Say hello to the newest hotel to open on Hamilton Island, The Sundays. It’s been 18 years since the tropical isle welcomed a new resort and for travellers – especially those with tots in tow – looking to experience something new on Hamilton Island, The Sundays is it. 

The luxury, family-friendly, 59-room hotel has been five years in the making and fills a gap in the Hamilton Island accommodation market: families looking for a stylish stay. Existing luxury resorts on the island, like qualia and Beach Club, are adults-only. For families holidaying on the island luxury resorts have historically been out of bounds. Thankfully, The Sundays is changing that. From the rooms to the dining offering and facilities, families and luxury are front of mind at The Sundays. Let’s dive into the details. 

Credit: The Sundays

The rooms

Curated by designer/Hamilton-island local/mum Carrie Williams, The Sundays rooms are a natural extension of the island’s colour palette. The muted greens, blues and creams reflect the colours of the sand and water of Catseye Beach, which each room overlooks. While the rooms are beautiful and contemporary, they are also practical. 

Each room features a King Bed with a King Single-sized lounge that can be converted into a bed for children up to 12 years old. Those travelling with teens, The Sundays Family Connect rooms are conveniently adjoined rooms that allow parents and kids to enjoy some privacy while remaining close. Parents of babies will be thrilled to learn there’s a microwave in the kitchenette – convenient for warming up milk and baby food – as well as a generously sized minbar fridge – perfect for loading up snacks. Of course, no kid-friendly room would be complete without a large bathtub for post-swim bubble baths. 

For those families travelling with young ‘uns, buckets and spades are provided in the room, as well as some story books for bedtime. What kids will love the most is the daily mermoney gold coin, which will get them a free scoop of ice-cream by the pool between the hours of 2-4 pm. Fun isn’t reserved for just the kids. Adults who are young at heart can claim a free scoop of ice cream with their mermoney, too. 

The food 

The Sundays have secured Australia’s beloved culinary duo, Josh and Julie Niland, to lead the hotel’s signature restaurant Catseye Pool Club. If you know the Niland’s from Saint Peter and Fish Butchery in Sydney, well wipe your memory clean of what you know because this is a different iteration of Josh’s cooking. 

“This isn’t meant to be Saint Peter. It’s not meant to be close to Saint Peter,” says Josh about Catseye Pool Club. “But it’s bringing the quality and professionalism and maybe the understanding of the ingredients that I suppose is very much Saint Peter.” 

So what can you expect from Josh at Catseye Pool Club? Being a father of four, Josh knows how kids like to eat and that’s played a big part in the curation of the menu at the seaside/poolside venue. Using the best ingredients Queensland and Australia has to offer, the Niland’s have put together a family-friendly menu of dishes meant to be shared. 

Credit: The Sundays

“It’s a family style meal where you have to be enrolled in the idea of sharing what you order”, says Josh. “Just like at home, if you sit down with the family…mum has roasted a chook, dad has made the potato bake, nan has brought the green salad. It’s in the middle of the table. That’s how we’re eating.” 

And unlike Saint Peter and the Fish Butchery, where seafood reigns supreme, the menu also includes beef, chicken and lamb dishes – highlights include the Dry Aged Little Joe Grass Fed Beef Rib Eye and Crumbed White Pyrenees Lamb Cutlets. Naturally, there are some seafood dishes on the menu, like BBQ Bowen Line Caught Coral Trout and Tweed Heads Eastern Rock Lobster, but the focus is on creating an environment where families feel comfortable to dine in a very chic setting. Main dishes are served with paired sides, which Josh has already picked out, so diners can garnish, dip, or dress their forkful of food how they please. Take the Pizza Bread. It’s served with a selection of De Palma Charcuterie, Fresh Buttermilk Ricotta, Grilled Pepper, BBQ Tomato Vinaigrette and Pickles & Olives, so guests can pick and choose what to put on top. 

 

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“At the end of the day, if I come to this restaurant as a child and I see pizza bread on the menu awesome, I’m getting pizza bread,” says Josh. “Kids are thinking: But I don’t want those green things because that’s gross and I just want the cheese and the ham. That’s it…It’s allowing the children to decide what they want to eat and how they want to eat it.” 

The Niland’s have curated the all-day dining menu from breakfast through to lunch and dinner. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot Josh at the pass or at the front of the kitchen where a large glass window allows guests to have a peek at what the chefs are preparing and even have a chat with them while they work. 

“We want the chefs in the window engaging,” says Josh. “We want children to come over and go like, ‘is that a pineapple?’ And you’re like, ‘yeah, that’s a pineapple. You want to touch it?’ It’s just not being egotistical at all about the offering.”

Credit: The Sundays

The facilities

When you’re staying at The Sundays you get access to the hotel’s private pool and beach. You also get free access to the Main Pool at the Resort Centre and Bougainvillea Pool, just behind Catseye Beach. If you’re keen on some water activities at Catseye, The Sundays guests can hire kayaks, stand up paddle boards and snorkelling equipment, free of charge. If you have active kids, opt for a ground floor room so you have direct access to the stretch of grass outside your room so you can kick back with a drink in hand while your kids run wild, within sight. 

Families will also be grateful for the brand new outdoor playground steps away from The Sundays. The hotel also hosts complimentary Kids Moonlight Movie sessions on the pool deck. Popcorn and comfy bean beds are provided for kids to settle in for movie night under the stars. 

The Sundays is also conveniently just a five-minute drive to the airport and marina and a short walk to other signature restaurants on the island like South East Asian-inspired Coca Chu. So if you want to fly and flop you can, but if you want to explore more of what the island has to offer, you’re located right in the heart of it at The Sundays. 

The Sundays, from $891 per room, per night. For more information or to book, visit hamiltonisland.com.au

Related story: Josh Niland casts net into Singapore market with first venue outside Australia