It was a beautiful little island sanctuary. We so enjoyed wandering the island for afternoon reef walks.

Rooms were very basic with no hairdryer, WiFi and TV. The $25 per day fee for WiFi use seemed very steep to me and would have been great to learn about before the trip. Breakfast was also basic with not a lot of fresh/ healthy food options aside from a few tinned peaches. If you wanted a coffee that was not instant, you had to pay which I also found a shame, surely they could provide one free decent coffee per person given the amount we were charged each night.

Being close to nature both on the island and with snorkelling was great.

Overall the restaurant was a shadow of its former self. We have been there three previous times and have previously had seafood and roast buffets etc. Now evening meals are very average - expensive and a limited choice.

I love it that Heron Island Resort is integrated into the natural world rather than trying to dominate resulting in another wonderful experience. Staff were very engaged and friendly (particularly the restaurant staff) and the room was comfy.

Like many other reviewers, the food is a big let down in both option and quality. While an improvement to our last visit (five years ago) the restaurant still offers little more than boarding house quality with premium pricing. The buffet is particularly poor. Unfortunately the resort offers minimal food alternatives to the restaurant.

This was my 5th trip to the island, and it is still my most favourite place on the planet. The diving and snorkelling are amazing. Sadly, the feef is bleaching more every time I visit, and there is more and more damage to the reef, but it is still stunning, especially when you head to the outer reef. There have clearly been some changes on the island since I last visited a couple of years ago. I completely understand that covid restrictions would have hit the resort hard. However, the cost cutting currently made for a less than happy stay. If it wasn't for the reef itself, I would not be returning to the island in the future. New years buffet, complete failure, meat raw and under cooked, it was not safe to eat. The cold prawns left out in the heat for hours, and again, I was not willing to risk food poisoning. Not enough seating for everyone, only cutlery was forks, no knives all being used. The moment said and bread rolls were replenish, gone instantly. For the cost of $35, I literally only ate a half-baked roll. Each mealtime was a disappointment, no butter, no fresh milk, ran out of salad on the 3rd day, no real vegetarian options, constant buffet style meals, no alacart as advertised. Everything is basic and tasting like package 6mix. Bean chilli, no sour cream, no salsa, couldn't even get chilli flakes to give food a bit of flavour. Pay for barrister coffee made with longlife milk, not overly pleasant. Staffing was at a minimum, and they were worked off their feet and being abused by other guests, which was not exceptable. The manager really needs to pull his finger out, support the staff better, and manage the food ordering more appropriately as you have paying customers stuck on an island and no decent meals, things will only continue to get worse.

Poor meal choice, food under cooked, basic and bland. Rooms not cleaned during our 5 night stay

This is a complete detox from everything electronic. There is no mobile reception and the wifi (which can be purchased) is poor - that's why I love it! There were no televisions or clocks in our cabin, and we were surrounded by the constant call of migrating birds.

The food wasn't great. It was all buffet style breakfast and dinner, no a-la-carte whilst we were there in November 2022. Most nights we only wanted something light, but we had to pay for a full buffet meal - not enough choice for this aspect.

This is our second stay at Heron and a few things we thought were done better this time. The food and service staff (mostly French), were helpful, knowledgeable, and courteous. They used to offer only a buffet dinner and now it’s a la carte, and the food was great! Very generous portions, and good quality. No issues with food quality for the entire 5 night stay. Breakfast is ok - buffet style - given how physical a stay at the resort is, it’s absolutely fine. Kids enjoyed the hash browns and fresh donuts! The fruit offering isn’t great, but it’s an island, so to be expected in a way. Lunch needs an overhaul. Offering a picnic lunch option for guests might be better way to go I suspect. The special burger is great though! And pizza was ok too. We often did take away, taking the opportunity for some down time in the middle of the day while it was hot. We did do a few meals at the restaurant for lunch and it was fine. Not as good as dinner though! The rooms desperately need an update but genuinely have what you need. More storage would be amazing though. They encourage you to spend more time outside exploring the island! Transfers are easy and the resort has that down pat. The pool is good! The island really is the draw card. Walking around and snorkelling off the island during high tide, we saw so much wildlife and had some special moments (like seeing a giant turtle on the beach having a rest!).

The rooms need a minor update, the hotel overall needs a clean (but is much better than it was a year ago), and some small maintenance tweaks in the rooms would go a long way. That said, people going to Heron appreciate and want to learn about the amazing environment they get to experience, so the resort part isn’t really the draw card.

Exceptional place! Amazing marine life and birds 🦅 everywhere. It feels very untouched even though there are hundreds of people there every day. Amazing snorkeling and fish spotting. We saw sharks, rays and a lot of turtles (on land and in the sea). Very well qualified crew, interesting guided walks (included) and good snorkel trips. You can also snorkel off the beach, and see everything just there. Get up early to see sunrise and turtle nesting.

Be prepared for bird shit everywhere. There are a million birds all over, and it smells and you will probably be hit from the air as well. The food is not impressive, but still decent breakfast and dinner buffets. Not good value for money though.

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef has been a dream since childhood, but I wanted more than a crowded tourist boat day trip or two. Heron Island was that dream come true. We had a beachside suite, just a few steps from the sea, with views to die for. Pristine white sand and glistening turquoise water, teaming with wildlife.- everyday we watched as turtles, rays, epaulettes and other beautiful creatures swam past, without getting wet. The joy of seeing humpback whales leaping from the sea, on the out reef, was immeasurable. The island is all about looking after the reef, educating us how we can help ensure it's longevity, and without exception all the staff, share that passion and genuinely want you to enjoy your time there. We joined the dive boat on the outer reef several times, to really experience the world under the sea. We snorkelled with experienced staff, feeling like we were swimming in an exotic and colourful giant aquarium - utterly exhilarating! On our last night, we sat and watched as over 20 turtles collected in the shallows on the beach. An incredible sight to see. Every need is catered for from good choices for breakfast to delicious, top-class restaurant quality meals. I felt really sad to leave. We were there for a week, but it was not long enough. Thank you everyone for making our stay so incredible. Truly a dream come true.

Nothing

The resort and location was great. Katie was our ranger for the tours and was amazing. The staff made our stay very relaxing.

The food average and we had to have the buffet for dinner which was expensive for what we had. I would have liked the choice from the lunch menu to be available for dinner

The location!! The Barrier Reef is fabulous and this island delivers the goods. A very relaxing break. The marine biologist (Katy) was an excellent entertaining guide for the whole environment; everything from birds, turtles, and fish. It was awesome to watch turtle nesting with her. The boat to the edge of the reef for snorkelling was fantastic. Staff were very helpful responding to a dietary requirement. Washing machine and dryer are available free of charge The research station tour by Stuart (the head of the Uni of Queensland Research Station) was fabulous.

The humidity was somewhat opressive (to be expected in late November). An airconditioned unit or waterfront unit would have been better (both are higher cost and availability is an issue) Telstra's payphone was out of order for the whole 6 days we were there.