HotelChatter

Pool and Spa
There are two pools. One circular pool which is slightly heated and another larger pool that encompasses the smaller one. As we mentioned above, the pools were dirty thanks to the bad weather, although the hotel did have people diligently cleaning it as best they could every morning. One thing that was missing--a hot tub. There was no hot tub on the island except outside of a private beach front villa that was off-limits to anyone who didn't book the exclusive suite.

The Spa Chaikra was an okay experience. There's not much to it except a steam room and a sauna and what appeared to be a hot tub but was filled with cold water. We booked a remedial massage which is a little more intensive than a swedish. It felt great but wasn't quite relaxing, largely because the masseuse kept the lights on. Again, we walked away a bit disappointed.

Dining
The hotel's bright side is their dining. The hotel had three restaurants open--Azure, Oriental, and La Trattoria. All of them are excellent. There's a swankier dining experience at La Fontaine and the hotel can also arrange a private romantic location dinner. Additionally, the hotel offers a weekly chef's table where you get to sit in the kitchen and the resort's chef prepares and personally presents to you (and others in the group) each dish he made. A great experience with great food and way to meet other people.

Animal Attractions
Beware of animals here. If you hate bugs, cockatoos (who hover near you anytime you have food, even if it inside your room thus prompting the warning note below), frogs, and bats, yes, bats then this is not the place for you.

Cost
We booked a honeymoon package that included breakfast and dinner and worked out to be about $1,000 a night. (Big shout-out to our new in-laws) This place is extremely pricey and we're not quite sure you get your money's worth. The free upgrade to the beach front villa however smoothed us over.

Would We Stay Here Again?
Not until the place gets some much-needed renovations. When it rained we hung out in the hotel's extended lobby which has plenty of couches and chairs, board games, a small library and even a billiards table. This would have made for a nice rainy day alternative, except the mustiness was overwhelming. We considered the fact that maybe we were being a hotel snob or perhaps just too American but several other couples we spoke with echoed our thoughts, especially on the mustiness.

However, on our last night there we, by chance, happened to meet an architect and interior-design duo who mentioned they were in the pre-stages of re-desinging the hotel. Apparently the resort's owners and managers know the place needs a renovation and are doing a top-to-bottom overhaul. So when that's done, we'll come back. During the season of course.

Honeymoon Appropriate?
That said, Hayman Island is great for honeymooners. When the weather cooperates, there are a ton of thrilling activities to do and the staff certainly knows how to spoil you. Plus, this place is almost like Sandals in that it's mostly couples--a tad on the older side--but still, you can make friends with other honeymooners like we did. Just don't buy into the hype that it's one of the top resorts in the world.

Tags: Honeymooners Down Under / Island Resort Reviews / Honeymoon Hotels

by juliana