Staying with toddlers, without losing your mind.

Travelling with toddlers is its own category of holiday. The logistics are different, the pace is different and the definition of a successful day shifts considerably when someone in the group needs a nap by 1pm and has strong opinions about what shape their pasta is. The good news is that Broadbeach is genuinely one of the better places on the Gold Coast to do it, and Solace is set up in a way that makes the whole thing more manageable than most.

Here is what actually helps.

The apartment

The two bedroom layout is the thing that makes the biggest practical difference. Having a separate room to put a toddler down while the rest of the evening continues is not a small thing. It means bedtime at seven does not mean the adults are staring at the ceiling in the dark by eight. Bring a portable cot if your child still needs one and it fits comfortably in the second bedroom alongside the two single beds.

The kitchen is fully equipped, which matters more than it sounds when you are travelling with small kids. Being able to make breakfast in the apartment rather than negotiating a café with a tired two-year-old before 8am changes the tone of the whole morning. Stock the fridge on arrival from the Coles at Pacific Fair, five minutes away, and keep the mornings yours.

The balcony is gated and the views from the 44th floor are one of those things that genuinely hold a toddler’s attention in a way that a screen sometimes cannot. Planes, boats, the ocean, the city lights at night. It is a surprisingly effective ten minutes of entertainment at the end of a long day.

The pool

The building pool is the centre of gravity for most families staying at Solace. It is heated, it is on the amenities level and it is a manageable size for keeping an eye on small children without feeling like you are lifeguarding an open ocean. The pool area has daybeds alongside it, which means one adult can be in the water with the kids while the other actually sits down for twenty minutes.

Go early on weekdays if you want it quieter. The pool is at its best in the morning before the heat of the day and toddlers who have been up since 5:30am are often ready for it by 9am, which conveniently lines up with when you want to be outside anyway.

The sauna and steam room are less relevant when you are travelling with small kids but worth knowing about for the evenings once they are down.

The beach

Kurrawa Beach is a five minute walk from the building and it is one of the better family beaches on the Gold Coast. It is patrolled year round, the sand is wide and flat, and the water is generally calmer at the northern end near the flags which is where you want to be with toddlers. The slope into the water is gradual enough that small kids can stand in the shallows without being immediately knocked over by the break.

Bring everything you need from the apartment because the beach has limited shade and toddlers at the beach require approximately three times the equipment you think they will. Sunscreen, water, snacks, a change of clothes, something to dig with and a towel big enough to wrap a sandy child in. Leave nothing to chance.

The walk from Solace to the beach takes five minutes along a flat path that is easy with a pram. The walk back, uphill with a tired toddler and wet sand in everything, is the one that tests people. Factor it into your timing and leave the beach before anyone has completely run out of energy.

Eating with small kids

The best café option for families in Broadbeach is eating at the apartment for breakfast and lunch and saving the restaurants for dinner once the kids are in a better headspace. That said, when you do go out, a few places handle the chaos better than others.

Pacific Fair is the easiest option with toddlers because it is enclosed, air-conditioned, has wide corridors for prams and multiple food options that allow for the kind of tactical ordering that travelling with fussy eaters requires. Betty’s Burgers at The Patio is fast, unpretentious and genuinely good. Kids love it and the wait is short enough that you will not reach the end of your patience before the food arrives.

HOTA in Surfers Paradise has a good café with outdoor space that works well for families. The gallery itself is free to enter and surprisingly engaging for toddlers, particularly the sculpture garden and any interactive elements in the current exhibitions. It is a good half-day option on a weekday when the crowds are thinner.

For a proper family dinner, Kiyomi at The Star is better suited to slightly older kids, but Cucina Vivo at The Star handles families well and the Italian menu gives toddlers something recognisable to eat while the adults order properly.

Practical things worth knowing

The building lift is large enough for a pram without needing to fold it. The lobby level has easy access from the car park. Pacific Fair has a dedicated parent room with change facilities and a feeding area on both levels. Kurrawa Beach has a playground adjacent to the northern car park that is worth knowing about for the thirty minutes before or after a swim when you need to burn remaining energy without getting back in the water.

The Broadbeach to Helensvale light rail stops at Broadbeach South, a short walk from the building, and runs through to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Toddlers generally find trams thrilling and the G:link is free for children under five, which makes it a good option for getting to HOTA or the Surfers Paradise beach without dealing with parking.

If you need a pram hire, Gold Coast Pram Hire delivers directly to the building and picks up on checkout. Worth knowing if you are flying and do not want to gate-check a pram both ways.

The rhythm that works

The families who enjoy Solace most tend to follow the same basic pattern. Early morning at the apartment with breakfast on the balcony. Pool or beach from nine until noon. Lunch back at the apartment or somewhere close, followed by a nap that you actually get to respect because you are not trying to get anywhere. Afternoon activity, whether that is Pacific Fair, the beach again or a walk along the Oceanway. Dinner early, bath in the apartment, kids down in the second bedroom by seven. Adults on the balcony with a glass of wine and the city below.

It is not complicated. It just requires a base that is set up for it.

Planning your stay? Read our Pacific Fair food guide for the closest family-friendly meals, or the rainy day guide for when the weather does not cooperate. For a day out of Broadbeach with kids, the Burleigh Heads day trip is manageable with a toddler and worth doing at least once.