Mariners Cove Marina in Main Beach has been a destination for water-based activities, a tavern and waterfront restaurants for decades. It’s also mid-transformation: the site is the location of a $480 million redevelopment that will eventually replace the existing retail village, tavern and marina with a Ritz-Carlton hotel and a new superyacht marina. Just opposite is Marina Mirage, which is undergoing its own separate $500 million rebuild.
In my mind, and that of many, this is much more than a redevelopment of the existing retail and marina precinct. This is about to usher the Gold Coast into a whole new era, attracting a new class of visitor to the GC.
History of Mariners Cove
Mariners Cove has been through several proposed redevelopments before the current one stuck. In 2015, Sunland Group lodged plans for a 44-storey twin-tower resort on the site, but the design breached The Spit Master Plan’s three-storey (15 metre) height limit and was abandoned.
The site changed hands in late 2021, when Melbourne developers Ross Pelligra and Dion Giannarelli (Pelligra Group and Giannarelli Group) acquired the 1.15-hectare land lease and 2.8-hectare seabed lease in a $54 million off-market deal from Chinese owner Ridong. A development application for a hotel and marina was lodged in August 2022, and Marriott International confirmed the following month that the hotel would carry the Ritz-Carlton brand, Australia’s third.
Gold Coast City Council’s Planning & Regulation Committee approved the development in August 2023. Rival developer Gordon Corporation (behind the nearby Mantaray Marina proposal) then lodged an appeal against the approval in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court, which delayed construction through 2024. Site works began in late 2025, and as of mid-2026 the project is under active construction.
What’s Being Built
Once complete, the existing Mariners Cove retail village, tavern and marina will be replaced with:
- A 150-room, U-shaped Ritz-Carlton hotel (three storeys, matching the Spit height cap), including a 275sqm signature suite
- A 66-berth superyacht marina for vessels up to around 73 metres
- A 6,000sqm public piazza and waterfront boardwalk with an amphitheatre
- Restaurants, three bars, a spa and event space
The developers have been consistent on one point throughout: no private residences. Everything at Mariners Cove is being built to operate as hotel and public waterfront space, unlike the neighbouring Marina Mirage and Imperial Hotel (formerly Palazzo Versace), which includes private apartments.
The marina component is targeted to open around 2026 to 2027, with the Ritz-Carlton hotel itself slated for 2029.
You can track the development application yourself through Gold Coast City Council’s Development.i portal, and the governing framework for the whole precinct sits in the Queensland Government’s Spit Master Plan. Marriott’s official announcement of the Ritz-Carlton, Gold Coast is available on news.marriott.com.
Marina Mirage’s Separate $500 Million Rebuild
Marina Mirage, immediately north of Mariners Cove, is not part of the Ritz-Carlton project. It’s a separate development by owner Makris Group, which closed the centre in 2026 to begin a $500 million rebuild including a 126-room Luxury Collection hotel (Marriott’s second brand on this stretch of Broadwater), 38 private residences, a 78-berth superyacht marina for vessels up to 85 metres, and a wellness precinct. Completion is targeted for 2029, timed ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Follow the project directly at marinamirage.com.au.
Currently Operating at Mariners Cove
Construction is progressing in stages, and some of the operators may relocate or close as the site is redeveloped. Confirm details directly before visiting.
Mariners Cove Location Map
Mariners Cove, Main Beach QLD 4217, Australia