The Sundays review – The Points Guy

Hamilton Island, one of Australia’s premier destinations to access the Great Barrier Reef, is no stranger to incredible hotels and resorts, from the towering Reef View Hotel to the ultraluxurious George Clooney- and Julia Roberts-approved adults-only resort Qualia. But what was needed was something chic, family-friendly and right by the water.

Enter: The Sundays, a stylish 59-room boutique hotel with spacious, comfortable rooms; balconies and patios looking out on awe-inspiring landscapes; a less-is-more, laidback sense of luxury; and a restaurant with food so simple and beautiful, each meal left me misty-eyed.

Here’s a first look from my two-night stay at The Sundays, which opened in April and made our list of the most anticipated hotel openings of 2025.

First Impressions

Your stay at The Sundays starts on arrival at the adorable Hamilton Island Airport (HTI), where the incredibly friendly staff (whom you’ll get to know during your trip) are waiting to collect your bags and deliver them directly to your room. The quick trip from the airport helps you get your bearings of the island, where cars are few and golf carts are many.

From the chic outdoor lobby, you get a sense of the small property, set on the north side of Catseye Beach and facing the dramatic, lush landscape of Passage Peak. Dating back to the 1980s, the building once served as the original hotel on the island, but has been fully renovated with soft tones that reflect the natural surroundings, like the sea and the nearby reef. And with its open-air feel (the typical Queensland style) and almost retro vibe, the place feels young, fresh and and totally effortless.

The Room

From the open-air hallway, I entered a large, bright room with a mostly neutral color palette, save some pops of color like a sea foam green slipper chair off to one corner and a colorful, beautifully simple print depicting the island’s story by Indigenous Australian and Hungarian artist Tiarna Herczeg.

The king bed, placed in the middle of the room, looked out onto the large balcony, which had views out to the water and the lush green landscapes in the distance. Tucked into the wall on the side of the room was a large moveable TV, which offered streaming services as well as a wide selection of on-demand TV and movies.

Behind the bed, a retractable wall separated the bathroom and a multifunctional closet and storage space. Inside stood a massive bench for suitcases, drawers and a wardrobe with hangers and standard hotel amenities like an iron — as well as some fun ones like yoga mats and beach towels.

A freestanding soaking tub took center stage in the bathroom, sitting opposite a single vanity with a well-lit mirror and hanging bathrobes. The rainfall-style shower provided excellent water pressure — but the toilet’s close proximity to the shower area might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

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I also really appreciated a small kitchenette space in the room that had a convenient coffee machine, a tea kettle, an array of snacks and drinks for both adults and kids (read: kids at heart) and even a hidden microwave.

Like the rest of the hotel, the space was inviting, comfortable and laidback. The finishes and the details added a luxurious touch, but weren’t over the top, and I immediately felt at home in my room and very sad to leave it.

Dining at The Sundays

Across Hamilton Island Resort, visitors can enjoy an array of restaurants, from Southeast asian bites at Coca Chu to seafood joints, an Italian restaurant and even a barbecue dinner cruise. But nothing compares to Catseye Pool Club, the new venture at The Sundays from highly acclaimed chefs (and life partners) Josh and Julie Niland, the duo behind Sydney’s Saint Peter.

Catseye Pool Club is an open-air space overlooking Catseye Bay and the hotel’s pool, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here, the Nilands do what they do best: serving the finest and freshest ingredients, but in a way that’s shareable, truly fun to eat and — at least for me — a great reminder of how important good food and good company is. Every meal I enjoyed at Catseye Pool Club made me shockingly emotional, joyful and grateful for the bounty this planet has to offer, right from the very first meal I had there: a salad so simple and bright I couldn’t stop thinking about it ($20).

