We lucked out. We had been told to book at least a week in advance to get a slip at Hamilton Island's Resort Marina. But one of the cardinal rules of sailing is to never to impose time constraints on your cruising plans. We work hard to never violate this rule.
So we waited until the last minute, enjoying the end of a nice spell of sunny warm weather before calling for a booking. After all, you can enjoy a resort in any weather, right? Snorkelling, hiking, and relaxing at anchor in a picturesque bay are much more weather dependent. Somehow we managed to get a slip, in spite of it being a school holiday.

After powering into the wind and battling steep choppy waves in Dent Passage (strong tidal flow and wind against tide), we arrived outside the Marina entrance and waited for the concierge to meet us and guide us to our slip. We found ourselves waiting in a queue with a handful of other boats while helicopters and jets roared above us transporting tourists to and from the Resort. The concierge buzzed between us in one of the Marina's inflatables, apologizing for the wait and reminding us to stay out of the Resort's airport's flight path.
This was not your average Marina.

After being personally guided into our slip and handing the concierge our lines to tie us up to the dock, we were provided with an overview of the Resort's amenities and were officially checked-in, right there at the dock.
At over $100 per night the Marina is pricey, but sometimes you get what you pay for. We had full access to the Resort including free shuttle buses to amenities and activities spread across the Island (but that wasn't how most people got themselves around - more on that later). We were welcome to join in on the fun, swimming in various resort pools or off the beach, go kayaking, paddle boarding, hike various trails, rent ATV's, play tennis or squash, rent go-karts, take an art class, bowl, try target shooting, golf, get pampered at the spa, indulge in retail therapy, and wine & dine to our heart's content at numerous bars and restaurants. This included the Yacht Club which was the most impressive venue by far. It was architecturally stunning. I've never seen a Club that even compares to it. And the service was top notch.
But I'd say the quirkiest thing about Hamilton was the golf carts. The Island is hilly and there are no sidewalks outside of the main shopping and dining area, so rather than hop on one of the shuttle buses (which come every 15 minutes), most people drive themselves around in electric golf carts. Imagine hundreds of tourists from nearly every region around the world (with a broad range of driving experience, skill, and knowledge of local 'rules of the road') all driving at top speed around mini-traffic circles and across intersections, weaving around each other and dodging pedestrians crossing the road. Mayhem!