Two hundred guests try out resort renovations at Palmer birthday bash

Clive Palmer and friends have put his partially renovated Palmer Coolum Resort to the test.

The billionaire mining magnate flew in to celebrate his 70th birthday party with about 200 guests on the weekend.

Mr Palmer’s birthday is in March but a spokesman said the celebration had been delayed because he was in The Hague at the time.

Movement at the resort on the weekend led to speculation that there had been a “soft opening” of its restaurants.

Mr Palmer pledged to revamp the resort, formerly known as the Hyatt Regency Coolum, when he bought it in 2011, but mothballed it in 2015.

The PGA-standard golf course has remained open and is reported to be in excellent condition.

He announced a $100 million renovation of the resort in 2021 after buying out time-share owners to gain full control of the property.

Sunshine Coast News reported in 2022 that the revamped resort would include a 623-vehicle car museum, a town square revitalised as a foodie hub, a wonders of the world showpiece including a Trevi Fountain replica, and a three-storey car park.

The renovations hit a snag in 2023 when tradespeople working at the site walked off the job during a dispute.

Mr Palmer decided to relocate the car museum to Patrick Estate, near Lake Wivenhoe, mid-this year in the face of the development application likely being rejected by the Sunshine Coast Council.

The spokesman said work was proceeding at the resort and “there’s been no slowing down”.

“It will be amazing. It will be really impressive when it reopens,” he said.

“He had people there on the weekend. People using the rooms. Two hundred people using the golf course, the restaurants, the pool.”

The spokesman said it remained to be seen if the resort would reopen in its entirety or if Mr Palmer would opt for a staged reopening.