Category: Gold Coast

Parentrooms in QLD, Gold Coast

Categories
Gold Coast QLD Uncategorized

Gold Coast Holiday – from Zoe and her family

Zoe and her family went on a family holiday to the Gold Coast at the start of the year.

Here is their feedback on the parent rooms they found while on holiday.

Guess what? The missing parent room at Seaworld has been found!!!

 

Pacific Fair: Fabulous parent rooms! Four change tables, plus couch so you can have a rest. And there are 5, yes 5, private feeding rooms!!! How great is that?!! The parent room also has a microwave, television, and a glass-walled play area for the kids complete with couches and stepping stones. Well done, Pacific Fair!

 

Seaworld – the third parent room discovered!!

The two parent rooms indicated on the park map, one is near the park entrance and the other at Shark Bay. The mysterious third parent room that’s not on the map, it’s located opposite the Dora Stage on the side of the building. It’s marked as a mum and bub room though, instead of a parent room.

 

Surfers Paradise Central Centro Shopping Centre: Shocking!! No microwave, one fold out change table, one adult toilet, and no security.

 

HarbourTown Outlet Shopping Mall: Four parent rooms! Used two of them on this trip. Both are well set up, with microwaves, three change tables in each, two private feeding rooms, television and couches.

Categories
Gold Coast QLD

Seaworld on the Gold Coast – Baby Change Treasure Map

Do you check out the map of a theme park before you go there? 

Or do you assume there will be adequate supplies of baby change facilities/parent rooms?

Do you expect the baby change facilities will be well marked and easy to locate?

 

It seems that theme park maps aren’t as well marked as us parents would like.

For instance, let’s look at Seaworld on the Gold Coast. It’s a fabulous family theme park that’s been around for years!

I’ve been there as a little kid, and again as an adult. I’ve not taken my little one there, but hope to in the not too distant future.

I’ve always assumed the map for the park would be well marked, clearly showing the locations of ALL toilets, food outlets and baby change facilities. However, the map for Seaworld is sadly lacking in telling parents where to find all the baby change areas.

A recent visit to Seaworld by Melanie and her little family has highlighted this problem. I received an email from Melanie telling me there is only 2 baby change areas in the whole of Seaworld! Crazy right! For a family theme park, this seemed quite poor and incredibly inadequate. Looking at the map for the theme park, it shows Melanie was right!

http://seaworld.myfun.com.au/Visitor-Information/Park-Map.aspx

By all indications, the map only shows the location of 2 baby change facilities/parent rooms in the entire park. One of them is just near the main entrance, and the other is near Shark Bay. I can only imagine how over-run these two rooms must get during peak season. Why are there only two baby change facilities/parent rooms in a theme park like Seaworld?

Wanting to give Seaworld a chance to explain before publishing these findings, I contacted their Guest Services centre for a ‘please explain’. Do you know what I found out?

There are 6 baby change facilities in Seaworld. Not 2, but 6!!!!!!!

So why does the map only show 2???? This is very confusing, and not at all helpful to families with babies and toddlers.

According to Seaworld, 3 baby change tables are located in 2 of the Parent Rooms. I’m assuming these are the 2 shown on the map. The other 3 baby change tables are located in the ‘mens and ladies amenities at various locations throughout’.

Okay, I am happy to know there are definitely more than 2 baby change areas in the park. I just don’t want to have to find the other 3 remaining baby change tables by myself like searching for treasure on a map!

Maybe there is a prize in store if you can find the other 3 change tables located in the mens and ladies amenities elsewhere in the park?

Are the change tables that bad they don’t want to show parents where they are? Or maybe the change tables are so spectacular, the park operators don’t want anyone to use them!

Who knows. All I know is I want the park map updated to show where ALL of the baby change tables are located. Not just the two parent rooms, but all 6 of the baby change tables. It will make life so much easier for families planning their day at Seaworld.

So stay tuned! Hopefully we can get the map updated.

Categories
Main Beach QLD

Palazzo Versace – 94 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Gold Coast QLD

Overall: Basic, purely functional and not at all 6 Star!!!!
Good points: Immaculate presentation and incredibly clean; well lit.
Bad Points: Very basic – only the essentials available. Where are the Versace baby wipes, towels, nappies etc etc?? You’d think for such a salubrious establishment, the facilities for babies would be of a much higher standard.

Get your tan on, people!! It’s time to muscle up for the annual ANB Asia Pacifics on the beautiful Gold Coast.
We had the pleasure of being sponsors of the ANB Asia Pacifics 2009, which meant we had a lovely trip to Southport on the Gold Coast for a long weekend.
During a break in proceedings, we set off for Palazzo Versace and Marina Mirage for a bit of lunch and a sticky beak . With baby girl in arms (just under 1yo at the time) we went in search of the Parent Rooms at Versace. Oh my goodness, were we disappointed!!!!!

Palazzo Versace has the most gorgeous lobby I have ever seen. I’d stayed at the hotel in 2008 for work and quite liked it! I thought for a 6star hotel it needed a bit of improvement (nasty big stains on the massive million dollar Medusa rug in the Grand Ballroom). Anyway, on this visit we weren’t doing much more than just wandering about.
So in through the lobby and we went left up a hallway which leads you too the ballroom. On the left wall of this corridor are the bathrooms.  You’re not going to be overly impressed when you see the facilities for your baby. I wouldn’t call it a Parent Room at all. It’s the Disabled Toilet, with the addition of a baby change table and nappy bin. On the plus side, the place was immaculately presented and incredibly clean. But you’re not going to be able to feed your baby, or have a rest in here. This facility is just for getting in, changing bub’s nappy, and getting out again.

There’s only a regular size loo in the room, so your little one may need help getting on and off if they are at the stage of using the toilet. And they’ll probably need a hand reaching the sink too as it’s at regular adult height.
You know, there’s not really any more to say about it. Pretty sad considering the hotel and the fabulous reputation it is meant to have.
At least you’ll know where to go and change your bub’s nappy now the next time you visit Palazzo Versace. I’d recommend heading next door to Marina Mirage and checking out the facilities there instead. Or even better, shell out some $$ and go to Seaworld up the road.

The bodybuilding championships were alot of fun though. Great event!!