There are certain details that belong almost exclusively to an Australian beach holiday — sand that finds its way into every shoe, a sunburn that defies SPF logic, losing the sticky-hand battle with a melting ice cream, or returning from the beach with nowhere else to be.
These moments — rather than any prescribed idea of ‘coastal’ design — are what Melbourne interior architecture studio Pasquale Cook wanted to capture at The Roy, a newly refreshed 24-room hotel in Rainbow Beach and treasured LEIF Partner.
Photography by Jordan Malane
“Our starting point for The Roy’s design vision was the feeling of an Australian beach holiday — sun-faded, relaxed, nostalgic, and full of simple moments that stay with you,” says co-founder Sally Cook.
Cook is one half of Pasquale Cook, alongside Sophie Di Pasquale. Together, the pair build strong architectural foundations before layering in more personal elements of a space: furniture, lighting, art and objects sourced locally and abroad. Pasquale Cook projects often centre on contrast — patina against polish, robust forms softened by textiles, contemporary pieces alongside objects with age, character and evidence of a life well lived.
Their task was to refresh and renew The Roy, previously known as Rainbow Sands Resort, a fixture for locals, surfers, fishers, and returning holidaymakers. Its existing gradient façade in salmon-red and yellow was one of the first things Pasquale Cook decided to preserve. Beyond its retro charm, the palette seemed naturally tied to the landscape, echoing the bands of coloured sand that give Rainbow Beach its name.
“It already had a strong identity. We loved how it echoed the colourful sand dunes that make Rainbow Beach so distinctive.”
A respect for those local rhythms and visual cues began to underpin each design decision. Rather than leaning on nautical motifs or washing the rooms in predictable whites and blues, Pasquale Cook sought out details that felt familiar, occasionally nostalgic and true to this specific stretch of Queensland.
One unexpected reference point was the classic Splice ice cream, inspiring creamy tones punctuated by fresh green. In the guestrooms, that palette meets woven cane, timber and custom lighting to create spaces Cook describes as “crisp, calm and welcoming”.
Materials were chosen with the realities of a beach vacation in mind — post-surf damp towels, sandy feet and guests drifting back and forth from the ocean. The rooms needed to feel fresh and considered without ever becoming precious.
“We wanted the interiors to feel fresh, uplifting and effortlessly comfortable. They are relatively simple in design, but that’s exactly what makes them work.”
Custom details and local references give that practical personality. Pasquale Cook designed bespoke wall lights, handmade tessellated bathroom tiles and tiled-top timber benches, bringing warmth and individuality to pieces made for everyday holiday use.
In reception, a playful artwork nods to the four-wheel drives that regularly find themselves bogged on Rainbow Beach — a familiar enough scene to have become local legend. It’s the kind of detail that slips past one guest and delights another. “We introduced subtle moments of Australian nostalgia throughout the spaces,” Cook says. “They feel familiar without being overly literal.”
That distinction is important. The Roy doesn’t attempt to recreate a beach hotel from another decade, nor erase the history of the building that came before it. Instead, its design sits comfortably between nostalgia and renewal — holding on to endearing idiosyncrasies, refining the space, and allowing a new identity to emerge around them.
Working in regional Queensland also shaped the process, with freight, labour, lead times and installation requiring careful planning well in advance. “Every product and material needed to be carefully coordinated,” Cook says. “It meant we had to be very intentional with our design and curation.” Those logistical realities only sharpened the thinking behind the finished hotel.
For all its considered details, The Roy’s proposition remains uncomplicated: this is somewhere to settle in, not simply pass through. Somewhere a little sand on the floor isn’t going to spoil the mood.
“We wanted The Roy to feel welcoming, uncomplicated, and full of personality — a place that encourages people to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of a beach holiday.”
For some guests, that might mean a single night before continuing to K’gari; for others, a week of beach days and an increasingly loose relationship with where they left their shoes. Either way, Cook hopes the hotel stays with people through its smaller details — a colour, a piece of artwork, the texture of cane, the light beside the bed.
“Ultimately,” she says, “we want it to be somewhere guests feel immediately relaxed.” For all its considered detail, The Roy’s greatest success — and perhaps the clearest expression of Pasquale Cook’s design — is how naturally that ease comes.
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