A quarter century of true hospitality at Bay Villas Resort
PEACEFUL PARADISE
BUSINESS FEATURE
With Douglas soon to commemorate 150 years as a Shire, local history is currently quite a hot topic. Bay Villas Resort, a much loved and revisited favourite holiday location, situated at 51-53 Davidson Street, has certainly been part of Port Douglas’ recent history and over the last 25 years has seen a number of changes.
The resort originally began as two separate complexes, built between 1999 and 2000, and these joined as a single scheme shortly after, providing both studio and self-contained apartments.
Ken Lockhart has been the caretaker/manager for nine of those years and has overseen many improvements including, back in 2023, a major external refresh involving a repaint of the entire complex, replacing roof screws, updating gutters and fascia, plus reviving the BBQ decks.
“That project actually inspired quite a few individual owners to refresh their own unit interiors at the same time” Ken said.
Ken says the core philosophy at Bay Villas Resort is providing a fantastic guest experience.
“We pride ourselves on offering a relaxed tropical escape, whether for a bucket-list trip or just escaping a southern winter” he said.
“We hit that sweet spot, with an easy 10-minute stroll to town, but still far enough away from the hustle and bustle.
Ken feels it’s been a fantastic year for tourism. “We ran at full capacity through July and August, with very strong demand continuing through September
“What’s encouraging is the noticeable return of international travellers, alongside steady domestic visitors discovering Port Douglas for the first time or falling in love with it all over again.”
Regular visitors to Bay Villas Resort will be pleased to know that further improvements are next on the agenda.
“We'll be upgrading the BBQ deck areas, cabinetry and outdoor furniture to keep the outdoor living spaces top-notch” Ken said.
Committed to community
Apart from offering a fantastic holiday experience, Bay Villas Resort’s values have always been strong when supporting local sport & community.
Manager Ken says, “community sport is a massive passion of mine.”
Bay Villas Resort proudly sponsors both the Port Douglas Reef Raiders and the Muddies Cricket Club, and Ken is also a Port Douglas Croc Club member.
“Over the years, I’ve spent countless weekends on the sidelines or in the field for the Raiders, Crocs, Dragons, and Muddies.
"I serve on the Muddies committee, captained the 4th XI for several seasons and still pad up today, along with getting out for a round as a member at Sea Reef Plamer Golf Club.
"We love looking after visiting club members, touring sides and their families whenever they need a base in town.”
Ken’s favourite part of the job is that no two days are ever the same. “Naturally, running a resort brings some operational hurdles, but the human side makes it all worthwhile” he said.
“Meeting travellers from every walk of life, sharing local stories and having those uplifting interactions that offer a whole new perspective on the world, that’s what hospitality is really all about.”
For more information and to book your stay at Bay Villas, visit: bayvillasresort.com.au
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