eight grown women… each with her own dietary peculiarities… devouring a four-course degustation menu… and not one single complaint! Now that’s an admirable feat for any restaurant.
Any way you say it, The Little Truffle is a winner
And forget about standing in long lines waiting for a taxi. For just a few bucks more than you’d pay for a smelly cab (and when everyone chips in, it’s reallllllly affordable), Queensland Private Limousines will send you a luxurious, clean, glamorous-looking Mercedes van. Then you can all travel together, laughing and singing karaoke-style all the way home (or is that just me & my friends???).
No cab for us!
Pampering:
Who doesn’t love a little pampering? SpaQ at QT Gold Coast is a luxury retreat with a hammam-inspired steam-and-ice room and even some signature Goldie treatments. And best of all, they don’t pressure you to choose your treatment before you make your appointment. I was planning for a body scrub, but after putting my neck out on the Jet Rescue (maybe that theme park outing wasn’t appropriate for a 40-year-old woman after all…) I realised I was in desperate need of a massage. I’m always hesitant about booking a massage at a day spa, because in my experience beauty therapists don’t give good knot release. However, Emily at the QT spa is a professional with 16 years of experience and she provided the perfect massage – firm pressure with a soft touch. So good I fell asleep.
Highly recommended – SpaQ at QT Gold Coast
Shopping:
If you feel the need for a little retail therapy, you can get your shopping high at Harbour Town. It’s a little out of the way if you don’t have a car, but offers a really good selection of outlet stores including Polo Ralph Lauren, Oroton, Witchery, Cue, French Connection, Lorna Jane, Ben Sherman, and Peter Alexander.
There’s a more upscale selection of stores at Marina Mirage – Carla Zampatti, Christensen Copenhagen, Max&Co, Seed, and Zimmermann included. Marina Mirage is also home to Omeros Bros restaurant, a wonderful spot to settle in for a loooooong seafood lunch. Grab a table on the balcony for views over the marina. The Moreton Bay bugs in lemon butter sauce are To Die For.
The Gold Coast is well-known for its culture of fun in the sun. In our experience, it also happens to give VGGW – Very Good Girls’ Weekend!
We’ll be back!
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