Port Douglas Sands Resort

8/10

Excellent

09 Jan 2026

Michael

Beautiful settings clean and practical unit .great pool great spot would definitely do again

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jul 2025

Leon

Nice, older style build place that is a short drive from town. Recommend

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2025

Walter

I enjoyed the clean and quiet property.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

24 May 2025

Suyin

It was comfortable and close enough to town and the beach. But if you are one who likes to sleep with windows or sliding doors open, forget it - you can hear your neighbours easily as well as the traffic given its location on the main road.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2023

Mark

Quite dated but has everything, very clean, spacious, bedding and pillows very comfortable and very white. Loved the supply of towels aa well as beach towels.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2023

Stella

Absolutely loved the stay. Awesome pool for a cool dip with the kids.
All communication re check-in & check-out was spot on.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2023

Renee

The apartment was clean and modern had everything that I could possibly need away from Home. Value for money!! Hotel management was 10 /10.Will be be back for sure

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2022

Leanne

Port Douglas

Staff were great and very helpful. The pool area was great. The resort was about 15-20 minute walk into town. Rooms and living area were comfortable. The beds were ok but may need to update mattress. Port Douglas is a great spot to visit.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

17 Jan 2022

Alain

The Office staff, very friendly and helpful nothing to much trouble.
The pool was very warm, should have more shade over the pool area.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2022

Eugenie

Checkin was quick and staff very friendly. The two bedroom self contained unit was clean spacious and well equipped . Lovely big veranda overlooking the pool surrounded by a lush tropical garden. Marvellous 🏝

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2022

Noelene

fantastic lady in office

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2021

Meredy

Loved it, will stay again

The apartment was gorgeous and had everything we could possibly need the management was also really nice and very helpful

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Oct 2020

Steven

The staff were Very friendly and the apartment was lovely. The kids loved the pool.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2020

Deborah

Great holiday

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Port Douglas. The apartment was well located & had everything we needed. It was a little tired in places but it was clean & as we spent most of our time out it didn’t really matter. We didn’t meet any staff but they communicated well by email.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2019

Xmas

Super comfy large rooms , clean and tidy and well maintained , friendly helpful staff , close to everything , nice gardens , pool and spa was clean and well maintained , was a very relaxing christmas stay , fully equipped kitchen made it easy for xmas lumch and dinner preparation , only downside was i had to leave lol

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

The swimming pool, the breakfast area and the friendliness of the staff.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Friendly staff, clean spacious accommodation, great pool and good location.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

12 Oct 2019

Peter

Simple and pleasant

Good location and the accomodation was fine, clean and comfortable. Great pool and bbq, so you don’t have to eat out every night.
Breakfast is very simple. Toast and cereal, instant coffee, tea and juice.

Recommend this for families who want to spend most of their time exploring Port Douglas and just want to get back, have a swim, sleep and repeat.

Staff are friendly and helpful.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

The pool is a great size and overall great location!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

The Sands Resort Port Douglas exceeded expectations in every way. Superbly run by friendly accommodating management, the Sands has immaculate gardens and pool, and we stayed in a very clean & well-appointed apartment with all comforts necessary for a 9 day stay for a family with 3 kids. Only a few minutes walk from 4 Mile Beach, makes for a great location too. Thanks for a great stay, see you again! Cheers!

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

08 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

We had a great stay here as a family of 4. The unit we stayed in was clean and tidy. Bathroom was a bit dated, but it was clean. The unit had everything we needed for the week we were here, including an oven and washer/dryer. Great balcony overlooking the pool. Breakfast was simple but nice. We would stay here again.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

I loved that it wasn’t a huge complex and loved the garden outlook onto the pool area was lovely.
The staff were very helpful and friendly and were quick to remedy a couple of requests.
Rooms were a bit tired, but more than adequate. It is located a fair way out, about 2 kms but there is a shuttle bus service.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Comfortable stay

The staff were very welcoming and helpful. The breakfast is very basic. The unit was comfortable however the bathroom was sad and in need of renovation. The toilet was noisy with the water continuing to run after flushing and at one stage we had no hot water. This was quickly dealt with by the manager and we were offered another unit if it continued to be a problem.
The rest of the unit was renovated and pleasant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2019

Terry

Great apartment stay

The rooms were so clean and there was plenty of room for our family of 3. We especially enjoyed relaxing on the couch and unwinding. We loved Mossman Gorge.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

The property was clean, friendly staff and the pool was amazing. Great that breakfast was included. Would recommend this Resort 😊

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Location is great close to beach and shops and restaurants

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

The pool area was great. Plenty of room poolside and the pool is a great size with a large shallow area for little kids.

