Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa review, Cable Beach: Broome's only five-star resort

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This was published 8 years ago

Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa review, Cable Beach: Broome's only five-star resort

By Brian Crisp
Flowing water features large at Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa.

Flowing water features large at Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa.

THE PLACE

Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa, Cable Beach, Broome.

LOCATION

The focus of the Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa is a series of pools and ponds.

The focus of the Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa is a series of pools and ponds.

Broome is the gateway to the rugged and mysteriously beautiful Kimberley wilderness. Among other things, it is famous for the 22 kilometres of white sand referred to as Cable Beach. It takes about 17 minutes to walk to Cable Beach from the hotel, but it is far more pleasant in this heat to catch a bus. Broome is 2000 kilometres-plus north from Perth, and is surrounded on one side by the Great Sandy Desert and on the other by the Indian Ocean. The peak tourism season runs from May to October. Broome is a town of about 14,000 people, so it has all the facilities travellers require.

THE SPACE

The inside-out resort spreads over a few blocks in Murray Road. The main gathering areas – the reception, the Deck Poolside Bar & Restaurant, and the Kimberley Sands Day Spa – have few walls, allowing any available cool air to flow through uninterrupted. The resort, Broome's only AAA, five-star rated property, offers five different room styles, ranging from the basic guest room to the Master Pearler Suite. The colours and furnishings suggest beach opulence and charisma. The focus of the resort is a series of pools and ponds, almost evoking a billabong experience. Groups of rooms have been built around these ponds, so you can always hear flowing water. There's no need to pack formal clothes. This is a shorts and T-shirt kind of place. Perhaps bring leather thongs, though, and leave the rubber ones at home.

The Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa.

The Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa.

THE ROOM

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My one-bedroom suite (room 603), in some Australian cities, would be sold as a spacious one-bedroom flat. It has a separate lounge and dining area, and basic kitchen facilities. There's a large flat-screen television with cable channels in the lounge and another slightly smaller one in the bedroom, which leads to a private bathroom with an enormous, egg-shaped bath and separate shower. Outside are two private sitting areas, including a day bed. The only odd thing is that the outside door handles are very high. When I asked the general manager, Paul Coggan​, the reason for this, he explained that because the plunge pool had direct access from the rooms, occupational health and safety dictated the height of the handles.

THE FOOD

The Deck Poolside Bar & Restaurant has an open ambience.

The Deck Poolside Bar & Restaurant has an open ambience.

I had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort during my stay. All three meals were fresh, presented well and beautifully spiced. Dinner is five star, with mains ranging from $34 (seafood paella, fish, calamari, prawns, clams, saffron, fresh herbs and peas) to $47 for the grilled Kimberley eye fillet of beef. I had the pasta special, which was pearl meat in tagliatelle with chilli and garlic. Because Broome is ethnically diverse, a wide range of food is on offer outside the resort, and the cafe scene in Chinatown is well worth a visit.

STEPPING OUT

First-time visitors to Broome need to tick off the usual tourism boxes and visit the Japanese Cemetery and a pearl farm or two, ride camels along Cable Beach at sunset, and have a swim at Gantheaume​ Point, where you can also see dinosaur footprints. It's always hot, so head to Matso's Broome Brewery too, and down an ice-cold ginger beer. If you are in Broome when A Taste of Broome is on, don't miss it. The event highlights the culture of Broome through its food, music and stories.

Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa is Broome's only AAA, five-star rated property.

Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa is Broome's only AAA, five-star rated property.

THE VERDICT

The Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa delivers on its promise, especially if you are in one of the suites. It feels like a beach retreat, despite not being on the beach, as guests come in to contact with water at almost every turn.

HIGHLIGHT

My visit to the Kimberley Sands day spa was just what I needed after a five-hour flight. The spa setting is relaxing, the staff are friendly, and the range of treatments is as good as you will find anywhere.

LOWLIGHT

The room service delivery was slow, so slow that I went searching for some mini-bar items. Thankfully, there wasn't a mini-bar, so I didn't spoil my appetite.

ESSENTIALS

In the high season, prices range from guest rooms at $500 a night to the Master Pearler Apartment at $1000 a night. The resort offers specials during the shoulder and summer seasons.

See kimberleysands.com.au

10 Murray Road, Cable Beach, Broome. Phone (08) 9193 8388. Email info@kimberleysands.com.au

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