Raffles Royale: Apartment-Type Accommodation in Gold Coast

It was that specific morning when we suddenly craved for a rice meal after two weeks of steak and chips. So after our coffee sesh, we walked to the nearest grocery and grabbed the foodstuff we needed (which is actually cheaper than fast food). We brought it back to Raffles Place, our home for three days in Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise, and prepped our lunch on our unit's fully functional kitchen. After our cravings were satisfied, we lounged on the sofa for a quick rest and woke up at sundown after four hours of effortless slumber, it was our best nap in Australia so far. 

It was last February when me and my buddy tied the knot on a simple backyard wedding. We then planned on having a celebratory trip afterwards and after scoring a sponsored deal on a Manila to Sydney flight from Scoot, we scrapped our original honeymoon trip and went on with our two-week trip to Australia—my first trip ever outside Asia.

Check out Scoot's year-round fares to key cities in Australia from Manila via Singapore

We secured our tourist visa with the help of One Vine Migration Australia (you may check my Guide on How to Apply for Australian Visa in the Philippines). The nitty-gritty party of planning the trip went after so we sought the help from our ever-reliable travel buddy, Klook App, for discounted tours, activities and transportation in Australia. 

We had a 16-hour layover in Singapore during the first leg of our Manila to Sydney Scoot flight in which we went to downtown for a quick chow down. The eight-hour flight to Sydney afterwards was an adventure in itself as it was our first time to ride a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

We had a great time in Sydney during the first five days and then headed next to Byron Bay. Gold Coast was our third stop in Australia and we stayed in Rhapsody Resort for the first three days before we transferred to our new home, Raffles Royale.

Moved to Surfers Paradise from Byron Bay. But... Where are the surf dudes? 😞 Photo by @lakadpilipinas #BlissfulLakadDownUnder

A post shared by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Mar 15, 2018 at 9:19pm PDT

Gold Coast is considered as a holiday destination not only for tourists but also for Australians. We particularly stayed at Surfers Paradise so as to experience the Aussie beach vibe. Surfers Paradise in autumn was still filled with beach frolickers and shopaholics alike. It’s as if the whole resort town is catering to the visitors.

It was twelve noon when we arrived at Raffles Royale. This apartment-type accommodation is located near the city center and a mere five-minute walk to Surfers Paradise Beach (check here for discounted rooms).

The main glass door was protected by key card so we cannot get inside. That same moment though, the caretaker was about to have her lunch and upon seeing us, she instantly knew that we were the ones who'll be checking in and even addressed my buddy on his first name. The lovely lady handed us our key card then left for lunch.

With our heavy backpacks in tow, we climbed up the third level of the structure to our assigned unit.

Old, but clean.

Our room had this old school feel to it, like what I used to see on an 80's movie. It was spacious and divided into four sections; the kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom.

I scanned the kitchen first and got too excited. It had all the necessities we needed like fridge, oven, microwave oven and an electric stove top complete with kitchen and dining utensils.

Laundry area

Still at the kitchen, I opened up a door and saw a laundry area complete with washing and dryer machines as well as ironing facilities. There's also a bar counter and a dining table for two.

The living area was cozy with its soft lounge seats and TV with cable channels. Everything seemed old and not-so-clean but with the money we paid, it's totally fine with us (hotels in Australia can be very expensive).

No-frills accommodation

I went straight to the bedroom next and saw two beds that were merged into one. I didn’t like it though as it tends to separate from each other especially for my buddy who’s rockin’ and rollin’ during sleep.

There's an individually-controlled AC but only in the living area though. The bedroom on the other hand was equipped with a ceiling fan.

Two beds combined. Any couples' nightmare.

The en suite toilet and bathroom was equipped with hot and cold shower. Bath towels, shampoo and bath wash were all provided.

Toilet and bath

I went back to the living area and noticed that my buddy was nowhere to be found. Apparently, he's already hanging out on our private balcony. 

A courtyard with faux grass and outdoor pool was our view on the balcony. Our neighbors, who seemed to be leasing for a longer term, were busy with their individual chores. 

Courtyard

We got hungry that afternoon and craved for rice meal, very Asian, I know. But after two weeks on potatoes and meat, we needed our typical carbo-fix to get going. We then rushed to a nearby grocery store and stocked up on a one-dollar rice packet and canned meat. 

After our satisfying lunch meal, we lounged on the sofa and didn't realize that we effortlessly snoozed, it was already sundown when we woke up. Our siesta ended into a deep slumber that lasted for four hours. The sleep energized us for a night stroll at Surfers Paradise.

Raffles Royale became our home base in Gold Coast. We had a daytrip to Brisbane and got a full day of beach stroll at Surfers Paradise. The location is perfect as it’s close to the city center. The no-nonsense apartment-type of accommodation is truly perfect for long-term travelers especially the laundry and kitchen area. It truly felt like a home away from home.

Raffles Royale (check here for discounted room rates and availability)
Raffles 69 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise,
Gold Coast, Queensland 4217, Australia
Contact Number: (+61) 7.5538.0099