Australia’s best family resort
Paradise Resort
Gold Coast
Australia’s best family resort
Paradise Resort
Gold Coast
We went looking for the things that make Paradise Resort different—and found some pretty surprising answers.
There are plenty of family-friendly resorts on the Gold Coast, but Paradise Resort isn’t trying to be just another hotel with a kids’ pool and a playground. This is a destination where the kids’ club feels like a mini theme park, where your child can get a mermaid braid and face jewels before heading off to an ice rink, where seven people can comfortably sleep in one room, and where you can leave a six-week-old baby with qualified carers while you enjoy a warm coffee. Oh, and there are five waterslides.
So rather than run through the usual checklist of resort amenities, we’ve picked out the highlights that made us stop and think: Wait… they have WHAT?!
We’ve seen a lot of kids’ clubs, and you probably know the drill: a brightly coloured room, a few craft supplies, some toys, and a television playing in the corner. Paradise Resort takes a vastly different approach by dividing its Kids Club into immersive, themed worlds where children choose their own adventure.
Kids can jump into Astro’s Space Station to explore distant planets, dive into an Underwater World complete with a submarine slide and pirate ship, uncover mummies in an Egyptian-themed room, or set off on safari with Dusty in search of wild animals. These aren’t just decorated rooms—they are built to spark imaginative play. The Kids Club feels like an attraction in its own right.
But the magic doesn’t stop there. Paradise Resort continually expands the experience with separate, parent-supervised activities and entertainment that complement the Kids Club. Two brand-new rides—Cleo’s Twirling Teacups and Roo Racer—are opening soon, and character appearances, science shows, and daily workshops rotate throughout the week. It’s a reminder that Paradise Resort is constantly adding new experiences, so check the website for the latest resort updates and improvements.
Images: The Carousel, Egyptian-themed room and Astro’s Space Station
Kids have a habit of wanting to grow up well before we’re ready for them to. Rather than fight it, Paradise Resort lets them play grown-up for an afternoon.
At the Pamper Parlour, kids can choose from colourful mermaid or unicorn braids with extensions, classic Dutch braids, facial jewels and stick-on nail art. There are even special Mummy & Me packages and Daddy-Daughter “Learn to Braid” sessions. Suddenly, a simple holiday hair touch-up becomes a full spa day experience.
Emerging from the salon feeling like a mini celebrity is half the fun—and the photo ops are unmatched. The Pamper Parlour caters to adults too, offering blow-dries so parents can get in on the action.
Images: Enjoying the Pamper Parlour
Anyone travelling with a larger family knows that “family room” can be a flexible term in the hospitality industry. Once you have three, four, or five children, accommodation often means booking two separate rooms, managing two sets of keys, and having the nightly debate over which parent sleeps where.
Paradise Resort solves this by designing rooms around real family layouts. The Deluxe Family Rooms sleep up to six guests (or seven with an infant) and feature a queen bed, two sets of single bunks and a separate bedroom area, giving kids their own space while parents enjoy a quiet evening.
For other family configurations, the Deluxe King Bunkhouse sleeps five (six with an infant) and includes a bathtub, while multi-generational groups can opt for Deluxe Interconnecting Resort Rooms that sleep up to eight guests. Because fitting into a room and fitting comfortably are two very different holiday experiences.
Images: Kids inside the Duluxe King Bunkhouse
Most resort pools come with one clear instruction: don’t run. Paradise Resort flips that script with the three-storey Z4K Waterpark, featuring five waterslides, a shallow Junior Waterpark, a lagoon pool, and a giant tipping bucket.
When you’re ready to dry off, you can head inside to Planet Chill—Surfers Paradise’s only ice-skating rink. Where else on the Gold Coast can you go straight from a tropical splash park onto the ice?
Access to the waterparks, lagoon pool, heated spa, and daily entertainment schedule is all included with your stay, meaning you can spend hours splashing around without constantly reaching for your wallet. If you want to turn the pool into a friendly family arena, there’s even a poolside dunk tank where you can try your luck at sending Dad splashing into the water.
Images: The waterpark and Planet Chill ice skating
Family holidays are wonderful, but sometimes the best part of a break is having half an hour of peace. At Paradise Resort, that break can start much earlier than expected.
