Everything we know so far about The Sundays, Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island announced the new family-focused hotel in May. We just had a hard hat tour of the site, here is everything we know so far.

The first new hotel to open on Hamilton Island since 2007, The Sundays is going to be a hot new thing, particularly amongst families, when it welcomes its first guests in Autumn 2025. Here is your quick guide.

What is The Sundays?

On the site of the original Hamilton Island hotel built in 1990, The Sundays is a 59-room luxury accommodation designed to deliver an elevated holiday experience with families in mind.

The Sundays is the first new hotel on the island since the opening of qualia in 2007 and is a $30m investment on top of the $400m the Oatley Family have already poured into the island they acquired in 2003.

Where is it?

On the iconic Hamilton Island arc of white sand, at the northern end of Catseye Beach.

What makes up The Sundays?

There are three main areas to The Sundays; The pool, restaurant, and bar are all set on the prime, palm-fringed beach-front real estate.

The accommodation is set slightly up the hill with bird’s eye views of the beach and then out to the open sea.

A substantial earth-moving effort was undertaken to create a walkway linking the accommodation with the pool, restaurant, and bar.

What does “families in mind” mean?

Let’s set the scene first.

Holidaying as a family, particularly with young kids, is a risky endeavour. It has the potential to be such a nightmare that the holiday is not worth the hassle. Parents can return somewhat exhausted and disheartened that this memorable bonding holiday turned into an anxiety-ridden waste of time and money with more housework and challenges than at home. The whole endeavour merely added to the stress, not diminished it.

Meanwhile, the nature of family holidays has evolved. Parents are seeking a holiday where they can create magic moments with their kids and not just drop them off at the kids club for the day and not see them again until dinner, if at all.

They want to connect to their kids, connect to each other and just as importantly create connections to the wonderful Aussie environment.

So expectations are greater than ever.

The Sundays is focused on delivering against these challenges and realities via some practical but thoughtful services and amenities. Its promise is that kids and parents both feel welcome and catered to and not one group at the expense of the other. No one is an afterthought.

Eight months from opening it is understandable that not all the services have been announced as they have not all been researched and tested.

Here is what we know.

Prams, cots, and the whole accoutrements that a family may need are on hand. Forget the kitchen sink? Don’t worry The Sundays team will have one for you.

The in-room microwave makes sure bottles can be sterilised or food reheated. Every room has a rather lovely egg-shaped bath that not only is great for a mummy soak and destress but also for bathing kids. The children’s bed is at the foot of the bed so as to keep kids close, but not too close.

The deck area that was formed as part of the walkway not only has magnificent views of the entire bay and sea but will also serve as a stage for kids’ activities like movie nights, face painting, and maybe a bit of family morning yoga.

Private cabanas are going to be available poolside with family-sized day beds and amenities.

And then there is what will surely be a crowd favourite – Ice Cream Happy Hours; an alternative to the turn-down service where kids and families are offered a complimentary cone or cup with a scoop or two.

What are the rooms like?

Well for starters they all have “that view” and are designed to make the most of it. So off to a winning start.

Designer Carrie Williams has made smart use of the existing space and ensured the focus is on the surrounding beauty. A smart sliding window that separates a spacious stylish bathroom from the room can be drawn back to reveal the palms and Catseye Beach.

The children’s bed can also act as a daybed while custom-made furniture is in situ on the balcony.

The interiors boast chic beach vibes with a Whitsundays colour palette; cool aqua and green with sand-toned floor tiles, and blonde timber furniture.

The Sundays has partnered with young Turk Indigenous artist Tiarna Herczeg from the Kuku Yalanji/Kuku Nyungkul Warra people. While her larger pieces will be found throughout the public areas of The Sundays, the in-room artwork is a focal point.

The standard room is a double with a single (the day bed) and room for a cot.

There are eight family connecting rooms (so 16 rooms in total) and three accessible rooms.

What do we know about the food and beverages?

Well… not much. It is all under wraps as “Conversations are well underway”. So yes we expect a heavy-hitting culinary identity to be connected with the onsite restaurant. But don’t forget the island is home to another 20 restaurants.

What we do know about The Sundays F&B is the promise that parents will enjoy a great dining experience with a menu and wine list to match. Kids are not only invited but welcome and their menu will be of a similar standard but appropriate to the kids.

In other words, not a chicken nugget to be seen.

Is it just a hotel?

The Sundays is a hotel but will act like a resort thanks to the plethora of Hamilton Island activities.

So yes, The Sundays guests will still be able to undertake all the marine activities of the Catseye Beach bay; snorkel the fringe reef, toodle around on a SUP, or jump on the Hobie Cats.

And then there are the signature experiences like a journey to the reef and Whitehaven or go all out with a helicopter ride to Heart Reef.

Any other details about The Sundays?

The landscaping has already been planted to ensure that by opening day The Sundays is a lush tropical precinct.

One of the key selling points will undoubtedly be the ease and seamless transfer from home to hotel. From landing in Hamilton Island, you can be in the resort pool in 20 minutes; we could start seeing kids boarding flights to ‘Hamo’ in swimmers from April next year.

And how much is a night at The Sundays?

Obviously, pricing will be dynamic (so changes hour by hour) after launch but the current preopening special is $839 including breakfast. And if you book four nights or more and stay on a Sunday, your Sunday Stay is free!

Check out 11 of the best day trips from Hamilton Island.

The post Everything we know so far about The Sundays, Hamilton Island appeared first on Australian Traveller.