The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas, is a

seaside resort A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...

hotel on Four Mile Beach in

Port Douglas Port Douglas is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia, approximately 60 km north of Cairns. In the , Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the in ...

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...

, Australia.

History

Developed by businessman

Christopher Skase Christopher Charles Skase (18 September 19485 August 2001) was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca, Spain. Early life Sk ...

at a reported cost of $100 million, the resort was officially opened in October 1987, and has been said to have transformed Port Douglas "from a sleepy far-north Queensland seaside town into a sophisticated tropical playground for the rich and famous." Guests known to have stayed at the resort include former President of the United States

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

and his wife, former

United States Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, Hollywood stars

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

, Leonardo DiCaprio,

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

and

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...

, opera singer

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

, supermodel

Claudia Schiffer Claudia Maria Schiffer (; born 25 August 1970) is a German model and actress based in the United Kingdom. She rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the world's most successful models, attaining supermodel status. In her early career, she was compa ...

, and rock singer

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

and his ex-wife, model

Jerry Hall Jerry Faye Hall (born July 2, 1956) is an American model and actress. She began modelling in the 1970s and became one of the most sought after models in the world. She transitioned into acting, appearing in the 1989 film ''Batman''. Hall was th ...

. In 2004, the resort began a major refurbishment program, and in 2011 it was purchased by

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

property developer

David Marriner David Marriner is an Australian property developer and former theatre owner. A controversial figure in his business dealings, Marriner is credited with revitalising Melbourne's East End theatre district in the 1980s and 1990s through renovating th ...

and Chinese investor the Fullshare Group for $35 million. In 2013, Marriner sold his shareholding to the Fullshare Group. Another major redevelopment commenced in May 2015. It had a budget of $43 million and was completed in August 2016.

Description

The resort's site is adjacent to Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas. At its core is a group of multistorey buildings flanked by a "sprawling network" of 10 "lagoons". The site also includes tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, the Kaia day spa and a gymnasium. Typically the resort hosts about 700 guests, and at peak times around 900. Onsite dining is headed up by the restaurant Harrisons, which is operated by chef-owner Spencer Patrick. Opened in central Port Douglas in 2007, it relocated to the resort in 2017.

References

{{commonscat-inline, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas Buildings and structures completed in 1987 Hotels established in 1987 Hotel buildings completed in 1987 Hotels in Queensland Sheraton hotels 1987 establishments in Australia