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Sanctuary Cove @ Gold Coast, Australia – “Working In Paradise” (Chapter 1)

March 16, 2011 | 1,842 views
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Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove

A far cry from the usual posh, stylish and contemporary Hyatt resorts, Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove @ Gold Coast, Australia sets the mood for a laid back, relaxed and rejuvenating experience with its timeless design and classic ambience punctuated with lush greeneries.

So okay, I was away for the whole of last week mainly for work. First portion of the week was spent in Gold Coast of Australia, then the second half back in my home country, but on an island that’s overflowing with hawker delights. But that’s material for another post.

This was my first visit to Gold Coast, and even Australia. Yes, our beloved (ambitious) Air Asia started the Australia routes since God-knows-when and yet there was no urge for an immediate excursion to Down Under. Even when our Ringgit strengthened against the Aussie dollar sometime last year (to an irresistible tune of RM2++ to AUD1!!). This time around, it’s RM3.10 to AUD1, but since work beckoned … there was no choice but to brace myself for a whirlwind journey that lasted a good few days.

Sanctuary Cove Pier

Sanctuary Cove @ Gold Coast – A respite for the weary soul indeed, you don’t exactly expect parties, surfers and beaches but instead you get to savour a serene, quaint and tranquil surroundings befitting a royale getaway

Since it was still summer (albeit almost at the end of the tanning season), I was well prepared for a steamy/sweltering hot session at the beach with white sandy beaches stretching to no ends, sun-kissed bodies tanning on the beach, and high waves catching the eye.

To no avail. Since we were put up at Hyatt Regency at Sanctuary Cove to the north of the island; a good distance away from Surfer’s Paradise, my dream of frolicking in the sands was dashed. Somewhat.

Read on for more enticing shots of the stay, and of course … the FOOD.

Room from the Outside

The room with the opened sliding glass door was my room. Overlooking the pleasant green fields extending to the dock with yachts lining by the waters.

This place reminded me of our very own Swiss Garden Damai Laut Resort in more ways than one. Firstly, the resort was isolated from civilization. You don’t see retail shops or restaurants within walkable distance. Secondly, putting up at this hotel entails an entirely relaxing experience; complete with the sounds of birds chirping, insects mating (erm, maybe not), cool breeze blowing come day or night, and meals in the hotel itself. Unless you’re adventurous (and don’t mind paying a HUGE sum for the cabs … more on that later) and don’t mind wandering out to town for your meals, you’d be better off staying put and stuffing your face at the various in-house dining solutions.

But at least the room came equipped with all the amenities you could ever need, including a television set with cable channels. Still wondering how did we survive the night at Jati 3 Bungalow in Ubud of Bali, purely listening to crickets chirping without the luxury of TV/radio. But then again, that’s the true purpose of visiting Ubud anyway …..

Club King Suite

One bed, one person, 6 pillows. Wonder if they expected me to have a pillow fight or something?

Love Life

“Sanctuary Cove – Love Life” – The motto there, and why shouldn’t you? By the way, the properties there go for up to a few millions each, in AUD. If you have moolah to spare, why not?

Sanctuary Cove Retail Outlets

A short walk away from the hotel will lead you to the retail solution with a few F&B outlets peppered throughout. Most stayed close though, maybe I was a little too late? (or early?)

Gory Cinematic Thriller

Interesting. Was not sure whether this was a studio for film shooting, or a warehouse to stash decapitated heads. Hehe .. kidding. Maybe this WAS a cinema after all.

Rainbow At the Back

The swimming pool at Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, and the rooms at the background. See the rainbow in the picture? Gorgeous.

Man Made Seawater Pool

The salt water pool with a man made beach. Pity this was under-utilized …. since I highly doubt you can surf here, nor even waddle/snorkel comfortably.

Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove2

A breath-taking view of the surroundings, and the interior lobby of the hotel. See the smoke chimney and the gorgeous carpeted staircase? This brought back memories of the high tea at Smokehouse.

Natural Light for Meeting Room

Even the meeting hall came fixed with a mechanism to let the natural light shone through from the windows. A very pleasant thought, and probably one that should be emulated here since we have sunshine all year round.

Okay okay … if you’re still hanging around, I bet you’re frustrated now. Why after the 10th picture or so, yet still NO food one?!!!

So here are a few, before you decide to launch an avalanche of durians as projectiles.

Breakfast @ Hyatt Regency

Breakfast spread that were WAY more than hearty. Sinful, even. Freshly made waffles and pancakes with fresh cream, bananas in syrup and jam, or maple syrup with a sprinkle of nuts.

Breakfast @ Hyatt Regency2

Streaky old greasy bacon in a pan, various pastries and of course… the fresh waffle and pancake took the spotlight. Not in the picture : fresh cuts of salami, ham, smoked salmon, various salad, cheese platter with crackers, fresh breads, pastries, and even …. fried rice. Which was not too bad either.

Desserts for Meeting

Even in the meeting, we were tempted to indulgences like these. How not to grow horizontally eh?

Lush Greeneries

Lush greenery that stretch as far as the eyes can see. Breathing in the fresh morning air was a delight to the senses; almost an instant pick-me-upper before the caffeine shot. And do follow for the next installment when latte gets smooth and creamy, and the generic breakfast set got a facelift.

Sanctuary Cove - Love Life

And that folks, ended this first chapter in the saga. Won’t be as frustratingly never ending like the others in my travelogue. But still …. I foresee 3 chapters in the making. IF … I can still catch up on work, sleep, rest, food hunts (hey, someone/anyone ask me out already!) etc.