The Tiny Tots Room offers an accredited nursery for babies from just six weeks old up to three years. Trained, qualified staff care for the little ones while parents step away for an uninterrupted coffee, lunch or a quiet walk along the beach.
For older children aged 4–12, the Explorers Club provides age-appropriate activities and supervised play. Best of all, every child receives one complimentary Kids Club session per stay when you book directly with the resort.
Images: Young kids enjoying the Tiny Tots Room
There comes a point when a family holiday announcement gets a teenage shrug rather than enthusiasm, while Mum and Dad wonder whether they’ll spend the whole week organising everyone else’s fun. Paradise Resort has clearly thought about both.
Tweens and teenagers get The Hangout, designed just for them, with basketball, volleyball and dodgeball, while the wider resort offers Clip ‘n Climb, Laser Tag, arcade games, team trivia, pool challenges and ice skating. There are plenty of ways for older kids to put down their phones and get involved without being lumped in with the toddlers.
And while the kids are busy, parents can enjoy live poolside music, adult trivia, cocktail tastings or a blow-dry at the Pamper Parlour. Families can be together when they want to, then split up when everyone needs something different. Because family-friendly shouldn’t mean the kids have all the fun — and with an adults-only area coming soon, there’s even more for grown-ups to look forward to.
Images: Laser Tag and video games
Paradise Resort puts on proper entertainment for the whole family, with productions rotating regularly so there’s always something different to see. This is entertainment on a proper stage—not just something to pass the time, but genuinely impressive entertainment worth planning your day around.
The headline is Rock On Ice—a spectacular 45-minute production featuring professional figure skating, aerial acrobatics, and rock songs from the 1950s to today. It’s thrilling for kids, nostalgic for adults, and genuinely impressive skating for everyone. Rock On Ice tickets start at $30 per person, making it a solid alternative to the usual Gold Coast night out.
But there’s so much more. Any given week might bring Astro’s Science Lab, Cleo’s Kitchen Show, Rhett’s Circus, poolside movies, trivia on the big screen or Just Dance competitions. Looking for something a little different? The resort also hosts a popular Silent Disco—dance to your own beat with wireless headphones picking up different music channels. Everyone’s welcome—you don’t need to stay at the resort to catch a show.
Check the weekly What’s On programme for session times and explore all the free activities before you book. Whether you’re after high-energy shows, interactive workshops, or just a fun night out, Paradise Resort delivers entertainment every single day.
The Paradise Resort Difference
You might book a stay for the waterslides or the central location, but it’s the thoughtful details that stand out. From themed kids’ club rooms and a dedicated baby nursery to custom hair braiding, ice skating, laser tag, and daily live entertainment, every corner of the resort offers something new for kids to discover.
With five on-site restaurants to choose from and special birthday party packages available, Paradise Resort makes hosting celebrations effortless. Parents get their own space to relax, teens have activities designed just for them, and little ones feel like they’ve stepped into their own adventure playground.
It’s why Australian families return year after year: it isn’t just a place to sleep between theme park visits—it’s an experience all on its own.
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The Gold Coast maintains a strong safety record in tourist areas, with dedicated police patrols and security personnel present at major attractions. Popular tourist zones like Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, and Main Beach benefit from high visibility, good lighting, and regular security presence.
Image: Aerial view of Surfers Paradise © Experience Gold Coast
Gold Coast Airport (OOL) is about 40 to 50 minutes from Paradise Resort by car. You can book an airport transfer ahead of time, hire a car at Gold Coast Airport, use a ride-sharing service or catch public transport to Paradise Resort.
To reach Paradise Resort via public transport, you’ll need to catch the 777 bus from Gold Coast Airport to Broadbeach South Station (approx 30 min), then take the tram to Surfers Paradise North Station (approx 20 minutes). Paradise Resort is only 300 metres from the tram station.
Image: Paradise Resort, Heaven for kids, Paradise for parents
The attractions of Surfers Paradise are within walking distance of Paradise Resort, with the main beach under five minutes on foot and Cavill Avenue about a ten-minute stroll away.
Paradise Resort is only 300 metres from Surfers Paradise North tram station. The Gold Coast’s G:link light rail system connects Surfers Paradise with Broadbeach, Main Beach, Broadwater Parklands, Southport and Helensvale. It runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights, and until around midnight on weeknights. Children under five travel free.
Image: Indoor & Outdoor Playgrounds at Paradise Resort,
