Best Cairns Hotels

"Great hotel in an amazing location in Cairns. Close to everything. Hotel is brand new. Only two issues: - The room had a weird smell over the course of my trip (probably due to the air conditioner) - The pool is too small compared to the size of the hotel Other than that, a great stay and can’t recommend enough"

"Location is not too bad. Situated a 15 minute walk away from the waters and main restaurant area. Situated on a main road but quiet at night. They let us put down our luggage when we couldn’t check in yet and leave it there after we’d checked out and waited for our flight. The young female receptionist was very helpful and nice."

"First time staying at a Shangri La. It wasn't terrible. But it wasn't good. Or at least not as good as I expected. Starting with the positives. The location of the hotel is superb in Cairns. Great. Now the negatives. The finishings in the room were not up to the five star standard I'd expect in terms of just general quality. The cupboard door was also broken and hanging off the hinges. The TV was attached to a wall so that you cannot watch it from the bed or the built in seating/sofa. So if you want to watch you have to stand in the middle of the room. Badly designed and a poor experience. Luckily I was only staying a few nights. There was a fire alarm one of the days. Fine. But the housekeeping came at the exact same time as the fire alarm announcement. Wasn't sure if it was the door or the alarm. And resulted in the housekeeper walking in when I had no clothes on! For the money. It's not worth it. You can get better stays on Cairns. I stayed in a cheaper 4 star place which was much nicer and cheaper. Wouldn't stay again. Questioning on staying in the chain elsewhere."

"I recently stayed at Hides Hotel during a trip to Cairns and was pleasantly surprised by the value and charm this heritage-style hotel offers. The location is absolutely unbeatable—right in the heart of the city and within walking distance of the Esplanade, night markets, Reef Fleet Terminal, and plenty of restaurants and cafes. Whether you’re heading out for a reef tour or just exploring the local area, Hides is a super convenient base. The room was basic but clean and comfortable. It had everything I needed, including air-conditioning (a must in Cairns!), a small fridge, and free Wi-Fi. The building itself has an old-school character that’s a bit different from your typical chain hotels, which I actually really liked—it feels like you’re staying somewhere with history. Staff were friendly and helpful throughout my stay, happy to give recommendations and assist with bookings. There’s also a lovely wide veranda on the upper level, which is a great spot to relax in the evening and take in the atmosphere of the city. Only downside was that the hotel is a bit dated in places, and depending on the room you’re in, you might hear a bit of street noise—but that’s to be expected in a central location like this. Overall, Hides Hotel is a great choice for budget-conscious travelers who want clean, central, no-fuss accommodation with character. I’d definitely consider staying again."

"We arrived after office hours and appreciated that the check-in process was straightforward and easy to follow. However, the park's location is a bit far from supermarkets and major attractions, which made getting around less convenient for us. The facilities are mostly shared and not quite suitable for our needs. Unfortunately, all better-equipped units were fully booked, so we couldn't upgrade. We also found the Wi-Fi signal in the room to be quite weak. Due to these factors, we decided to cut our stay short and checked out after just one night."

"Dated but well kept. Pool and BBQ although I didn't use them were a good facility. Location middle of Cairns meant I could walk everywhere easily and on the level.....even the airport was in my walking range at 5.4 km. Staff were excellent and the management Excellent and able to resolve all issues I had with onward travels and other countries online travel document requirements, which is so helpful to an older less technical traveller like me.👍 Mervyn"

"This hotel is centrally located on the esplanade, and this is its main plus. In everything else, in my view, it loses out to the Hilton , to which I moved after a few days. My room smelled to the extent it made me feel unwell. The two swimming pools they boast are a joke. In the first glass pool, you are fully exhibited to everyone on the esplanade, which is why no one swims. In the second one you can't swim if there's anyone else in the pool, it's that narrow. The spa is a private massage joint. I was given a parking spot with no remote the first day, and allowed to park as an exception - their parking is too small to accomidate a hotel of this size. It has no ev charging. The breakfast is nowhere as good as the Hiltons. In any case I fixed all these problems by moving."

"The room itself was generally acceptable, and the balcony view was fantastic. However, the service left a lot to be desired. We found a thumb-sized blood stain on the bedsheet that hadn't been cleaned. We reported it to the front desk, and they assured us it would be handled and that a manager would contact us directly. But nothing ever came of it. We had to call housekeeping again to have someone come and change the sheets. There was never an explanation or an apology, which made it feel like this kind of thing is commonplace and not worth making a fuss over. But from a guest's perspective, this is not a minor issue; it was extremely unpleasant both psychologically and experientially. Housekeeping also consistently missed things; we had to call for everything from towels to toilet paper! This 'five-star' service was incredibly disappointing. To be fair, we are loyal Pullman customers globally, but it seems only the Pullman Cairns has these shortcomings."

"1. **Prime Location:** Situated right on the Cairns Esplanade, it's a mere 2-minute walk to the Reef Fleet Terminal (the departure point for Great Barrier Reef tours) and 3 minutes to the Esplanade Lagoon. Restaurants and night markets are plentiful nearby, and a taxi ride to the airport takes about 13 minutes. 2. **Amenities & Experience:** Most modern rooms feature private balconies with city or harbor views. The free Wi-Fi is stable, and the outdoor pool is comfortable. The Bushfire Flame Grill Brazilian BBQ has a great reputation (breakfast/dinner are extra). Paid parking is limited, and street-facing rooms occasionally experience noise. 3. **Service:** There's a 24-hour front desk with multi-lingual staff who can assist with booking Great Barrier Reef/rainforest excursions. Luggage storage is seamless. 4. **Drawbacks:** Parking can be tight during peak season, some bathrooms are a bit dated, and breakfast isn't particularly cheap."

"We had a lovely stay here, close to all the shops and restaurants. All the staff were friendly and very accommodating as we arrived after reception hours and provided us with a way to check in after hours. We stayed for two nights and all aspects were great. Great value for money . :))"