Our story
A Gold Coast classic, always cared for
Surfers Chalet has stood on Northcliffe Beach since the early 1980s, frequently refreshed, it has kept pace with modern conveniences and guest expectations.
Built in the 1980s boom
A different kind of Gold Coast building
Unlike the glass towers built further north along Cavill Avenue during the 1980s property boom, Surfers Chalet was designed for high-end, spacious apartment living right on the beach rim. It’s a low-rise, 6-storey complex of just 24 apartments — a stark contrast to the small-format glass and concrete boxes in the towers of modern developments.
Not content to simply ride the retro-chic trend, owners and managers have invested steadily over the decades: unit renovations, structural re-rendering, repainting, recarpeting and a refreshed reception area, all while keeping the building’s classic character intact.
The building today
Boutique, 4-star and low-rise
A boutique, 4-star building of six levels: quality design and furnishings, a well-maintained building that’s continually being modernised, secure parking and leisure facilities, and attentive service from managers who live onsite.
Studios, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments
Studios and self-contained apartments with room to spread out — far roomier than most modern Gold Coast builds.
Pool, spa & sauna
A ground-floor pool, spa and sauna for slow afternoons after the beach.
Secure underground garage
Free secure underground parking for all self-contained apartments.
Lift from basement to all units
The lift runs from the basement garage to every apartment level.
Across the road from the sand
Directly opposite Northcliffe Beach, a short stroll from Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club.
Managers onsite
Your onsite managers live in the building to ensure a problem-free stay.
From Elston to today
How we got here
1925 – 1933
Jim Cavill opens his Surfers Paradise Hotel in 1925, and the little seaside town of Elston grows up around it. It was officially renamed Surfers Paradise in 1933.
1947
Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club is founded by a small group of locals working out of an ex-army hut, on an estate named after Lord Northcliffe. A two-storey clubhouse followed in 1956; after a fire in 1975 it was rebuilt, and since 2007 it has carried BMD naming rights. Today it serves great food and hospitality with magnificent views, a one-minute walk from Surfers Chalet.
1960
The 11-storey Kinkabool rises as Surfers Paradise’s first high-rise, starting the skyline the Gold Coast is now famous for.
1980
Surfers Chalet opens on the corner of Garfield Terrace and Aubrey Street. Built of white brick with a single lift, its spacious apartments sit directly opposite Northcliffe Surf Club and the patrolled beach. Developer Ian Innes deliberately set the balcony railings to give each apartment more indoor living space rather than shallow alfresco seating, ahead of the trends of the era.
Decades of care
Regular modernisation, including unit renovations, re-rendering, repainting and recarpeting, keeps the building comfortable without losing its retro charm.
August 2026
Phill and Laura Pareezer make the sea-change to Northcliffe Beach and become the onsite operators of Surfers Chalet, recognising the opportunity in the size of the apartments and the quality of their furniture, finishes and fixtures.
Today
Surfers Chalet operates as a boutique, 4-star self-contained holiday apartment building, with its next round of modernisation under way. The space to make your holiday.
Meet your hosts
Onsite, and genuinely invested
Phill and his wife Laura are the proud onsite operators of Surfers Chalet. After diverse careers across health care, business, operations and executive leadership, Phill and Laura have made the sea-change to beautiful Northcliffe Beach on the Gold Coast.
Their combined operational experience in complex service delivery ecosystems has them focused on guest experience, supported by continuously improving back-office processes, so your stay is a positive one from planning through to check-out.
Laura Pareezer
Onsite ManagerA wealth of experience in health, clinical trial management and operations. Laura brings a focus on guest experience balanced with sophisticated commercial oversight.
Phillip Pareezer
Onsite ManagerPhill leverages his experience delivering transformation and operating-model redesign to lift business performance and deliver for both investors and guests.
Murray Pareezer
Lobby DogSurfers Chalet’s unofficial (and very good boy!) lobby dog.
Often on duty for a friendly hello.
This drawing is a contemporary illustration made for our website design. It is not Aboriginal art and is not intended to represent Kombumerri art or culture — it is included only to share a small piece of local knowledge.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners
Kaiala. Surfers Chalet and its operators have a deep respect for the diverse Traditional Owners across Australia. We acknowledge the Kombumerri people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we have the privilege of working, living and holidaying every day, and pay our respects to all Elders past, present and emerging, as they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of our Indigenous people. Thank you.
To learn more about the living culture of this coast, see our Culture experiences, including guided walks with Traditional Owners at Jellurgal (Burleigh Headland).
Come and see it for yourself.
High-end, spacious apartment living on the beachfront.