Hotel’s $8 million revamp helps overlooked Queensland town into spotlight

When your neighbour is a showstopper like the Great Barrier Reef, it can be hard to get noticed. But Airlie Beach on the Queensland coast has started to find its own spotlight, morphing from being just a gateway to the Whitsunday Islands to a destination in its own right.

An $8 million facelift: Mantra Club Croc.

As Tourism Whitsundays says, “Airlie’s accommodation, food and dining options, nightlife and activities have significantly improved in the last decade.”

Newer hotels in the area include Mirage Whitsundays and Yangaro, a boutique luxury resort at Flametree, while Club Wyndham and Coral Sea Resort recently underwent renovation.

A light and airy guest room at Mantra Club Croc.

Mantra Club Croc is the latest to be refurbished, unveiling an $8 million facelift with the design brief of boutique, seaside elegance.

It’s the latest chapter for a much-loved property that has been in operation at Airlie since 1987. After being known as the Airlie Beach Hotel for 30 years it was taken over by Mantra Group in 2017, which spent $5 million remodelling and rebranded it as Mantra Club Croc.

The leafy property is popular for its large lagoon pool, gym, and extensive complimentary parking for cars, trailers, caravans and boats, with proximity to Coral Sea Marina.

Room to move.

But keeping pace with the wider changes in Airlie Beach, seven years later, the 160 guest rooms in the Queenslander-style property have been redone, with upgrades to other areas of the resort to come, targeting reception and the poolside restaurant and bar.

Notable features of the guestroom refurbishment include works by local photographers on the walls, a freestanding minibar, custom bedheads, and a clever storage banquette.

Room service has been given an overhaul, there’s new poolside cocktail service, and the resort Wi-Fi has had a significant upgrade.

Mantra is Australia’s largest hotel brand, with 75 properties across the country. It’s been under the Accor umbrella since the French hotel giant acquired it in 2018, with Accor sister property The Sebel Whitsundays Airlie Beach not far away.

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