Daydream Island awarded silver at Queensland Tourism Awards

Daydream Island Resort and Spa has been judged the silver award winner in the keenly contested Deluxe Accommodation category at the 2014 Queensland Tourism Awards.

The state awards follow on from the recently concluded regional tourism awards where Daydream was successful in winning this category in the Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards 2014.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa Chief Executive Officer Scott Wilkinson said he was delighted to finish so high up in the Queensland awards which pitted Daydream Island against other hopefuls from around Queensland.

“The Queensland Tourism Awards are extremely competitive and even to be a finalist is a great achievement,” Mr Wilkinson said.

“To finish second in this important category for accommodation is testament to the highly dedicated team we have at Daydream in providing a great experience for our guests.

“We’re competing against operators from all tourism regions around Queensland in these awards.

“It’s most pleasing to be able to carry out the vision of our owner Mr Vaughan Bullivant in providing a fabulous tropical island holiday experience.”

Daydream Island Resort and Spa was this year also inducted into the Hall of Fame for winning the Deluxe Accommodation category three years in a row at the Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards 2014. The resort took out the Best Tourist Attraction for the Living Reef - one of the world’s largest man-made living lagoons, and the People’s Choice categories.

Daydream has also just been ranked as one of the Top Hotels in the Whitsundays region by international hotel search website, Trivago, based on consumer ratings.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa is located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, only a 30 minute boat ride from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) and a 30 minute ferry ride from Airlie Beach.

The award-winning resort features 296 rooms and suites - so there’s plenty of space for the whole family - a great selection of restaurants and bars, lagoon swimming pools, a fringing coral reef to explore and a Rejuvenation Spa offering health and beauty treatments.

The whole family can enjoy over 20 free guest activities which include kayaks, catamarans, stand-up paddle boards, a stingray and shark feeding show and an open air cinema.

For bookings and enquiries call reservations on 1800 075 040, visit www.daydreamisland.com or contact your local travel agent.

Media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs

Three awards for Daydream Island and entry into Hall of Fame

Daydream Island Resort and Spa was one of the big winners at the Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards 2014 after winning three awards at the gala event which was held on Saturday evening in Proserpine

The resort took out the Best Tourist Attraction for the Living Reef - one of the world’s largest man-made living lagoons, Best Deluxe Accommodation and the People’s Choice categories.

It is the third year in a row Daydream Island has taken out the Deluxe Accommodation category and as a result was also enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

“The Daydream experience is always evolving and we are very excited to be recognised in three categories of the Whitsundays Tourism Awards,” Daydream Island Resort and Spa CEO Scott Wilkinson said.

“These awards reflect the hard work resort manager Warren McCorriston and the entire team put in to ensure we offer the very best experiences, from our Living Reef lagoon to our pampering Rejuvenation Spa, extensive list of activities and more.

“We are particularly thrilled to again win the Deluxe Accommodation category and to be included into the Hall of Fame.

'Stingray Splash' in the Living Reef

“Winning the People’s Choice category is especially pleasing as it’s voted on by members of the public.

“I’d also like to acknowledge our owner Mr Vaughan Bullivant for his vision for the resort and congratulate Living Reef manager John Gaskell and his team for the advances made this year.”

Located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the award-winning resort features 296 rooms and suites, a great selection of restaurants and bars, lagoon swimming pools and a fringing coral reef to explore.

Daydream’s award-winning 2,650sqm Living Reef is one of the world’s largest man-made living lagoons - home to more than 115 species of fish and 80 coral species native to the Great Barrier Reef.

Its star attractions include brother and sister leopard rays Hansel and Gretel, brown stingrays Pikelet and Pancake, female black tip reef sharks Cookie and Nibble, white spot mangrove rays Bill and Barb and black shovelnose ray, Jack.

Guided by Living Reef biologists, visitors can take part in fish and shark feeding shows or programs like the Stingray Splash, where guests walk knee-deep into the Living Reef and hand-feed and pat de-barbed stingrays.

Daydream also offers the Rejuvenation Spa with 16 treatment rooms, which offers health and beauty treatments designed to pamper and reinvigorate the mind, body and soul; along with over 20 free guest activities such as kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, mini-golf and an open air cinema.

The Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards aim to recognise growth in tourism products and services as well as sustainable economic and social benefits that flow from a booming tourism industry.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa was recently awarded fourth place in the ‘Australia, Over 4 Stars’ category of the Holidays with Kids Readers Choice Top 10 Awards 2014.

Daydream’s Rejuvenation Spa was also named a finalist in the Hotel/Resort Spa of the Year category in the annual Pevonia Awards.

For bookings and enquiries call reservations on 1800 075 040, visit www.daydreamisland.com or contact your local travel agent.

ENDS Media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs