Days in lieu to days in luxe: A guide to a mid-week luxury stay on the Gold Coast

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With its shimmering coastline, relaxed pace, and luxury accommodation, the Gold Coast is a thriving tourist destination – and not just on weekends. If you’re looking for a luxurious way to spend your days in lieu, or simply after an opulent mid-week escape, it’s time to put a Sneeky Mid-Weeky on the Gold Coast on your to-do list.

With the holiday period well and truly over, those post-vacation blues may be settling in. But often, the best way to overcome them is to plan your next adventure – particularly if you have some banked-up annual leave, or days in lieu to spare. Or, let’s be honest, sometimes you just need a relaxing holiday after the holiday.

Weekends tend to be the obvious choice for a getaway, but many destinations thrive anytime. Take the Gold Coast – with its stunning coastline, relaxed pace, world-class restaurants and luxury accommodation, it could be your next opulent mid-week getaway. Your Sneeky Mid-Weeky.

Why a luxury mid-week escape? Picture this: you’ve nabbed a booking at one of the Gold Coast’s top-tier restaurants – and you’ve got the best seat in the house. You’ve booked one of the Gold Coast’s most luxurious hotels – and there’s still an ocean-view suite available with your name on it. The quieter pace affords you maximum relaxation and a chance to make the most of your trip.

If you’re a remote worker looking for a lavish hush trip, a Sneeky Mid-Weeky is even more of a no-brainer. No leave required – just head to the Gold Coast, find one of the many co-working spaces dotted throughout the coastal city, and make work feel like play. And the best part: you can head home and take the weekend to slowly ease yourself back into reality, before heading back to the office the following week.

Here’s how to make the most of your luxury mid-week escape on the Gold Coast.

Stay

First thing’s first: accommodation. Located on Kirra Beach, a pristine stretch of sand and sparkling sea at the southern end of the Gold Coast, Kirra Point (open for bookings in early 2024) offers luxury one, two and three-bedroom holiday apartments for stays. The oceanfront, resort-style residences are awash with relaxing, creamy-neutral tones, pale timber finishes, stone benchtops and floor-to-ceiling windows, with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. If you can’t wait for Kirra Point to open its doors, Nirvana By The Sea is another, stunning luxury apartment offering. And, if you feel like going all out, Nirvana’s sub-penthouse offers spectacular ocean views – and a private rooftop pool to enjoy them from.

Not wholly part of the accommodation (but a truly wonderful perk nonetheless) is its proximity to the gorgeous Kirra Hill Lookout. A 750-metre walk, Kirra Hill Lookout is the perfect spot to park up, picnic, or unwind and watch the epic sunset over the water. In the right season, you’ll even see whales out at sea.

If you want to be closer to the city charm, The Langham is one of the Gold Coast’s newest luxury hotels, offering stunning views of Surfers Paradise Beach, fine dining restaurants and a divine spa experience. The hotel is wellness incarnate; from its soft pink interiors, signature jasmine scent and world-class fitness centre – which includes yoga and meditation classes – The Langham is truly a tranquil, luxury spot.

Relax

There are infinite ways to unwind on the Gold Coast – not least by a stroll on the beach, or on one of the city’s many scenic boardwalks. The Burleigh Beach to Miami Oceanway Walk is a 4-kilometre, self-guided walk along the picturesque coast, complete with signs marking the regional flora – and you may even encounter some local fauna!

Mid-week makes for an optimal time to go, while the locals are in the office, the Oceanway proves a soul-nourishing way to get your steps in, smell the sea breeze and clear your head. Call it a Tuesday Trek.

Then there are the Gold Coast’s spectacular spas, perfect for Wellness Wednesdays. The aforementioned spa in The Langham – Chuan Spa – is based on traditional Chinese medicine, with a focus on therapeutic acupressure techniques to calm you down. Or, situated in the equally luxurious JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa in Surfers Paradise is Spa by JW, which opened in mid-2023. The spa offers unwind and de-stress massages, rebalancing facials as well as locally inspired teas and wines for the ultimate relaxation experience.

Dine

There are plenty of dining destinations on the Gold Coast to suit a variety of palates, but nothing says, ‘I’m on holiday’ like mid-week oysters, champagne, and sunset. The trifecta can be found at the luxurious Glass Dining and Lounge Bar at the Marina Mirage waterfront. A Tuesday or Wednesday booking will prove an intimate, relaxing setting, perfect for a cosy date night with a friend or loved one.

For even more luxury dining, you can take your pick of the Gold Coast’s 21 hatted restaurants – seven of which are in Broadbeach. One of the newest on the block is Kōst Bar and Grill, which opened in August last year. Inspired by the coastline itself, the restaurant is a sleek, relaxing spot to enjoy the finer things in life, think: freshly shucked oysters, Mooloolaba King Prawns, Bay Bugs, wagyu beef and more Australian delicacies.

Adventure

The Gold Coast is known for its blue waters – so use your Sneeky Mid-Weeky to get on them. You could take a luxury sunset boat cruise on a superyacht, or opt to see the stunning waters from above, with a scenic helicopter flight.

But the Gold Coast is also home to a spectacular rainforest – a place to truly get in touch with nature and reconnect. Why not seek out a nighttime rainforest and glow worm tour, which is sure to activate your senses, and captivate your mind?

What are you waiting for?If you’re looking to get the most of out of your days in lieu, plan your Sneeky Mid-Weeky today.

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