Suitably Relaxed – Club Tropical by The Stella Collective

The Stella Collective has reimagined the privately-owned suites at Port Douglas’s Club Tropical Resort. The design, which exudes all the refinement associated with the studio’s work, is neutralised by the free and easy atmosphere of Far North Queensland, resulting in a place of insouciance and poise.

Located in the heart of the laid-back township of Port Douglas, the suites at Club Tropical are pockets of serenity and calm. In crafting a fresh identity that feels at ease with the existing resort, The Stella Collective has drawn on the area’s tropical context and the hotel’s 1980s character. “We saw an opportunity to blend the resort’s original 80s, hedonistic, tiki design with the sleek and utopian aesthetic of tropical minimalism,” says Director Hana Hakim. Also, as a longstanding visitor to Port Douglas, Hana was drawn to the idea of refurbishing and renewing – as opposed to demolishing – the resort, safeguarding the area from “the potential threat of over-development”.

Pull Quote: “We saw an opportunity to blend the resort’s original 80s, hedonistic, tiki design with the sleek and utopian aesthetic of tropical minimalism,” says The stella Collective Director Hana Hakim.

Inside each suite, seductive curves, rendered surfaces, terracotta tiles and natural stone converge to create interiorities driven by neutrality and texture. There’s nothing harsh about these rooms – the king-sized bed, for example, is surrounded by wide, sweeping steps cascading from its edge. Just beside this, a daybed is ripe for midday naps and lazy afternoons, and sunlight is softened by sheer curtains. While elevated, it’s all very informal and easy – fitting for languid days in the tropics.

Arched doorways with swinging saloon doors lead to the bathroom, where The Stella Collective’s ready-to-wear bathroom brand, Cult Stella, comes into its own. Conceived as a series of resolved bathroom concepts that can be specified and fitted for multi-residential and hospitality projects, Cult Stella is a fitting choice for Club Tropical. The design employed here, which features a sandy-toned travertine, white mosaic tiles and glass bricks, neatly reflects the epicurean essence of the project.

Cultivated and polished yet suitably relaxed, the lasting effect of a night or two in the suites at Club Tropical is sure to be one of total tranquillity.