RACV Noosa Resort family holiday review

Virginia Shirley and family head to RACV Noosa Resort to review the family-friendly resort on a multigenerational holiday on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. 

RACV Noosa Resort is a popular family holiday resort, with a plethora of kid-friendly pools and gardens. All apartments look out over a lagoon full of waterlilies and wildlife with safe pathways to connect the resort.

The resort sits in its own private sanctuary, there isn’t a billboard or power line in sight. Located right on Lake Weba, all that lies in front of the resort is bushland and walking tracks. The occasional passing of a boat through the everglades is the only human noise you will hear. The birdlife is exceptional with finches, parrots and willy wagtails living among the waterlilies. You feel like you are miles from anywhere yet the resort is only a three-minute drive to Hastings Street boutiques and surfing at Noosa main beach.

RACV Noosa Resort Review

My family and I were incredibly excited about our Noosa staycation at RACV Noosa Resort. It was our first multigenerational trip as a family, travelling with my daughter and 22-month-old grandson.

The resort is hidden from the road and an impressive sight as we turned off the roundabout. We were welcomed at reception by a lovely young staff member who took the time to explain all the amenities and show us an RACV Noosa Resort map with our apartment, restaurants, bar, pools, spa, tennis court, games room and playground marked on it.

Walking through the resort at sunset has a mood reminiscent of a Balinese night with lights silhouetting the pool and surrounding trees. The humidity is beautiful for May (Winter in Queensland is fabulous). We pass kids and parents swimming and listen to squeals of delight from the kids.

Why kids love RACV Noosa Resort

The pool area complex is the perfect spot for a Queensland family holiday. The main pool is directly outside the bar and restaurant. It is perfect for the kids to play while you have a meal or drink. Then there is a spa beside the second pool with two waterslides and a splash park. Kids will love running through the rings while they are sprayed with water. When they dry off the playground is great for hours of fun.

Family fun

Because the main facilities are featured around the main pool parents can be with their children but also have access to the restaurant, bar, sun lounges and free Wi-Fi.

An unexpected highlight was the games room full of free games that kept the kids entertained for hours. It has pinball machines, racing games, a foosball table and arcade games, I was so impressed it was free with unlimited play and provided hours of entertainment. The games room caters to older kids too, keeping them happy while parents enjoy the live music at the poolside bar.

The resort also has a tennis court and basketball hoop for some friendly family competitions.

Villas, apartments and suites

We are staying in a 2 Bedroom Sanctuary apartment. It is well equipped with the latest gadgets, tea and coffee making machines, a full kitchen and laundry.

Each room has a smart TV so the kids can watch all their favourite shows. This gives us time to relax on the huge verandah or private rooftop deck overlooking the lagoon. While the room has air conditioning we throw open the glass louvres instead and enjoy the tropical Noosa air. The spacious apartment sleeps up to five and even has an ensuite in the master bedroom. Interconnecting apartments are also available and perfect for larger families.

Other room options include the three-bedroom apartments and villas that sleep seven, one-bedroom suites that sleep four and the largest room category, the Enclave Luxury Villa which sleeps eight. The Enclave Luxury Villa has its own 15-metre heated lap pool.

All rooms and apartments come with widescreen TVs, Foxtel, Wi-Fi and a Nespresso machine. The larger apartments and villas offer fully equipped kitchens with stone benchtops. Fully equipped kitchens mean you don’t need to eat out for every meal, saving you money on your holiday. They also have dishwashers, laundry and either a balcony or terrace with outdoor settings. The villas have a separate media room, courtyard plunge pool or rooftop spa and lock-up garage.

RACV Noosa Resort’s two restaurants

Arcuri restaurant

The Arcuri restaurant at RACV’s Noosa Resort is open daily for buffet breakfast. It serves a variety of local seasonal produce, breakfast favourites, fresh pastries and barista coffee.

RACV Noosa Resort’s buffet breakfast costs $34 for adults and free for children under 12 with a paying adult. It is $13.50 for additional children.

Dazza’s Bar

Opening from 11am Dazza’s Bar is your go-to for a late breakfast, casual lunch, an all-day kids’ menu and contemporary Australian cuisine.

It has a relaxed atmosphere with stone-fired pizzas and cold drinks from the bar which we enjoyed from the terrace overlooking the pool and gardens.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Dazza’s Bar puts on live acoustic music. Both nights we were there all the little kids got up and danced with the mums and dads, it was great fun.

At night Dazza’s Bar transforms its menu into an opulent dining experience where we enjoyed Angus steaks, seafood pasta and yummy desserts. The meals were beautifully presented and the service was friendly and attentive. This is very helpful when you are convincing a 22-month-old that he needs to sit in a high chair! The kid’s menu had a range of options from healthy grilled chicken and veggies to spaghetti bolognese. There is also the option to order takeaway and eat the meals back at your apartment.

When you are having a night in, the rooms have expansive kitchens to cook up a storm. They had a great range of kid-friendly plates and utensils also.

One Spa

When entering RACV Noosa Resort’s One Spa you immediately feel looked after, it has a relaxing ambience and friendly staff. The in-house robes and slippers are plush and a great size to fit all. A welcome tea is provided in the relaxation room which I sip while I wind down. It’s surprising that you actually need to get into the headspace for a few hours of relaxation with no phones or children.

The treatment rooms are beautiful and well set up. Being located on the first floor you felt a world away from the rest of the resort, I hear nothing except the One Spa’s tranquil music. My two-hour treatment, the Indulge package, included a full body massage plus a facial, it was absolute bliss and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Hot tip: One Spa is very popular so do yourself a favour and book your spa session while making your hotel reservation to not miss out.

Things to do in Noosa

Free shuttle buses run every half hour which take you down the hill to Noosa main beach and Hastings Street. From here you can learn to surf, walk around the Noosa National Park and see koalas in the trees.

Then enjoy the world-famous shopping and restaurants along Hastings Street, or lunch at the surf club that has awesome views of Fraser Island. The famous Edmundi Markets are on Saturday mornings and Wednesdays if you are lucky enough to be spending a week at RACV Noosa Resort. For an experience amongst the locals, Noosa’s famous Farmers Market is on every Sunday at the Rococo oval which is only 500-metres from the resort. The Weyba Mangrove boardwalk is opposite the markets, the boardwalk is a short 300-metre loop that provides an interesting walk for the kids.

The hotel features an array of daytrip options such as deep-sea-fishing, 4WD adventure to Fraser Island, Australia Zoo, Sea Life Sunshine Coast, Glass House mountains, Hinterland and more.

Final verdict

RACV Noosa Resort is a lovely safe place for families to holiday. All apartments are only 2 stories high and villas a maximum of 3 stories and are well set out from each other through well maintained tropical gardens. The staff are fantastic at making families feel comfortable and at ease.

There is plenty of parking but with the free shuttle into Noosa you won’t need to worry about driving if you don’t want to.

Where to find RACV Noosa Resort

RACV Noosa Resort is located off Noosa Drive, within 2 kilometres of Noosa Main Beach and Hasting Street. And approximately 800 metres to Noosa Junction providing restaurants, movie cinema, shopping centre and boutiques.

This RACV Noosa Resort Review is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here.

Keep reading:

• South Australia family-friendly travel guide
• Best luxury accommodation in Fiji