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Paradise Resort Gold Coast has been part of the Surfers Paradise landscape for more than four decades, but the resort families know and love today looks very different to the property that first welcomed guests in 1982.
Over the years, the resort has changed names, owners and identities, evolving from a sprawling Gold Coast holiday resort into one of Australia’s best-known family holiday destinations.
Take a trip down memory lane with us as we look at Paradise Resort Gold Coast: Then & Now.
Paradise Resort | Adventure Playground
Long before Paradise Resort Gold Coast became synonymous with family holidays, waterparks and kids' activities, the property was simply known as The Resort.
Opening on 23 October 1982, The Resort was an impressive addition to the rapidly developing Surfers Paradise holiday scene. With 409 rooms, the property was designed as a destination in its own right and even featured an onsite bakery, hairdressing salon and nightclub.
The Resort attracted everyone from sporting groups and families to couples enjoying a romantic Gold Coast getaway. During the 1980s, the property also enjoyed national exposure through the popular television dating show Perfect Match, with holidays at the resort regularly appearing as a major prize for contestants.
Paradise Resort | Resort Room
Food and drink at the resort have taken many forms over the past four decades.
In the early years, guests didn't just have somewhere to eat. The property featured its own onsite bakery, while those looking for a night out didn't necessarily have to leave the resort thanks to an onsite nightclub.
There was even a hairdressing salon, making the resort a very different holiday destination to the Paradise Resort families experience today.
Fast-forward to the present and our food and beverage offering has been designed with family holidays firmly in mind. From Penguins Restaurant, to casual dining and takeaway options such as Deb’s Pizza Shack and Jerry’s Burgers, today's focus is on making mealtimes easy, relaxed and fun for the whole family.
Some things, however, have stood the test of time. Our onsite convenience store continues the tradition of giving guests somewhere to pick up holiday essentials without having to leave the resort.
Paradise Resort | Dining
Another major transformation began in 1996, when international hotel group Accor took over management of the property and it became known as Mercure Resort Surfers Paradise.
It was during the Mercure era that the resort began making a deliberate shift towards the family holiday market - a direction that would ultimately shape everything Paradise Resort would become.
One of the most significant additions was the Gecko Kids Club, the first of its kind in Australia under the Accor brand.
The Gecko Kids Club introduced a new generation of families to the resort and helped establish children's entertainment and supervised activities as an important part of the holiday experience.
Little did anyone know at the time just how important those geckos would become!
Paradise Resort | Gecko Kids Club
Today, our much-loved characters Captain, Astro, Dusty and Cleo are instantly recognisable to generations of Paradise Resort guests.
Their story can be traced back to the resort's Mercure years and the introduction of the Gecko Kids Club.
When the property later became Paradise Resort Gold Coast, the family focus continued to grow and the gecko legacy lived on through the resort's characters.
Today, our characters are an integral part of the Paradise Resort experience, appearing throughout the property, in live entertainment and during special activities and events.
Paradise Resort | Gizmo the Gecko Mascot
On 16 July 2007, the Mercure chapter came to an end and the property entered a new era as Paradise Resort Gold Coast.
Operating independently, the resort embraced its identity as a dedicated family holiday destination and continued developing facilities, entertainment and experiences specifically around families.
The change represented much more than a new name. It laid the foundations for the colourful, activity-filled family resort guests recognise today.
Paradise Resort | Giant Waterpark
Paradise Resort is now famous for facilities designed to keep kids entertained from morning until night - but they certainly didn't all arrive at once.
In 2011, the resort was purchased by Melbourne's Zagame family, beginning another significant period of transformation.
Over the following five years, approximately $6 million was invested into refurbishing the property, including improvements to the waterpark, outdoor pool area, guest rooms and other resort facilities.
Under the leadership of General Manager David Brook, the resort also introduced Australia's first hotel-based ice-skating rink.
Today known as Planet Chill, the rink became one of Paradise Resort's signature attractions and demonstrated just how far the property had evolved from the traditional Gold Coast resort that opened in 1982.
Paradise Resort | Planet Chill
The resort's original 409 rooms were created for a very different style of Gold Coast holiday.
As the property's focus shifted increasingly towards families, the accommodation evolved with it. Refurbishments introduced family-friendly features including bunk beds and dedicated spaces for children, while subsequent renovations have continued to modernise rooms throughout the resort.
