Sky, Sand, and Sea Set the Stage for Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise

Set on Australia’s iconic Surfers Paradise beach, Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise is a luxurious, sophisticated coastal retreat ideal for groups and five-star families.

Glittering in the sunlight, Surfers Paradise lives up to its name; a pristine strip of golden sand where family and friends gather to swim, surf, and play in the heart of the Gold Coast. There’s big energy on this cloudless day, as one of Australia’s most famous beaches draws the crowds, including us.

The Gold Coast likes to put on a show, so our holiday begins by driving up the grand porte cochere, where the valet takes our car and we’re ushered up the grand staircase into the reception. We’ve arrived, and arrived in style. So Gold Coast.

Already, we’ve caught glimpses of the world-famous beaches, and the reception provides the ideal welcome, with a coastal fragrance and icy citrus-infused water which refreshes us after our short trip from the nearby airport. We’re early, but that’s ok – we’re keen to get on the beach and soak up the sand, surf, and salty breeze, so we take a stroll along the foreshore while we wait to check in.

Every room in the 77-storey hotel is a spacious, light-filled apartment with sweeping ocean views, so it’s great for groups and families like us, as well as couples looking for extra privacy. With a holiday packed with beach walks and good food, maybe a theme park visit, and some down time in our private pool, our family of four can’t wait to get started.

Peppers Soul’s accommodation ranges from one-bedroom apartments with ocean views right up to the ultra-luxe four-bedroom penthouse. You can opt for ocean views or sky views with your apartment; our two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor looks right out onto Surfers Paradise beach.

With kids in tow, we’ve chosen this configuration for the private plunge pool, so we can keep an eye on them without having to leave the apartment, and there’s also a barbeque on the private terrace, so we’re planning a few nights in, spent grilling and swimming. It’s all made easy with two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and convenient laundry.

The views are glorious; the floor-to-ceiling windows offer a never-gets-old view of crashing waves and cloudless sky, which we watch throughout the day, from the early flush of gold at sunrise until the glowing rich reds of sunset, reflected in the room’s palette of soft earthy tones of blue and beige. Do we need to go downstairs into the real world?

The beach steals the show at Hyde Paradiso, the hotel’s restaurant on level 2. A stylish Mediterranean inspired tapas bar and lounge, Hyde Paradiso serves up the best of the Gold Coast in one iconic beach front destination. With all the windows and doors thrown open and the sound of the ocean as the soundtrack, we’re eased in total holiday mode.

Hyde Paradiso serves a weekend brunch and also a long lunch with set menus and drinks packages. The regular lunch menu includes kids options such as cheeseburgers and battered fish, but our kids are adventurous eaters, and are happy to try the hummus and burrata. I have to try the grilled scallop with Vegemite butter and coriander – sounds crazy, but it absolutely works!

One dinner, I’m sold on the crispy-skinned barramundi while the wagyu flank steak with chimichurri sees the man at the table sorted. The Moreton Bay bug roll in a brioche bun is the perfect size for the smallest member of the family, and the double crispy chicken tenders with aioli wins over the tween. We make life easy and simply share a couple of serves of the chocolate hazelnut-filled churros to round it all out.

I like that the wine list has plenty of options by the glass, with Australia well represented, as well as strong showings from New Zealand, France, and Italy, and the signature Charming Ginger sets the tone for the weekend – zesty and refreshing.

Nothing rivals a Gold Coast beach sunset, and there are so many places to watch it, such as the SkyPoint Observation Deck or down on the sand. But with our beachfront hotel, we’ve got the perfect place to ourselves on our private balcony, or down at the beachfront resort pool. From here, we watch the Pacific Ocean spin from deep blue to a sunkissed molten gold, as the sky is washed with a palette of pinks, oranges, and soft blues.

The hotel’s location is impeccable, just a few minutes’ walk from the shops and nightlife hotspots of Cavill Avenue, with the beach as the backdrop. It’s such an iconic Aussie scene – surfers with their longboards, everyone barefoot or in thongs, big sunhats and sarongs. The lifesavers have set up in their distinctive yellow and red caps, kids build sandcastles and bronze couples picnic beneath fringed umbrellas. Life is laidback and sweet at this holiday hotspot.

Australia’s favourite playground, the Gold Coast is not just about the beaches; it’s packed with adventure experiences, from golf to indoor skydiving, yoga, and stand-up paddle boarding on the waterways. We’re spoilt for choice with Sea World nearby, and Australia’s biggest theme parks, including Dreamworld and Warner Bros. Movie World, within reach.

Getting there: Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise is 40 minutes’ drive from Gold Coast Airport, and an hour’s drive from Brisbane.

The details: Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise, 8 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise 4217, Australia.