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2018

Sarah

The pool was amazing .unit was lovely and recommendation sands resort

8/10

Excellent

11 Oct 2018

Verified traveler

Great value accommodation in Port Douglas, which is an idyllic tropical paradise, with secure underground parking and a good sized swimming pool/BBQ area. The apartment was spacious with amenities; fully equipped kitchen and laundry.and 3 double bedrooms. The only downside was no air conditioning throughout, although each room has a ceiling fans.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2018

J

Great family stay for young children

This is the second time we have stayed here. The venue is perfect for our family, with a sand pit, and pool with depths ranging from paddling to swimming depth. It is quiet at night, and the bbq facility is always clean. The breakfast provided is simple but means you don’t have to clean until the breakfast dishes on holiday.

8/10

Excellent

02 Oct 2018

Sam

The pool was amazing for the kids. The rooms were quite small for a family of 5 but we survived ok and the price was really affordable so with that in mind you get what you pay for. We would come back here again.

6/10

Pleasant

29 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Quite dated with a lot of permanent residents that were very noisy coming and going early to work

8/10

Excellent

07 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Great value for a clean comfortable quiet stay

My husband and I booked 3 nights here, very last minute, after a failed AirBnB booking. And I’m so pleased we did.

We were greeted like old friends by the lovely lady at reception who came and checked us in late at night. We were pleased to be shown to a spacious, clean pool facing apartment. It’s actually bigger than our Sydney apartment! The modern white goods and beautiful leather reclining sofa was a lovely surprise and the bed was extremely comfortable.

The grounds are well maintained, immaculate and the pool is large and also pleasantly quiet. (It was so lovely and warm in the sun).

You’re so close to Port Douglas town centre and just an hour drive to Cairns. We had a hire car and the basement secure parking was a wonderful bonus!

The breakfast was basic (toast and cereal) but again, pleasant, quiet and all you need! It’s a basic place but I can’t knock it. The service, the atmosphere and the cleanliness made it a winner for us!

Great value. Thank you for a wonderful stay.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Spacious rooms

Lots of space, good value, easy instructions, great pool, friendly service.

8/10

Excellent

10 Aug 2018

Robert

Well Priced, Functionsl, BUT Run Down

It would be unfair to summarise this accomodation as it’s not a matter of yes or no but a matter of priorities. Here is the run-down:

We had a two bedroom apartment.

Reception: We’ve never felt so genuinely welcomed. Perfect reception.

Location: About a 15 minute walk to the local main streets. A little far but doable. Free underground parking was excellent. Not easy to get to the beach.

Beds: beds were very old and mattresses very uncomfortable. Two single beds very saggy. Not ideal for adults. Main bedroom had a queen. The mattress was newer but very very firm. Bed was on wheels!

Bathroom: Very run down. Lots of rust and mould in places. Usable but in need of a Reno. Had newer full sized washer and drying. These were excellent.

Kitchen: Great fridge and dishwasher. Terrible old pots and pans that were almost unusable. Microwave - was fine.
Stovetop had a burner that wasn’t functional, hood didn’t have a working fan or light.

Living Room: Two new and very comfortable couches. Decent TV with cable tv. Dining room table with 4 chairs. Also a large balcony with table and chairs but not very private at all.

Cleanliness: Generally a good job had been done. Felt clean enough but not impeccable. Bathroom too old to feel properly clean. Fridge and dishwasher hadn’t been fully cleaned.

Noise: Street noise can be heard. Very easy to hear Neighbours - espectiolay above - every footstep. Fans in bedrooms made too much noise to be used.

8/10

Excellent

21 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

pool was being repaired but a refund was offered

6/10

Pleasant

26 May 2018

Verified traveler

Pool was in renovation but other resorts where given --no breakfast as pool was closed--noisy in unit close to main road--staff very friendly

8/10

Excellent

12 May 2018

Verified traveler

Room was great. Very nice unit. Simple breakfasts- just what we needed. Short drive to downtown

8/10

Excellent

08 May 2018

Verified traveler

great apartment, 5 sharing and plenty of room. en suite which helps. nice helpful people who ran it and would go again. good location with nice pool.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2018

Chera

Pretty special

Lovely apartment style room. Very comfortable. 2km walk to town. Beach nearby. Lovely pool. Would definitely stay again

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2018

Chris

Great hotel, well priced.

Excellent hotel for the price, clean comfortable rooms, great pool, friendly service, good breakfast and great location. Would definitely stay here again.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jan 2018

Douglas

Not so great, but price was right.

