Family share 'nightmare' experience at Daydream Island Resort in Australia

The Australian couple claimed their resort was far from what the advertising suggested. Photo / Unsplash, LllKSTlll

A family from Adelaide have shared the reality of a recent island resort holiday in a scathing TikTok.

Mish and Kirk Ryan-Welsh were prepared for a dreamy, relaxing holiday when they took their baby Jiah to Daydream Island Resort in Whitsundays.

However, the family of three left the resort, off the coast of Queensland, as soon as they could.

They explained why they left in a video posted to TikTok. The 30-second video compares what the four-star resort had advertised with their experience and has been viewed almost 65,000 times.

Videos and photographs from the couple show long queues, dilapidated furniture, a dirty pool, shut facilities and bins overflowing with rubbish.

"Because if you don't laugh, you'll cry," they wrote in a long caption that accompanied the video.

According to the rest of the caption, they claimed their rooms had mould, meals were limited and a staff member had insulted their child.

Typically, the couple uses TikTok and Instagram to share inspiring, beautiful travel content.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the time we're showcasing wonderful places to visit and stay, but this is not one of those times."

Another issue, according to the couple, was how the resort labelled itself as an eco-resort.

"The resort claims to be an eco-resort but there's plastic + rubbish EVERYWHERE , + no recycling system in place," they said.

"This is just an excuse to not have to replace towels."

Resort facilities such as the pools, bars, playground and even vending machines were allegedly closed or out of order.

Even dining at the restaurant required a booking one week in advance, the couple claimed, and when they did dine on-site, they said they were short-changed.

"We ordered two glasses of champagne, the girl filled them both only halfway," they wrote.

"We took them back and said 'champagne is meant to be filled to the top, and she said 'that's all we have left'."

Meanwhile, the pool was "freezing cold" and "very filthy", while the beaches left much to be desired.

The couple also claimed a staff member said their baby looked "like a chimpanzee".

Soon after arriving, they decided to leave Daydream but were thankful to learn a useful lesson: "Never book a fancy resort you see on Instagram before reading the hundreds of negative google reviews," they wrote.

"We forfeited hundreds of dollars worth of accommodation as soon as we could find another available place to stay."

Fortunately, the family said they are enjoying a much anticipated holiday on Hamilton Island, which they described as "bliss".

Many previous guests commented on the video and shared similar experiences.

"Daydream has never been good, Hamilton and Hayman are the better options, or just stay at Airlie," one person wrote.

"Daydream is well known for this, some friends went last week and what a disappointing experience they had, they ended up leaving before planned," another added.

"Stayed there in 2020 and we nicknamed it nightmare island … honestly couldn't wait to be gone."

Daydream Island Resort is the only resort on Daydream Island, which is just 1km long and 400 metres wide, at its widest point.

The hotel has an average Tripadvisor rating of 3.5/5 from 730 reviews, and 3.7/5 from 758 Google Reviews.

Many people have taken to TikTok and Instagram in recent months to share the reality of a hotel or destination, especially those that have been impacted by Covid-19.

In July, a Kiwi traveller shared her experience of booking an Airbnb in Bali, only to arrive and realise it was abandoned and totally overgrown.