There’s no need to upgrade to a suite at The Dorsett Gold Coast as all of the rooms are the same, aside from their view and the fact some are slightly larger than others. However, as we discovered during our stay, it’s well worth upgrading to a room with Executive Club access as you get loads of extra goodies for your money without spending too much more. The Dorsett hotel is part of The Star Gold Coast at Broadbeach and is an easy 10-minute stroll from the beach. It’s also across the road from the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, which means it can get busy whenever a large trade show or event is on. It’s the first of the Dorsett hotel brand’s properties to make it to Australia and is popular with business travellers and holidaymakers so don’t leave it too late to book.

The Dorsett at Broadbeach was busy when we checked in so we had time to look around the lobby, which had luxe décor that made us immediately feel like we were at the beach without it being kitsch. It was the same in our Executive King Room which had beachy palm front wall art, a turquoise colour scheme and classy rose gold design details. Add a bathroom with all the trimmings like a spacious rain shower and Elemis toiletries, and it was hard to believe we were at a four-star hotel. One thing we didn’t love was the view of the construction site next door. To avoid this, request a room on the beach side of the hotel as these have a much nicer outlook (with or without the construction that was going on when we stayed). With so much to see and do nearby, we didn’t end up spending much time in our room anyway.  

The Dorsett Gold Coast doesn’t have its own restaurant apart from a pool bar offering light meals and a foyer café serving coffee, snacks and drinks. However, this isn’t a problem as there are loads of eating and drinking options at The Star Gold Coast next door. Our favourites from previous visits are Uncle Su which is well-priced and serves great Chinese cuisine and the upmarket Japanese restaurant, Kiyomi. If you would prefer to dine in, you can order room service from The Star’s restaurants.

We loved our room but our favourite part of the hotel was the Executive Lounge on Level 19. There were different seating options to suit business colleagues, groups or couples and we could watch the sunset over the hinterland which was pretty with its candy-pink sky. The complimentary cocktail ‘hour’ lasts 90 minutes and features house wine that’s a cut about the usual executive lounge drops, a cheese board with a choice of crackers and classy canapes.

In the morning, the executive lounge breakfast included a hot and cold buffet featuring eggs on request and waffles with cream and fruit coulis. We much preferred the Dorsett Gold Coast breakfast at the executive lounge to what’s on offer next door at The Star’s Harvest Buffet which is very popular (for good reason) but can get a little crazy, especially at peak times.

When it comes to enjoying the Gold Coast’s famous sunshine, there’s the Isoletto Pool Club with its resort-style infinity pool, cabanas and sunken sun lounges. If the weather isn’t great, there’s an excellent gym available for Dorsett guests to use at the Azure Spa & Fitness at The Star. There’s also plenty to do nearby at Broadbeach with destination dining available across the road near the beach and in the Broadbeach mall. If your credit card feels like a workout, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre is opposite the hotel. There’s also a G:link tram stop across the road, but with a hotel this good you probably won’t be in a hurry to leave!

Disclosure: The writers stayed as a guest of the Dorsett Gold Coast at Broadbeach.

Looking for some things to do on the Gold Coast? Some of our favourite Gold Coast activities include hot air ballooning, whale watching, jet boating, visiting Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary or David Fleay Wildlife Park, indoor skydiving with iFly, bushwalking in the Gold Coast’s national parks, SkyPoint Climb, exploring the Gold Coast’s markets, checking out the local cafe scene, and enjoying the Gold Coast for free. There’s also plenty of fun to be had if you visit the Gold Coast in winter or have some wet weather.