This place is actually an old apartment building that was converted. Many of the residents own their units, with the remainder available for nightly rentals. Underground parking is nice. Pool and central courtyard and well landscaped and pleasant. Free breakfast was sparse. Owned by a couple who were friendly and cooperative. Biggest problem (aside for the the place being quite dated) was that the A/C unit blows only into the living room, while the two bedrooms remain hot. No direct beach access; you can get there by walking thru another resort, but you can't swim anywhere in the area because of an infestation of jellyfish.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Great

All good and staff great room was very nice good location

6/10

Pleasant

18 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Disappointing Port Douglas

Most of sharps knives in unit where broken. Can opener not work. Lounge suit seat bases where mostly broken or uncomfortable. Breakfast not very appetising. No fruit.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2017

Emma

Lovely comfortable rooms with good location

Lovely clean and well thought out rooms with a balcony overlooking the beautifully kept grounds and pool. The staff were welcoming and offered advice on how to get to places. Overall a great stay.

8/10

Excellent

29 Sep 2017

Verified traveler

Pleasant Stay

Room needed maintenance, bedroom light did not work, curtains falling down. There was a creepy staff guy annoying us in the breakfast room.

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2017

Pauline

Good family stay.

Had a renovated apartment, enjoyed the light breakfast , been a long time since we have had rice bubbles!!
The breakfast host \"Chilli\" was a delight, he made a simple breakfast an experience that we will remember for a long time .
We would be happy to return in the future.

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2017

Verified traveler

Position of Hotel

A little way outside Port Douglas centre - 25 minute walk.
Nearby beach good and clean though.

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2017

Russell

Large Balcony

It was comfortable although it was getting on in age.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2017

Eve

Hidden gem

Great hotel, really spacious apartment and completely refurbished. Quick drive into town or walk along the beach which is just over the road. Staff couldn't have been more helpful.

Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Close to beach

Very good stay. Drive to every where in port douglas. Love the beaches the weather were good.

8/10

Excellent

24 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

Nice place, clean and tidy, friendly staff. Would definitely come back.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2017

Bruce

Good hotel and great location.

Stayed at the hotel with 3 kids. Had a Family Room with double bed and twin bunk beds. Beds were comfortable and room was clean and quiet. Hotel is in good location to travel and explore the Cape Tribulation area.The hotel manager, Travis, was terrific and provided very helpful guidance on places to travel and eat. Would stay at hotel again for sure.

8/10

Excellent

09 May 2017

Verified traveler

Excellent pool. Continental breakfast was somewhat basic. Would have expected more than the cereal that was on offer.

8/10

Excellent

30 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

Nice resort. Beautiful clean pool but rooms need a little TLC.

8/10

Excellent

20 Apr 2017

Bob

Visit to Port Douglas

Very nice place to stay, was equipped very nicely. Kitchen was super to have to cook some meals and the furniture and beds were very comfortable...

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2017

Margaret-Anne

The staff at the Sands are very friendly and welcoming. Port Douglas is a beautiful part of the world.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Clean but average hotel, think it has more

I think this place , if it made a bit of effort, could be great. While I have never managed a place and I know it would take a lot of work and money, you can reap the rewards if you give a little. Service to the rooms if towels are needed, extra coffee, milk. Bed comfort is a great thing, I have a bad back and a hard lifeless bed isnt good. The pool was not cleaned once, more and more leaves and rubbish could be seen in the pool. The staff - the only member of staff you saw was the gentleman who cleaned up after breakfast - at least he made an effort to interact with people.
When going on holiday whether with people, family or on your own the last thing you want to do is have to cook, go shopping for food, it is unfair, you pay good money to go away and all you want to do is relax

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2016

Kristy

Fantastic pool, peaceful resort!

My family and I really enjoyed our stay here. Fantastic pool, peaceful resort. Majority of the units were permanent residents, so it was very quiet and we had the run of the pool area. Pool is great for small kids with the large shallow area gradually getting deeper, plus a sandpit at the side. Breakfast was included and we enjoyed the casualness of it all. Room was very well equipped with full kitchen, laundry and we all slept well. Close to town, but we drove as it was very hot and I'm pregnant! Loved our time at the Sands Resort, will definitely be back!

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2016

Carol

Good value overall. Full sized kitchen and plenty of living space in room.

6/10

Pleasant

01 Oct 2016

roger

Room was comfortable but not adequately stocked with kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery. Storage a little sparse for a family.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

25 Sep 2016

Verified traveler

Comfortable

The property was comfortable and provided what we required for our family during our stay in Port Douglas.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2016

Gail

Awesome experience

We went to Port Douglas not knowing what to expect. Out trip to Port Douglas was fantastic and topped off with our amazing accommodation. Rooms were comfortable, include breakfast was sufficient and served in a very clean and impressive set up and best of all they cleaned up for you! The pool was magnificent, an absolute asset to the hotel. Garden setting absolutely beautiful. BBQ was clean and in very good working order, quick. Car parking was great.

