Drift Palm Cove

We live locally and decided to do a staycation as we had family over from the UK. We all had a great time the hotel staff are all friendly and knowledgeable about the local area. Great bars, restaurants all within walking distance. The resort pool was a real winner with our 2 children (4,2). The apartment was well equipped and the 3 bed apartments are a great size and layout was great.

Great location. Dreadful experience. I had just come from a three-month visit to Shenzhen where I found the hospitality to be of an extremely high standard. The experience at Drift made me feel ashamed of my own Nation. How standards have slipped! Reception – when someone was available at reception – was largely UNFRIENDLY, UNWELCOMING and lacking in KNOWLEDGE. No information was provided in the apartment as to restaurants or tourism destinations. One is expected to pluck pamphlets off a wall. NO HELP is provided with luggage. Thankfully, there is a lift in this building. The apartment – a two-bedder – was really a one-bedder – the second bed having been crammed into a tiny space. Goodness knows how the two-bedroom apartments were approved as two-bedders!!! The apartment was not clean and it was NOISY; noise from chairs being scrapped across the floor overhead and loud noise from the adjoining balcony. The paint in the corridors resembles that of corridors in a hospital and the carpet is very badly stained from breakages in water pipes. Chlorine smell from the pool is unpleasant. MIGUELS – a separately operated restaurant at the front is EXCELLENT and NUMIS ice cream – also at the front – is delicious. DRIFT is being operated on the basis of a pseudo residential-holiday apartment mix. As I understand it, the levies and management fees are extremely high. In my opinion, the owners need to get in there and solve the problems as the value of their assets is being seriously eroded. I received approval for a late check-out. Due to slow drying of an item of clothing in the dryer and an international call, I ran a little over time. Apologizing to my caller, I answered a very loud banging on the door to be greeted by a rude and abusive housekeeper who insisted I speak to reception on a mobile phone she handed to me. Of course, I complied and explained my problem. Before I could finish the conversation, the mobile was snatched back. 'This is my phone.' Why housekeepers are using their own phones to solve issues is beyond my comprehension. Training of staff is essential so the guest is not left shaking in the doorway after what is supposed to be a relaxing visit and logging the memory: I NEVER WANT TO COME BACK. PALM COVE is a pretty place but the stay at Drift was a truly unhappy experience. Dr. JANNE CLARA LINDRUM

Stayed 6 nights in a 4th floor apartment. Complex in need of an update when compared to some of the others around. Room was on the medium size. Bathroom well stocked and fitted out great. Bed was comfortable, although lounge chairs were not overly comfortable. Terrific view from the Balcony of the Pool area. Great location in relation to the main street along the beach. Being a smoker it was a long way out of the resort to have a smoke and there was no specific area under cover or with seats anywhere to be found.

We loved this resort! Lovely gardens offering privacy, we were on ground floor. Clean and well designed apartment. Garden views. The giant palms and Melaleuca trees around the pool were divine. Offered plenty of shade, bit of an older resort but oh so charming. We loved it, coffee round the corner, mini mart over the road. Beachfront. Quiet, lots of families travelling and international visitors. We stayed in a 2br apartment,

After reading a few dodgy reviews and trying some of the other accommodation in Palm Cove we though Drift deserved a stay for a wedding. Most of the other guests stayed at the same time in various accommodation throughout the Cove. Nearly all complained about cleaning standards, mould, ac not working etc etc. Our room at the Drift had none of these issues. We were very happy. Clean. All of the things we needed. Good laundry. Parking. Great pool and spa.

Our first room was terrible, so terrible. The curtains were mouldy and stained and I could barely bear to touch them. The carpet was dirty and damp, the whole place smelt very damp and bad. Our bathroom sink wouldn't drain. I lasted 2 nights (which I shouldn't have!) and after reading lots of bad reviews I went to reception to tell them I just couldn't do it. It was unhealthy and I felt sick. The girls at the desk were very helpful and immediately swapped us to another apartment that was lovely, spotlessly clean and fresh and beautiful. Just like you would expect! told them that the first apartment should never have been rented out in that state! I don't understand why they would put people in there. The pool area is beautiful, and I think most of the rooms probably are too, but they need to get the owners of the apartments to renovate if they are not up to scratch. Our last 3 nights were great, so I am putting average. If we had been in there the whole time it would have been perfect.

We were recently in room 5202 and we were very impressed!! We would absolutely stay here again. The ocean view was magical to wake up to every morning. Positives- - the whole unit was very clean. - LOTS of blankets and linen provided which suited my family really well. - spacious and modern - central to restaurants Negatives- - wifi connection not good at all but we understand it was about to get fixed. - outdoor balcony areas could do with a good clean. - a few ceiling lights need replacing. - lift was not working in the building at the time of our holiday. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

The location is perfect, the check in process was excellent and we were able to check in early which was much appreciated. The beds were really comfortable and the family room was really spacious and laid out well for us as we have a young child. The pool was freezing cold and not swimmable, although my daughter did her best trying! Spa was out of action. The room could’ve been cleaner, there was stuff under the beds from previous occupants, hairs on the floor, dirty dishes and stains on the ottomans, walls and the curtains had mould on the back of them.

On a positive side the location is great and the pool looked beautiful at night but it was so shady during the day there was no point of sitting on the dirty lounges to relax - no bar either! These are the only positives. We booked the 2 bedroom executive apartment and I can honestly say that this is the worst accomodation I have ever stayed in. The place was extremely dated and filthy. The walls, curtains, carpets, furniture, beds and pillows were all stained, the ceiling fans, lights and behind the furniture were covered in dust and dead flies, the whole place was falling apart, extremely dated and plaster was crumbling off the walls and ceiling in the bathroom. Repairs needed to be done to the fridge and the towels rails, we didn't use anything else as we hated being in the apartment. We were given a new kettle as the one in he room was falling apart and looked dangerous. The cleanliness was our main concern, there was a bloody tissue in the bedroom, hair in the shower, mould growing around the windows, no pillow protectors and blood stains on the pillow, the outside terrace was covered in bird excrement and the outside furniture was dirty and worn. However the curtains were the worst - they looked like someone had urinated up them, the stains were unbelievable. To cap it all the lift didn't work and there were tradies underneath our balcony using drills and power tools from 8 am. We complained several times about the state of our room and asked to be moved but they said they were fully booked, we asked to speak to the manager several times but she never called us back, when we eventually spoke to her she agreed to us having a refund of 20%, which we received. I would not recommend this accomodation at all. Palm Cove is beautiful, the restaurants are fabulous the accomodation needs a major overhaul.