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The Darling at The Star Gold Coast has been honoured on the national stage, taking home ‘Best Deluxe Accommodation’ at the National Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Awards for Excellence recently.

The Star Gold Coast also took home the award for ‘Best Redeveloped Hotel – Accommodation Division’.

The accolades follow winning the same categories at the 2018 Queensland Hotels Association Awards for Excellence in October last year.

Providing a further boost to the Gold Coast’s tourism appeal, acknowledgement for The Darling also enhanced its standing as a world-class luxury hotel destination that can be a genuine drawcard for interstate and international visitors.

From premium resort facilities and world-class gaming amenities to its award-winning rooftop restaurant and bar, Nineteen at The Star, the 56-suite luxury hotel prides itself on offering innovation, superior luxury, and outstanding guest service to cater to every individual need.

The Star Entertainment Group’s Group Executive Operations Geoff Hogg said he was proud to see The Darling take home the prestigious award and attributed the win to the company’s goal of building a world-class integrated resort on the Gold Coast while helping raise the profile of the city on a global stage.

“As the centrepiece of The Star Gold Coast’s initial transformation, we opened The Darling in March last year ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games,” Mr Hogg said.

“Our goal was to ensure every element offered an unprecedented level of luxury and sophistication not previously available on the Gold Coast or in Queensland.

“We wanted the ‘wow’ factor – from arriving at our exquisite porte cochere and lobby featuring grand chandeliers and breath-taking lighting and water features, to enjoying our spacious suites starting from 70sqm to a massive 328sqm, through to taking a dip in our rooftop gravity-defying infinity pool.”

However, Mr Hogg also highlighted that creating stunning architecture and design were only part of the broader vision.

“To run a hotel of this calibre, you need the right team – people who are highly engaged, service-focused, and trained to create personalised and authentic experiences for guests,” Mr Hogg said.

“This includes everything from being able to speak the guests’ language, understanding what they like and dislike, striving beyond the anticipated, and ultimately making sure their stay is completely tailored to their vision of a perfect vacation, business trip, or conference experience.

“Many of the requests other properties might consider as ‘special’ due to their rarity are handled on a regular basis at The Darling and it is never a light service.”

As part of an integrated resort company where the finest hotels, restaurants, theatre shows, music acts, and other entertainment options are available within a single precinct in a prime location, The Darling’s direct connection to The Star Grand provides a compelling point of differentiation.

In turn, this has helped The Star Gold Coast win ‘Best Redeveloped Hotel – Accommodation Division’.

The company has consistently backed the Gold Coast with tourism investments including refurbishing the original property to a five-star hotel and rebranding it to The Star Grand; expanding to offer more than 20 restaurants and bars; opening a new day spa and fitness centre; refreshing its conference and event facilities; and continuing to entertain audiences in its state-of-the-art theatre, which regularly attracts highly acclaimed performers from all over the world.

“We have also become closer to the events that matter most to the Gold Coast – we were the first major partner of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Logies have found their home with us, and we continue to help Magic Millions grow into a premier event on the Australian sporting calendar,” Mr Hogg said.

“We are only growing our presence here on Broadbeach Island with the build of our $400 million first mixed-use tower now underway, which will bring the internationally-acclaimed Dorsett hotel to Australia for the first time when it opens around 2022.

“Further, we have a proposed $2 billion-plus masterplan for Broadbeach Island that includes an additional four towers and resort amenities, with pre-sales already launching for the apartments in one of these towers which would also include another five-star hotel.

“This would mean four hotels on the island, which would give The Star Gold Coast the title of offering more hotels than any other integrated resort in Australia.

“We are gearing up for these transformational tourism infrastructure assets, and we look forward to creating thousands of jobs for the future in tourism and hospitality.”

Mr Hogg said The Darling at the Gold Coast is the second hotel in the company to adopt the boutique brand, with the first being The Darling at The Star Sydney.

“The Darling at The Star Sydney is an established and multi award-winning hotel, and in 2017 became the first in New South Wales to be awarded a Forbes Five-Star rating – the most coveted recognition in the global luxury travel sector – which it has now retained for a third successive year,” Mr Hogg said.

“Our goal for The Darling on the coast is to attain this rating as well, and continue helping meet the growing demand for high-end accommodation across the city and the wider South East Queensland region.”