The Courtyard of The Sands Hotel at Cleveland

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Posted 2016-08-01 by May ⇒ follow

The Sands Hotel in Cleveland CBD has been operating since 1930. Originally known as the Raby Bay Hotel it has seen many changes in the surrounding area and has itself undergone several transformations. The latest refurbishment was only completed a few months ago and we were keen to investigate. Besides, with the Tasmanian rellies due to visit it is always a good idea to locate places of interest where they can thaw out in the warmth of our Spring sunshine.

Located in Middle Street, The Sands has been cleverly renovated into designated areas. On this sunny and warm afternoon, we headed to the casual Courtyard area, which overlooks the parklands edging the waters of Raby Bay. Locals will be pleased to know that the familiar Boab Tree (adasonia gregorii) remains untouched and unscathed.

The Courtyard has undergone a paint job and has been dragged out of the 90's with modern tables and seating. The bones are clean and fresh and it is an inviting space to meet friends or simply to relax for an hour or two.

The big change to this area is that it no longer opens onto the Public Bar, which I think is a huge win in making this space Family Friendly. You can enter the Public Bar via a doorway.

The Courtyard has its own access to a bar and counter area for meal orders. As well, the menu is much more simplistic than that of the more formal dining area, The Verandah. Listed are several shared plates and the freshly made pizzas also seemed to be popular amongst friends. We opted only for some hot chips with pepper sauce, which were crispy and crunchy. Just perfect with a glass of something cold. Or hot. Coffee and cake is another option at The Courtyard. The sweet display looked amazing and the venue is quite acceptable for a coffee date with the girlfriends.

With the warmer weather looming may I share my favourite feature of The Courtyard; I love the live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon commencing at 2pm. It reinforces the fact that it's not a work day, and that's got to be a good thing, right?

Stuck my head around the corner to view the newly renovated Verandah too. Wow! What a difference. I'll report back on that one soon - just let me survive the Tasmanians first.