Hamilton island is a great holiday destination especially if you have kids. We had a good holiday despite it mainly raining most of the time here. We got a very good discount on the Whitsunday Apartments through Spreets (I was very concerned about them before booking having read some of the reviews on here). In general I think most of the reviews pretty much sum up the place:

Pros: views are amazing; pools are excellent; the inclusive cost of non motorised watersports is great if you take advantage of them; rooms are very spacious.
Cons: rooms were not particularly clean; I've never stayed anywhere before when a full room service is done only once every 4 days (this isn't really enough as towels and sheets can get a bit grim by then); duvets were essential as air con had to be left on constantly due to high humidity - this meant rooms were cold - duvets did not have covers on and were therefore not clean!; rooms are very very dated - it was like staying in a hotel from the 1980s; work surfaces were a bit greasy due to many years buildup from not ever being cleaned properly. The worse thing was that the bathroom smelt like a public urinal - that was pretty gross!

In summary, I guess we got what we paid for. Some people would I guess be happy with the place, however, we will not return. I'd rather pay the extra and stay somewhere that looks as though it has been refurbish in the last few years. As I said earlier, Hamilton island is a fab destination with children. If you can get it into your head that you simply use your room as a place to sleep then you should enjoy yourself. I'd not like to spend much time in the room, nor will we be coming back to the Whitsunday Apartments.

Once again staff were excellent and accommodating..flawless check in and out. We had a ocean view room this time, excellent views! Ordered delivery of groceries from Coles, which staff had in our room for us already when we checked in. Whitsundays Apartments will always be the way to go. Great value for money for a self contained apartment and excellent service from staff.
Apartment is well set out, Divans in lounge move together to make a double and can move back during the day for lounge seating area. We used this as more of a daybed when relaxing during the day and also in the evenings before bed while playing boardgames with kids (3 & 7 yrs). There is a single bed and a queen-king sized(not sure size exactly, but its huge!) one in the bedroom. Outdoor table on balcony and also a few loungers. Air-con in the rooms works a treat on the hot days. Tiled floors which we swept daily (took only a few minutes) due to sand etc from kids shoes. Sufficient cutlery and serving ware for a family of four, toaster and jug etc provided, full size family fridge/freezer....Made use of freezer-great for the packet stick ice pops we took for the kids. Some tea, coffee, sugar provided.
Golf sized umbrellas provided in the entrance way cupboard in case of a rainy day or shower, as well as iron in the wardrobe. A hairdryer is to be provided in room also, although this trip there was none, I wasn't concerned too much as I had taken my own. But I'm sure they would have provided if I asked. Staff are very approachable.
Cleanliness is Average/Good. Nothing major to report.There appeared to be a lot of new staff this trip, so the small things were possibly teething issues (swept/mopped areas/thorough bathroom cleaning)....I am fussy though.
We flew Jetstar and took alcohol on board to the island. Between a couple we split a box of beers between carry on luggage and this was great, saved us money on the island. Doing this and ordering from Coles online for food enabled us to have more spending money on the island for other things like the buggy hire etc.

Had breakfast one morning at the wildlife cafe, which was more for the kids sake, which they enjoyed, but decided value for money would be Pool Terrace for the next breakfast. Dinner at the Pool Terrace did not cease to amaze once again. The menu had changed since earlier in the year...but the wine was still the same great wine and some of the same great staff! ;)
The Pool Terrace closed for some renovations and we were unable to have breakfast there this trip but instead headed over and tried Sails. Sails is great for families. Relaxed atmosphere and great variety. After breakfast at Sails the kids played for a bit in the arcade section that is inside the same building as Sails towards the back, there is also a large floor sized chess set up on the floor.
There were a number of weddings during our stay, the children loved seeing the wedding parties out on the beach during their ceremonies. We walked out during low tide at the Catseye beach front and looked for little fish and had fun with the creatures coming out of the many little shells. Activities staff for the island set up a jumping castle one afternoon along with games which the children all enjoyed.

