“Lovely Setting at quieter end Airlie Beach town”

The Best Western Colonial Palms at Airlie Beach is a lovely hotel set in nicel grounds at the quieter end of the town and yet easy walking distance from it.. Our room was on the first floor of a two storey building with a balcony overlooking the swimming pool and the river inlet beyond. The room was well proportioned and light and airey with a double and single bed. A large patio door opened onto the balcony with a table and chairs, a pleasant place to sit with a drink prior to walking into Airlie for dinner. The ensuite bathroom was large and the shower was excellent. The swimming pool is set amongst palm trees and is a good size bordered by rocks as is the jacuzzi so looks very natural in its setting. I would certainly recommend this hotel.

“Would stay here again”

Stayed at the Best Western Colonial Palms Motor Inn for two nights: September 26 and September 28, 2011, before and after a sailing cruise at the Whitsundays. Very friendly and helpful staff. Kept an eye on our luggage for 3 days during our sailing. The room itself was clean and spacious. Comfortable beds, roomy bathrooms. Wifi included in the price, which is wonderful. Not quite close enough to the ferries to walk, especially with luggage in tow, but taxi ride was only about $9-10. The walk to the main street is about 10-15 minutes, if you're interested in shopping or eating out. There is a restaurant at the inn but we did not use it. All in all, no qualms about the inn.

“spacious room, good pools”

Adequate motel room, good service, friendly people, could do with an update but overall ok.

“New management trying hard”

We booked this hotel for a cheap night at the end of a camping trip and were pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the room and the excellent value for money. The hotel has recently changed management, and Bernie made us feel really welcome. Helping us up stairs with our heavy baggage and coming up quickly to fix the temperamental internet connection (new system coming, we were told), he is trying hard to make guests happy. The new complimentary continental breakfast was fantastic, along with freshly baked muffins. The location is on the edge of the Airlie Beach resort, and less than a 10 minute walk into central Airlie.

“Nice hotel but didnt like the location”

The hotel is a pleasant hotel, with a lovely garden and pool outside. This is very important in Airlie Beach as for much of the year the sea is too dangerous to swim in (due to the presence of Jellyfish). The rooms are clean and pleasant, each with its own balcony overlooking the sea. There is a construction going on across the road (currently no buildings erected just yet) so I expect the sea view will go with time. The hotel is a little dated, but this is not a major problem when you consider that it should not be compared to premium rate hotels in the centre of large cities such as Sydney and Brisbane. The hotel staff are excellent; very helpful and friendly. On the negative side, the location is really not good. It is a 10 minute walk to the main drag of Airlie Beach which would be fine - as a Londoner a 10 min walk to get somewhere is a blessing! - but Airlie Beach is a very warm place (it certainly was when I stayed in mid-November) and this makes the walk taxing as well as uncomfortable. In summary, I have no faults for the hotel itself, it is a little basic but covered my needs perfectly. It certainly provides good value for money for those wishing for economical accommodation that is not a hostel. It is let down a little by its location, but not so much that I would not recommend it to fellow travellers.

“In need of a major renovation”

Apparently the motel has been sold and is about to undergo a major renovation. It's way overdue.