8/10

Excellent

18 Sep 2016

Sanctuary

Great for families and families with teenagers

My family of 5 stayed in apartment #1 which had three bedrooms. It was ideal for a family with teenagers providing ample space. The facilities were excellent with the large pool and breakfast facilities very close by and with secure underground parking. The teenagers were very pleased with the fact that each member of the family had 20 hours of free wifi access included in our rate. This meant they could still connect with friends whilst away. The breakfast faciliteis were excellent with a good range of cereal, juice and varieties of bread. The resort is close to the beach and is a 5 minute drive to the centre of Port Douglas where the shopping strip is. to walk would be 20 mins or so but given the humidity we did not walk to the shops. The staff are very helpful and friendly.

The one negative point is the main bedroom in apt # 1 is located on the main road side and the constant traffic noise at night is too loud. Traffic noise was loud until midnight and the resumed early at 5.30am.The bedroom requires a sound proof window as it is very difficult to sleep given the constant traffic noise.This noise is enhanced by the fact that the ensuite window is not solid with a netting/wire grill area for ventilation. Even with the ensuite door closed traffic noise is loud as the bedroom window seals are not adequate.

8/10

Excellent

22 Aug 2016

Brian

Good value Port Douglas apartment

Value-for-money accommodation 30 minutes' walk to Macrossan St or marina. 15 mins to beach; another 15 along beach to supervised area. Pool intimate but quiet and beautifully landscaped. Breakfast simple but sufficient. We could take breakfast supplies for next day if we knew we were going out early. Very well equipped kitchen and utility room. Large balcony felt secluded by design.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2016

karen

Clean, convenient, family friendly

We stayed in a two bedroom apartment for our family of four. It was perfect for us and we overlooked the pool. Breakfast was very basic...cereal, toast, and drinks. But we supplemented by going to the store and cooking eggs and such in the well stocked kitchen. Laundry was a plus and having space for the whole family was great. Beds were comfortable and it is a quick drive into town. It isn't very walkable with a family of four so if you need to be close, there are others. Ian and Amanda were very helpful with booking tours and very customer oriented.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Aug 2016

Daisy

The surrounding gardens and pool are lovely.

I enjoyed the pool,the facilities for small children, and the barbeque area, but in the week we were there didnt see the pool cleaned once.
It was great to have a lift to 1st and 2nd floors and plenty of undercover parking.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jul 2016

Col

Hotel was close to everything

We had 3 days at the resort definitely not long enough. Apartment was well equipped and up to date. All rooms looked over the pool area. Free continental breakfast a bonus.

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jun 2016

Verified traveler

One bedroom room was adequate for two people, dishwasher did not work, air conditioning did not work properly, ceiling fans switches broken, satelite tv did not connect to all stations.
Pool area was nice and clean. We enjoyed sitting on the lounges be the pool.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2016

Lejla

Beautiful resort

We spend 8 days at Sands resort. Staff were lovely and extremely helpful. Balcony overlooking the swimming pool. Very quite.

2/10

Poor

08 Jan 2016

sg

Not good for holiday

I had great expectation from a resort style hotel but was disappointed from time i checked in. Room was bad, couch was with cloth cushions stained, bed is bad, kitchen was not maintained old cutlery, parking had full of leaks with drainage water and overall breakfast was a joke. 2 packets of bread, wheetbix and regular coffee. Not recommended if you are on a holiday

6/10

Pleasant

30 Sep 2015

Verified traveler

Dirty dishes left in cupboard, blinds broken, exposed wires on ceiling fan, little toilet paper supplied, no clean towels or bed linen offered (stayed for 6 days).

8/10

Excellent

30 Aug 2015

Katya

Nice hotel,close to beach

Clean rooms,friendly staff , a bit noisy -close to road

Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Aug 2015

Harriet

A resort with potential

We arrived at Sands resort in the afternoon. The reception was closed and we had to pick up the phone outside reception to speak to anyone. Our apartment was spacious. We found some dirty glasses in the cupboard. The floor was also sticky and the fridge door and outside door were stained.
Some of the units in the apartment were dated and in need of renewal.
The gardens were beautiful and we woke up to tropical birdsong every morning. The balcony was nice and spacious. The pool was very nice and the poolside had a communal BBQ which was handy.
The breakfast was self-service and consisted of cereal, toast, juice, coffee/tea.
I would recommend hiring a car if you have family, as the beach is not that easy to get to because of big hotel resort opposite and the centre is not that near.
We stayed for 15 nights and there was no room cleaning, only change of bed linen and renewal of towels.
The staff were friendly.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2015

Jocko & Robin.

A Great Place To Stay.

We loved our stay at the Port Douglas Sands Resort. - one of the best holidays we have had!
Very friendly atmosphere,with a great pool and BBQ area, amid a lush tropical garden.
We did not have a car, but found the shuttle bus service a very good alternative. The bus drivers were very helpful and friendly.
A simple but excellent,complimentary breakfast,was an added bonus and a great way to start the day!!
Can't wait to return again,next year!!