Overview
The vacation's easy-going relative — the staycation — is a hot contender when looking to hit refresh on the monotony of our day to day. Without the need for annual leave applications, passport searching or airport shenanigans, it could even beat out ol' vacay. And what's better than a luxe staycation, you ask? A free luxe staycation.
Enter JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa. We've teamed up with the five-star digs in Surfers Paradise to give away a two-night mid-week staycation — with brekkie each morning — and a five-course degustation for two at the award-winning on-site restaurant, Citrique. A true shake up to the normal Monday–Friday routine.
Citrique welcomes diners with light and bright energy courtesy of high ceilings, expansive windows, a lush leafy outlook and a bevy of flashy live cooking stations. The all-day dining destination serves top-quality fresh, local and seasonal produce from 6.30am till 9.30pm. Our morning eyes are firmly on the lighter-than-air soufflé pancakes.
Already sold? Head to the bottom of the page for details on how to enter. Or, for a closer look at the farm-to-table offering, read on.
For after-dark dining, start with small plates. Perhaps the Vegetable Garden — heirloom carrots and baby beets direct to your plate from Tamborine Mountain — or maybe the Bay Bug dumplings, for delicate Moreton Bay bug parcels swimming in bisque sauce with coconut sambal and fresh-snipped herbs atop.
On to the larger offering and you'll be tasked with choosing between Tablelands duck breast with a lavender-honey glaze or oven-baked snowfish beneath white miso sauce. Fire-roasted pumpkin with gnocchi and smoked garlic keeps it hot for the veggie-centric. And if you take out the top spot in the competition, you and your dinner date will be sipping a glass of Moët & Chandon, too.
Booked a weekend visit? From Friday to Sunday, surrender to your oceanic feast of dreams at Citrique's award-winning seafood buffet. Prized Mooloolaba prawns join the likes of Pacific oysters, blue swimmer crabs and vongole.
Opt for a dessert-imitates-life finisher via the Citrus Illusion (lemon curd and white chocolate moonlighting as a lemon), or stick to the signature gold bar — a chocolate glaze hiding a rich mousse, crisp feuilletine and salted caramel, with accompanying peanut ice cream for a grown-up serve of Snickers.
All this gastronomical fun — plus a couple of heaven-sent nights of sleep in a spacious Hinterland King Room — could be yours to share with your date (or very lucky mate), just enter below.