Hibiscus Resort & Spa

Is this Bali? The proprietors of Hibiscus Gardens Spa Resort would certainly like you to think so. The hotel's atmospheric common areas are strewn with stone Buddha statues, flowering frangipanis, and Indonesian-style teak furniture, creating a distinctly Balinese mood. Dense vegetation around the swimming pools adds to the feeling that you're far from the urban bustle. Most of the guests who stay here are Australian couples and families.

The resort is situated on the relatively quiet Mowbray Street, which runs parallel to the main shopping strip, Macrossan Street, and perpendicular to busy Davidson Street, with its restaurants and other resorts. The northern tip of Four Mile Beach is a five-minute walk away. There's plenty within a 10-minute walk of the resort (including the town's main supermarket). Guests will only need need a car if they wish to visit one of the upmarket resorts at the southern end of town (all of which are less than a 10-minute drive away), or want to explore the surrounding region. The Cairns Airport is about an hour away by car.

The resort has various room configurations, from small studios with only one bed to two-bedroom apartments that sleep five. The Balinese theme carries through to the rooms, which are decked out in pale-green and sand-yellow decor with teak trimmings and orange throw cushions that add pops of color. The furniture and bedding are plain but comfortable, and the cream-colored tiled floors are cool underfoot. The bathrooms are small but have been well maintained.Amenities include air-conditioning, medium-sized flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, and iPod docks. All rooms have balconies, as well as basic kitchenettes (no ovens) with small selections of utensils and crockery. Because of their small size, the kitchenettes are only suitable for preparing snacks or cooking one-pot meals. Light sleepers should be aware that this is not the quietest hotel in town. Because breakfast is served by the main pool, the poolside rooms are subjected to quite a racket in the morning. Meanwhile, those rooms on the other side of the resort, which face the road and the parking lot, receive their share of traffic noise. There is a fee for daily housekeeping – otherwise, rooms are serviced weekly.

The Hibiscus Gardens has two well-maintained saltwater pools, one of which is larger than average for a Port Douglas resort. The cabanas and carefully maintained gardens make the poolside areas pleasant places to relax and there are barbecues and furniture for alfresco dining. A tropical-style cold breakfast is served daily for a fee (free for guests staying five days or longer) but there is no restaurant on-site. The resort's spa offers massages, facials, and body treatments using indigenous medicines and techniques. Prices are higher than might be expected at an upper mid-range hotel, but the services are of good quality. There's also a laundry service and coin-operated laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort, for a fee.