The Coral Sea Smile

Amy Nichols, Guest Services Manager

For 12 years, Amy Nichols has been the parallel smile for Coral Sea Marina guests - when they beam, she beams; the happiness of the customers is her own.

In her role as Guest Services Manager, Amy is the gentle hand of the Marina, the welcoming gesture for its guests, guiding them back on boats or by foot “like old friends.” In the more than a decade she’s been with Coral Sea Marina, she’s seen its community grow and been a key part in cultivating its culture of exceptional service.

Like almost all those who call the Whitsundays home, Amy found herself here by chance, moving from Canada in her backpacking days of yore – the early 2000s. She arrived with experience in the service and hospitality industry, and – as is the same old story - soon fell in love with the region, but not just the place, the people: Amy met her husband in the Whitsundays’ land of sun-bleached sand.

“We started our amazing journey together nearly 18 years ago,” Amy said.

“Now, we’ve built our own home just outside of town and have two young beautiful children. I have a whole family unit here: my brother and sister-in-law moved here from Canada so we could be closer to each other. This is my home.”

In her almost two decades of time in Airlie Beach, she has seen it change – and nowhere has that change been more dramatic than at Coral Sea Marina.

“The services and facilities we offer have changed and since Paul [Darrouzet] arrived it has changed completely,” Amy said.

“He made it an entirely different experience to what staying at any normal marina would be, and as the Guest Services Manager, it has been rewarding to have assisted him in achieving this. Because of that, the Marina is a lot busier than it was when I started and the demand we have seen for berthing – even since Covid – is incredible. It is keeping the guest services team on their toes!”

The personal highlights of Amy’s career are almost daily – they’re the interactions with guests: “When loyal guest returns each year for their annual cruising holiday and they come into the marina office and greet the team like old friends, that’s special,” she said.

“Seeing the smile on a guest’s face or even hearing a smile over the phone by providing a level of service that exceeds expectations is not only rewarding but heart-warming.”

Coral Sea Marina, busy and bustling, is in great part the way it is because of Amy’s work. Of her tireless efforts, of her ability to welcome guests, of her love for her job.

“The marina feels – to me -like its own community,” Amy said.

“All its commercial operators and tenants, the cafes, the restaurants, day tourists, locals, and sailors – there’s something here for everyone. I think the Marina plays a big role in this community, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

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