Surfers International Apartments Resort

I took a risk getting to visit this place, as I chose to walk. Given the heat and the distance, I thought I had to walk from Surfers beach, yet it was achieved, by crossing a bridge and relying on google earth, which worked, YAH. The gallery is like a giant brightly colored slab of rock, designed in homage to the original local community, with a number of floors, each containing viewing vistas of the surrounding region. The visitor guide greeting me at the entrance suggested my itinerary, first going to the top floor via the stairs, or lift, then making my way down woods. A great idea, that served me well. I especially enjoyed the viewing area into the archived collection on the group floor. The cafe at the top was going off. Each off the floors contained art reflecting the community, and one that had art loaned from the national gallery. Each room had seating space, so you could sit back and engage with the work. The place was pretty laid back, even the staff had time to ramble on about their personal lives, which to me, was just part of the experience. One staff member also complimented me on my t-shirt. This place is well worth the visit, when you just think of Surfers Paradise, as being a beach and a bunch of drunken schoolies, well it's not.

I booked 6 months in advance for a special event via their website but didn’t get a response. When I followed up three weeks after booking I was told that the price has doubled and my room type was no longer available. This was very disappointing because I had booked early to get a room.

I have stayed at various resorts at Surfers Paradise in the last 10 years including multiple times at Surfers International. These have always been at the lower end of the price range. I stayed there in December 2023. On the positive side, the view from the rooms is magnificent. The location of the resort is excellent with a short walk of a few minutes to everything you need. Parking is not a problem and it is free. On the negative side, the room I stayed in was well below average. I am actually unsure if it had been cleaned at all. The balcony had crumbs of crackers and a dozen or so beer nuts spilt everywhere. The shower glass is not transparent because so much soap scum has built up and the shower door has black mould all built up at the bottom. The microwave was disgusting and I avoided using it which was an inconvenience. The couch stunk and the smell was on my clothes when I got up from it. The whole room, in fact, smelt stale and in need of a clean. Also, when I arrived the reception was unattended. There was a note on the glass to ring Bec in case of emergencies. I waited a while suspecting the staff had gone out momentarily. After waiting 30 minutes I tried the emergency number 3 times until I got through. I was told that "Jackie would have sent you an email" about the arrangements, which she had not. My keys were retrieved for me from the after hours safe even though I arrived at 2pm. I usually enjoy my stays at Surfers International. This one did it for me though. The place smells and is in need of a thorough clean.