Sunset cocktails were good fun up at the lookout, we of course had our kids, but its very relaxed and there were also other families enjoying the view with their children also. They have packets of chips etc to purchase, no eftpos facilities up there, cash only...I suggest taking a few snacks of your own up there to enjoy with a cocktail/wine/beer. We got some GREAT photos and the atmosphere between guests was lovely,
everyone swapping cameras and helping each other get some great shots with their families. Suggestion...if you have children, head up there in a hired buggy rather than using the free shuttle...free shuttle gets quite full and when the kids are 'ready' to get going, it can be a hassle waiting around for the up to 40mins for the next shuttle..not to mention, if you head up too early and there is a good 1-2hours to wait for the actual sunset and then someone needs to use the bathroom.....We went up to the lookout twice, once in the shuttle and the second time in our hired buggy...if your not having a drink and you have kids in tow, or your racing to get back for a dinner booking - go with the buggy option!
We hired a buggy for 24 hours and went exploring. Went up to the Go kart area and watched but didn't try, the price was more than what we were prepared to pay for only 10mins or so. The kids did enjoy watching a flight depart and one land as you can see the airstrip.
We had a meal at Manta Ray cafe and it wasn't that great this time, but we ordered a-la-carte pasta and last time we had pizza....stick with the pizzas and the kids meals are okay. We tried out the glow in the dark bowling fun night, you shared a lane with other families and it was a group competition style set up..hence our kids got a little bored waiting for turns etc and the glow sticks were not given out as advertised...maybe just stick to a family game if your considering, more personal and less waiting for the kids.
Our favourite pool is the Bougainvillea Pool..had areas of shade to sit under. But we did venture out and enjoy a morning at the Pool Terrace pool in front of the Reef hotel..but had limited shade to sit under..and another morning at the Dolphin pool by Sails which had some areas of shade to sit under. We did not use the pool in front of Whitsundays Apartments, apart from one quick dip, due to there being no shaded areas to sit under. Bougainvillea is the best and takes the 'cake' for families!
Sunday afternoon down on the lawn in front of the marina they had Vocalist entertainment, excellent to sit and enjoy. We stayed for a bit after dinner to listen but headed off early as we had our children and it was late. Nice for couples or adults to enjoy into the late night.
And....the Icecream parlour...we indulged a few times this trip...*tip* try the English toffee!! YUM!!!

Enjoy your trip! :)

We stayed at the Whitsunday Apartments for New Years. A free bus picks you up at the airport and drops you off at the apartments. The front desk folks were friendly and helped us book a day tour to Whitehaven Beach. We were upgraded from garden view to the 10th floor. The apartments are owned by investors, therefore all the rooms are a little different, our room was nice and modern where as our friends room was a bit older and out dated, so it is a crap shoot. The room was semi-serviced, the trash was taken out, but the bed was not made.

There are busses you can take from one side of the island to the other, or you can walk, or better yet you can rent a golf cart to get around. It was pretty funny to see golf carts every where. A cart rental is $90/day.

You can hike around the island which was cool, the lookout above the hotel had 360 degree views, well worth the hike.

If self contained self catering is what you are after, this is the perfect option.
We paid for garden view apartment but were upgraded to the sea view apartment (level 5 upwards have amazing panoramic ocean views). The apartments consisted of 1 bedroom with a kingsize bed and day bed that converted to a single for one of the kids. The main living area had 2 sofas which also converted to single beds (we needed to make these single beds up, it's not part of the service). With 3 kids and 2 and would would have preferred something with 2 separate bedrooms.
The cost of food and drink on the Island is much higher than the mainland so it really pays to bring supplies with you ( if like us you prefer to invest your money in diving/reef trips).
We noted that The Reef View Hotel next door had similar accommodation but the bonus of a kids stay and eat free program. This would have been a really sensible option and saved some cost when we ate out.