Today, the accommodation continues to evolve, with refurbished rooms and dedicated family configurations designed to make travelling with children easier and more comfortable.
The décor may have changed considerably since 1982, but after more than four decades, the same buildings continue to welcome generations of Gold Coast holidaymakers.
Paradise Resort | Junior Bunkhouse Rooms
Paradise Resort's story could have ended very differently.
In 2015, the resort was sold to the Ralan Group for a reported $75 million, with ambitious plans to transform the surrounding site into The Ruby Collection - a $1.4 billion development ultimately planned to comprise four towers.
The first stage, Ruby Apartments, was constructed next door to Paradise Resort on Norfolk Avenue and completed in 2018. While the new 30-storey tower began welcoming residents and guests, Paradise Resort continued operating alongside it.
But its days appeared numbered.
The long-term plan was for Paradise Resort to eventually be demolished to make way for the remaining Ruby towers, bringing the resort's decades-long history to an end.
That future changed dramatically in July 2019, when the Ralan Group collapsed and entered voluntary administration. Ruby Apartments had been completed, but the remainder of the grand Ruby Collection vision was left unfinished.
Paradise Resort was once again placed on the market.
Paradise Resort | Ruby Apartments
In November 2019, Paradise Resort was given a new lease on life when it was purchased by Australian hotelier Dr Jerry Schwartz, with settlement finalised on 29 February 2020.
Rather than demolishing the much-loved family resort, Dr Schwartz unveiled a vision to revitalise it, backed by a multimillion-dollar investment program.
Paradise was staying.
But just weeks later, an entirely unexpected challenge arrived.....
Paradise Report | Owners, Dr Jerry and Debbie Schwartz with their children in front of the junior waterpark
On 27 March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Paradise Resort to close its doors.
For the first time in its history, the usually bustling resort fell quiet.
But behind those closed doors, an extraordinary transformation was taking place.
More than $3 million was invested into much-needed improvements, while General Manager David Brook and the Paradise Resort team found creative ways to keep staff working and involved in the property's renewal.
Chefs swapped kitchen utensils for paintbrushes, housekeepers headed into the gardens and Kids Club attendants helped clean and refresh the waterpark.
What could have been one of the darkest periods in the resort's history instead became an opportunity to breathe new life into the property.
On 1 September 2020, Paradise Resort reopened with a refreshed look, an energised team and a renewed vision for its future.
Paradise Resort | Front Foyer
As travel returned and restrictions eased, the transformation continued.
By 2022, families were ready to holiday again and Paradise Resort introduced even more attractions and entertainment.
A miniature train, carousel and large central activity screen joined the resort's growing collection of family experiences, alongside new characters, live shows and an expanded program of activities.
The resort that had opened four decades earlier with a nightclub, bakery and hairdresser had become almost unrecognisable.
And that was exactly the point.
Paradise Resort | Safari Train
In 2025, Paradise Resort celebrated an incredible milestone, being named Australia's Best Family Resort for the 15th consecutive year by Out & About with Kids magazine.
The achievement is particularly special when you consider just how much the resort has evolved since first opening its doors as The Resort in 1982. Through four different names, changing owners and more than four decades of transformation, one thing has remained at the heart of the property - creating memorable Gold Coast holidays.
Today, that legacy continues as Paradise Resort evolves for a new generation of families, while remaining a place where many guests who visited as children now return with children of their own.
Paradise Resort | Front Entrance
More than four decades after the first guests arrived in October 1982, Paradise Resort continues to evolve.
The buildings have changed. The rooms have changed. Nightclubs and hair salons have made way for waterparks, ice skating, kids' activities and family entertainment. Even the resort's name has changed three times.
But one thing has remained constant - generations of guests have come through our doors to enjoy a holiday in the heart of Surfers Paradise.
Today, Paradise Resort Gold Coast is continuing that story with ongoing room refurbishments, new attractions and exciting facilities designed for both children and adults.
From The Resort in 1982 to the Paradise Resort of today, there's plenty of history within these walls - and we're excited to see what the next chapter brings.
Paradise then. Paradise now. And plenty more Paradise still to come.
Paradise Resort | Aerial View of Giant Waterpark
