How we select venues
The Sunshine Coast is a chain of distinct towns, and a venue in Montville is not competing with one in Mooloolaba. We judge each against its own location and category rather than a single regional ranking, and a listing goes up only when we have enough substance to write about it properly. Seasonal tourist venues get particular scrutiny — busy is not the same as good.
What the Spot Score is
The Spot Score is our own independent rating of a venue, from 0 to 100, with a plain-English label (such as “Exceptional” or “Worth a Look”). It blends several signals: the venue's reputation, its popularity, the quality and completeness of information available about it, how well it fits its category, and how fresh that information is.
What the Spot Score is NOT
- It is not for sale. No venue can pay to raise its Spot Score or its ranking. Ever.
- It is not a Google rating. It's distinct from any star rating you'll see elsewhere — it's our methodology, applied consistently.
- It is not a guarantee. It's an informed editorial opinion to help you decide, not a promise about your visit.
No pay-for-ranking
Sunshine Coast Spots rankings can't be bought. Advertising funds the site and is kept entirely apart from editorial judgement, and every paid placement carries a Sponsored label.
Independence & sponsored content
Where content is paid for — a sponsored listing, a featured placement or a newsletter sponsorship — it is always clearly labelled as such, so you can tell the difference between our independent recommendations and a commercial placement. See our advertising options for how this works.
Corrections
We get things wrong sometimes, and we want to fix them fast. If a venue has closed, moved, changed, or if we've published an inaccuracy, tell us via our contact form and we'll review and update it promptly. Venue owners are welcome to request corrections too.
A note on how we research
We use modern tools, including AI assistance, to research efficiently — but we don't invent facts: checkable details are published only with a source, and drafts are checked against that source material before publishing. We do not claim visits or owner confirmations we have not made. For the full detail, read how we create content.