*For more information on Sanctuary Cove, jump HERE. For reservation and information on Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, click HERE.

“To Be Continued …” (hehe, been some time since I have done something like this)

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Gold Coast 2011, Travel
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Australia, Breakfast, Gold Coast, Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, Pancakes, Queensland, Sanctuary Cove, Travel, Travelogue, Waffle
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« A Timely Getaway Harbour Town @ Gold Coast – A Shoppers’ Paradise & Back-to-Basics Breakfast »

26 Responses to “Sanctuary Cove @ Gold Coast, Australia – “Working In Paradise” (Chapter 1)”

  1. nikel says:
    March 16, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    paradise… really nice view…

    [Reply]

  2. DT says:
    March 17, 2011 at 12:01 am

    hahaha… when u said Motormouth goes down under earlier.. i was thinking along the line of Singapore or Pulau Ketam type. Heheheh!! Anyway.. nice resort to work and rest. 🙂

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    Haha… Singapore yes. Somewhat. Since we did transit there, but just spent an hour or so at the airport.
    So you’re not entirely wrong.

    [Reply]

  3. LiLian says:
    March 17, 2011 at 12:47 am

    wah wah wah…the food looks so tempting and you are so lucky. how come can go Gold Coast for work purpose??? so shiok neh…

    [Reply]

  4. LiLian says:
    March 17, 2011 at 12:50 am

    by the way, u sleeping alone in that BIG bedroom? luxury eh. can i join ur company? LOL…

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:42 pm

    Wah … indecent proposal! 🙂

    [Reply]

    LiLian Reply:
    March 18th, 2011 at 9:54 am

    eh don’t get me wrong…hahaha…i’m asking to join so that i will have a chance to go overseas. LOL

    [Reply]

  5. mimid3vils says:
    March 17, 2011 at 9:27 am

    can spend half day strolling around the resort hor… like it!!

    What is the drumstick look alike thing at left bottom of ur 1st food photo?

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:41 pm

    Was a smoked ham or something. Did not bother to ask him to carve though, since was already full from the other selection.

    [Reply]

  6. cina.fong says:
    March 17, 2011 at 9:30 am

    I don’t recall having such good food the few times I was in Gold Coast. Next trip must check with the motormaster here.

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    Haha … nolah, better not. This was a haphazardly planned getaway.
    Next time around better hire a car and drive around. Cabs are expensive …

    [Reply]

  7. minchow says:
    March 17, 2011 at 9:43 am

    I feel cheated! I went to Gold Coast, shacked up in some resort but I did not get a bottomless pan of streaky bacon!

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    Haha ….. I had a few, and kept going till I was all pancakes, bacon and eggs.
    Now I am paying the price …

    [Reply]

  8. J the chocoholic says:
    March 17, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    Looks so nice, but definitely better if it was a holiday – then u can pig out, relax by the pool, watch a movie and then have a pillow fight to burn off the calories later. 😛

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    Yeahlah …..!
    How I wish. But then again, this resort was slightly off the beaten track. More secluded and serene compared to the active Surfer’s Paradise.

    [Reply]

  9. iamthewitch says:
    March 17, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    Such a gorgeous place! And I can never get tired of those BLUE skies! But I do understand the feeling though, of going there to work instead of play. It sucks! But then it’s better than working HERE 🙂

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:38 pm

    Hmm.. good point. Now if only the journey did not take so long …. the waiting, the check in, the cab, the flight ….
    Then to imagine we spent only about 2+ days there!

    [Reply]

  10. ai wei says:
    March 17, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    see see see…working in private. how great right?!

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 17th, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    So you’re already planning your steps before you even start the service? 🙂

    [Reply]

    ai wei Reply:
    March 19th, 2011 at 11:31 am

    hahaha…
    now i have no idea how can i tahan with the service 🙁

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    March 20th, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    Nolah …. you CAN. In fact, strange enough, I just had continuous pep talks with peers still in the service, and those already out.
    Throughout this weekend in fact. You’d be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

  11. Harbour Town Outlet Shopping @ Gold Coast, Australia - Cheap Deals & Good Breakfast | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    March 18, 2011 at 10:21 am

    […] thus, after the brief solace we found at Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, our tummies started grumbling and off we went in search of good grubs to fill the void. After all, […]

  12. FELDA Residence Hot Springs @ Sungai Klah, Sungkai, Perak - Promoting Ecotourism in Malaysia | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    March 20, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    […] why oh why was I neglecting the Aussie saga by interjecting with this post? Somehow, as of late, my mind’s been plagued by this urge to […]

  13. jason says:
    March 21, 2011 at 2:41 pm

    Wah, so nice huh?

    [Reply]

  14. Pancake Manor @ Brisbane, Australia - 24 Hours Pancake Cafe in a Century-Old Cathedral | Motormouth From Ipoh - A Malaysian Food Blog says:
    March 23, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    […] Chapter 1 -Sanctuary Cove – Working in Paradise Chapter 2 – Harbour Town Outlet Shopping @ Gold Coast […]

  15. Birmingham Luxury | Birmingham Hotels says:
    May 13, 2011 at 6:40 am

    […] Birmingham, the business, cultural and entertainment center of Alabama maintains its southern hospitality evident in hotels. Hotel Highland at Five Points South is a luxury boutique hotel located in historic Southside. […]

    [Reply]

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