Guest reviews Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast

by 00BCK Noosa, Australia

No luxury here, only disappointment!

We had the misfortune to spend a long weekend here, expecting a five star luxury escape. I will start with the positives. The staff in all areas were absolutely outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble. Lunch and cocktails in the bar, although expensive was excellent. The buffet breakfast was also excellent, although I wouldn’t pay $50 per person if it wasn’t included. Even though the place was empty rooms were not available at check in. We were told they were still being cleaned. When we asked about other rooms as there were very few guests we were then shown other rooms. Surely front desk staff should be able to work that out. Luxury escape customers, be aware that the superior suites are the most basic suites in the hotel. They are small and dark, with no view. We were shown two options. One looked over the main road and the other looked over the loading dock of Marina Mirage. I would cancel, get a refund and stay anywhere else. Don’t waste your money. We eventually paid an upgrade to get a larger room overlooking the pool. This was better but still disappointing. Furniture was run down and chipped and scratched, there were holes in the sofa and the sun lounge cover was shredded and turned upside down to hide this. Housekeeping did replace this. The air conditioning outlets were filthy and full of dust and cobwebs. This could be simply solved by regular maintenance. The seafood buffet is average and not worth $95 per head. Vanitas restaurant is overpriced and I had the worst steak I have ever eaten. Two small strips of meat about the size of a index finger, were under cooked and had the texture of a kitchen sponge. It could have been anything, but it did not taste like steak. A rip off at $56. The cheapest glass of wine was $20. I met with one of the managers, Donna, who did take our concerns seriously and we were not charged the room upgrade fee. However she could not explain why the hotel was generally grubby, when many of the problems could have been solved with general maintenance. We looked out at a roof area covered with weeds that could have been cleared in 15 minutes. The paths around the entrance were dirty and needed pressure washing. All the internal walls of the building facing the pool were mouldy and needed pressure cleaning. Other guests made the same comments five months ago and yet nothing has been done. This could be achieved in a couple days if management were serious about dealing with problems. The pool was cold and we were told that it was heated to 22 degrees. That is the temperature of an unheated pool. Donna told us that all the rooms were to be renovated and refurbished, but they were being completed one at a time. Avoid disappointment and stay somewhere else. Ocean view suites at Peppers Broadbeach is a much better option

by spiesw Melbourne, Australia

Excellent stay

I was a bit sceptical after reading all the negative reviews from the TripAdvisor community. We bough a package via Luxury Escapes and thought we will give it a go over the long weekend. What a pleasant surprise. The hotel was stunning as always. The service friendly and efficient and the rooms impeccable. We have really enjoyed our stay thoroughly and the Palazzo most definitely is up there with our most enjoyable stays. The breakfast is fantastic and I can recommend the seafood buffet at Il Barocco. I very big thank you to Liezel who organised a surprise birthday cake for my wife. Kudos to Liezel for great table service.

by Deeanna244 Gold Coast, Australia

Underwhelmed!

Took my dear friend who was visiting from Geelong to Versace for a special treat. We sat in the plush chairs near the bar to do some people watching and enjoy a quiet drink. But our view was completely spoiled by the way the staff used the bar as the drop off point for all the dirty dishes, empty glasses, soiled napkins, half eaten food etc from the surrounding tables of guests enjoying their afternoon tea. It was a complete mess - something I might expect to see in a food court but definitely not at Versace. Poor form!

by garybW8724HV Melbourne, Australia

Great stay

Stayed here for three nights magnificent hotel can see why it was 6 stars in its day amazing building great staff all very friendly and helpful customer service no 1 buffet breakfast plenty to choose from and lovely we had the seafood buffet Saturday night was awesome with plenty of choices a must do even if your not staying here book it plenty of history about the building a very grand lobby and entrance

by cmszs Sydney, Australia

Overpriced and Not 5 star

Overpriced for what you receive. We were unable to check-in after check-in time as rooms were not ready. Waited for 1.5hrs. During this time we were unable to access any of the facilities. The reception service was very poor. Obviously a lack of communication exists between the departments. However, the concierge staff were very helpful. Pool area very run down. Lots of threadbare towels and torn covers on seating. Pool service was also lacking. By the end of the day dirty towels and rubbish everywhere. Breakfast was ok, nothing special. Good to see a separate toaster for gluten free bread. Would I stay here again? No