Overview
Does anything scream holidays quite like kicking back with a drink while staring at the ocean? If that's your dream getaway pastime, even just on day trips to the Gold Coast, then you're about to score two more places to indulge. Already famous for its surf, Kirra is welcoming a new precinct that'll include accommodation, as well as hospitality spots Kirra Beach Hotel and Kirra Beach House — both of which are set to open in November.
Eleven years in the making, Kirra Point Precinct will feature residential and vacation apartments, with a 116-unit tower dedicated to folks living the beach life year-round. If you're not residing or staying onsite, you can still look forward to hitting the shops — and gaining a new excuse to sip and snack while feeling the coastal breeze. One of the development's big drawcards is its seafront perch, which gives Kirra Beach Hotel and Kirra Beach House killer ocean vistas.
At Kirra Beach Hotel, which'll start letting patrons through the doors on Wednesday, November 8, the aim is to level up the classic beachside pub concept. A watering hole has stood onsite since 1956, but this is a new Kirra Beach Hotel after its previous guise was demolished in 2021. Designed to be breezy and casual — think: a sunny beer garden opposite the surf, five-metre-high ceilings and windows letting the fresh air in — this version sprawls across 1300 square metres on the corner of Marine Parade and Miles Street, and will be filled with surfing memorabilia heroing the sport's famous names like Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson.
Attracting all kinds of beachgoers is another big focus. So, Kirra Beach Hotel will include a family-friendly bistro serving up schnitzels, fish and chips, and other traditional pub fare; a public bar pouring plenty of local names like Balter and Burleigh Brewing on the beer side, and Brookie's Gin for spirits; and a sports bar filled with hefty TVs. For a drop to take home, there'll also be a bottle-o that again champions homegrown fare. And, for anyone heading by straight from the beach, there'll be a tub of thongs for folks who don't have shoes with them.
Greg Hodge is back as Kirra Beach Hotel's publican, after overseeing the bar for eight years in its last iteration. "We want the Kirra Beach Hotel to be more than just a pub for our guests and a place where anyone is welcome," he advised.
"It's a second home, a place where you can relax and be on a first-name basis with our staff, a place where you can pop in after a surf and grab a bite to eat, and perch up with a beer in hand and watch the waves roll in."
Kirra Beach House doesn't have an exact opening date as yet, but will also throw open its doors in mid-November on the precinct's second level. Here, patrons will find a 1200-square-metre venue by SITE Hospitality's Dave Galvin (Kōst, Mozza Mozza) — and a spot that again boasts a number of spaces within its one big space. There'll be a wine bar, two cocktail bars (one, Preston's, is for intimate soirées), indoor spots to drink, outdoor places to settle in, and room for events such as weddings and shindigs.
The views at Kirra Beach House will feature the ocean and sky — so, plenty of blue — from almost everywhere within its walls. Obviously, when you're out on the terrace cocktail bar, seeing the beach is a given (also expect to spy Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise's skylines). While you're soaking in the views, you can listen to DJs and acoustic tunes, and get comfortable in 20-person cabanas. Head around to the western terrace and a kitchen, bar and asado barbecue await, as well as foliage as a backdrop.
"It will have a beach club atmosphere about it, with great music, mesmerising panoramic views of Kirra, Mediterranean-style food using the incredible local produce we have on our doorstep, a world-class drinks list and, of course, great service," said Galvin.
As for the food and drinks, the menu by Kōst Executive Chef Sebbie Kenyon includes seafood platters both raw and cooked, plus steaks, burgers, flatbreads and pizzas — and cocktails that take their cues from holidays, fittingly, as well as house-made spritzes and Aussie wines.
Kirra Beach Hotel and Kirra Beach House form part of Kirra Point Precinct's first stage. When stage two arrives, it'll add to the places to stay, shop, and eat and drink. On the cards: a boutique hotel, laneway retailers, a village square, a fresh food marketplace, another residential apartment tower, a gelateria and more.
Kirra Beach Hotel will open on Wednesday, November 8 and Kirra Beach House in mid-November at Kirra Point, 2 Marine Parade, Coolangatta.