Room check: QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise

QT Hotel on the Gold Coast. Photo / Creative Commons image by Flickr user Linda Mandy Digital Realism

Regan Schoultz stays at a Queensland hotel with some funky design features.

Price: Around $264 a night but that varies depending on the time of week.

Check-in experience: I walked into the hotel, was handed a key and sent to lunch. When I got to my room all my belongings were waiting for me.

Room: A King Ocean View room. If I were to define a room with quirk and character, this room would be that definition. From the cockatoo lamp on the bedside table to the lemonade squeezing station in the corner, this room was unique. This was not surprising given the quirk of the entire hotel, based on an 80s beach girl theme. The bright colour schemes and funky decorations made it a very interesting room to explore. And not to mention the uninterrupted view of the ocean.

The bed: If I could have smuggled the whole king sized bed back to New Zealand, trust me I would have.

The noise: Not as soundproof as I would have liked. I always like to crank up the tunes while getting ready for a night out and proceeded to do so but turned down the volume when a neighbour complained about "someone on the floor" having a party. My bad.

Bathroom: Again, funky. Overall it was rather small but the shower was amazing. Perfect after a day at the beach or in the spa. However, I did wish there was a bath - it would have been nice to have a soak in that surrounding.

Food and drink: After a Champagne toast on my balcony (with myself, so two glasses were obligatory), I headed down to the hotel's Bazaar Marketplace where I was greeted by tasty looking dishes set up buffet-style. The smells and colours before me were drool-worthy and ranged from Asian cuisines to curries, pizza and seafood. I set about trying to sample every dish. Needless to say I was unsuccessful because of the sheer volume of food on offer, but I definitely had fun trying.

What's in the neighbourhood: The hotel is a five-minute walk from the beach. A turn to the left instead, later on in the evening, led me on a short journey into the heart of Surfers Paradise.

Exercise facilities: There's a pool and a spa.

Perfect for: A week-long getaway with a loved one.

Would I return: Absolutely. Give me a time and date.

CHECKLIST

QT Gold Coast is at 7 Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217. Phone: +61 755 841 200.