For breakfast both mornings of my stay, which is included in the rate, I ordered the unbelievably delicious CPC breakfast bowl, consisting of sesame avocado, cauliflower rice, a soft-boiled egg (I asked for this instead of a hard-boiled egg, which the kitchen was happy to do), cucumbers, tomato, kasundi and beetroot, and wattleseed kraut. I also loved the super crispy hash brown cake and the over-the-top frozen banana whip, which was a giant sundae bowl of whipped banana — almost like ice cream — with raw granola and cocoa nib.

Dinner at Catseye Pool Club was one I’ll never forget. From wild raw fish and scallops served with dashi soup made from grilled fish bones ($46) to deconstructed pizza bread ($41), build-your-own expertly battered fish tacos ($43) and incredibly tender and flavorful chicken ($80), every bite was better than the last.

Amenities and service

Exclusive to The Sundays is a beautiful swimming pool looking out to the cove, sunrise yoga classes, family-friendly moonlight movie screenings, a daily ice cream sundae bar (with sundae tokens left in your room each night at turndown service) and DJ sessions at the pool on Sunday.

Hamilton Island has a ton of amenities, activities and things to do, too, that are shared between the various resorts and home rentals. Here’s a brief rundown of some of them:

• Shared sports club with equipment, classes, spa and a sauna
• Tennis courts
• Kids club for children between six months and 12 years
• Golf cart rentals to get around the island
• Spa Wumurdaylin which offers various treatments and massages
• Hiking trails
• Boating and fishing
• An arcade with games, a golf simulator and nine-pin bowling
• Go-kart racing
• A golf course on the neighboring island (look for it from the airplane!)
• Nonmotorized water sports and rentals like standup paddleboards and kayaks
• Snorkeling and diving at the Great Barrier Reef
• Over 60 other activities

Just note: Many of these activities cost an additional fee.

Hamilton Island Wildlife Center

One of the highlights of my time on Hamilton Island was visiting the resort’s wildlife center, about a five-minute walk from The Sundays.

The center offers a number of special animal encounters or just a walk through the small park to see creatures like crocodiles, koalas, wallabies (small kangaroos), a variety of birds and even some dingos. For about $22, you can get up and close to an adorable koala for a photograph.

Journey to the heart tour — heart reef experience

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef is a life-changing experience. Luckily, The Sundays and Hamilton Island together offer an exclusive opportunity to helicopter over the iconic portion of the reef shaped like a heart, before landing on a pontoon heliport right in the middle of the reef to snorkel (the cost is about $900).

This experience was the highlight of my trip in Australia, and my 45-minute snorkel allowed me to discover everything I’d hoped the Great Barrier Reef would reveal, including beautiful clown fish, glowing corals and fish in more colors, shapes and sizes than I could have imagined. After getting back onto the pontoon, we celebrated literally “Finding Nemo” with a glass of Champagne before helicoptering back to The Sundays.

 Location and logistics

Hamilton Island has its own airport, Hamilton Island Airport (HTI), offering flights on Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Qantas to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

What it costs to stay at The Sundays and how to book

Cash rates at The Sundays start at $572 per night. At the moment, The Sundays is not integrated into a luxury booking program so it’s best to book directly with the hotel.

Accessibility

The Sundays offers accessible terrace rooms with wheelchair access, wide-entry wardrobes, bathrooms with rails and lowered basins, height-adjusted fittings and bed hoists available by request.

As always, TPG recommends speaking with the hotel directly before booking to better understand the hotel’s accessible offerings.

Bottom line

The Sundays is the first new hotel to open on Hamilton Island, a popular family vacation spot for Australians, in nearly 20 years. I can tell you firsthand, it was well worth the wait. With a charming room featuring beautiful views, an incredibly friendly staff and meals from a celebrated chef you won’t soon forget (seriously, I’ll be trying to recreate that breakfast bowl every morning for the rest of my life), I was taken with The Sundays. In fact, I’m already planning my return to the island to share that helicopter experience with my family so I can see their eyes light up the first time they catch a glimpse of the Great Barrier Reef.

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