The 10 best hotels in Cairns

Expect nothing but five-star service at Crystalbrook Riley. This all too dreamy, waterfront hotel is the perfect place for some fun in the sun (but the luxe adult edition). Stake your claim by the 1,000 square metre swimming lagoon with a man-made beach, sip on Piña Coladas at the Calypso Club, leave your worries behind with a couples massage at Eléme Spa, and fall into a deep sleep in an uber-comfortable king bed.

The five-star experience at the Pullman International Cairns extends well beyond the mountain, harbour and city-view suites and rooms. Coco’s Bar and Grill serves classy dishes with fresh produce under grand sweeping ceilings, as well as a high tea prepared by award-winning pastry chefs. Pop into one of the ten private spa suites at Vie Spa for a Vichy shower, couples treatments, scalp massages, and collagen and caviar facials. 

The Shangri-La at Cairns Marlin Marina positions you mere paces away from the city’s vibrant waterfront dining strip. With its own waterfront restaurant and bar, stunning views of lush mountains and luxury boats perfectly docked in the marina, this resort might make you forget about venturing elsewhere. It’s only a 15-minute drive from the airport and there’s valet parking onsite if you’ve rented a car for a Northern Queensland expedition. There are deluxe and executive rooms, suites and ‘horizon club’ options, too. The latter will grant you access to the hotel’s private mezzanine for breakfast, all-day snacks and drinks, plus personalised service throughout your stay. 

If the Novotel’s central location didn’t do it for you, its swim-up pool bar might. As a matter of fact Moku Bar and Grill is the only one of its kind in Cairns. The hotel was renovated in 2019 so look forward to some fresh facilities, including a big freeform lagoon pool and a 24-hour fitness centre. In addition to standard and deluxe hotel rooms and suites, there are family suites and accessible rooms for that little bit of extra comfort while travelling. The family suites are super spacious, featuring one king bed, one sofa bed, an ensuite, an extra bathroom, a spa bath and a private terrace.

Get the best of both worlds at the Rydges in Cairns where you can relax by one of the three pools or work up a sweat at one of the two tennis courts. Rooms offer either mountain or ocean views, and there’s also the option for executive suites and even apartments for those more self-sufficient travellers. When you’re peckish, you can head to the hotel’s Coral Hedge Brasserie Bar for drinks and a casual feed, or being right on The Esplanade, go for a stroll and explore what’s local.

If the rolling views of the Coral Sea aren’t enough eye candy from your hotel room, add in the aquamarine waters of the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon pool and you’ll have yourself 50 shades of blue. You can also catch this vista from the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant dishing up their signature cocktail featuring vanilla, Aperol and passionfruit with a smoke bubble, plus a mean menu with plenty of variety. Choose from executive, deluxe and regular rooms fitted with all the modern comforts and amenities. 

This sibling to the Crystalbrook Riley is just a five-minute walk away and is slightly more central to The Esplanade’s bustling dining precinct. It’s got a restaurant (well, three) of its own: the Boardwalk Social specialises in pizzas and burgers, Flynn’s Italian revolves around, well, I’m sure you can guess, and Whiskey and Wine dishes out drinks with a side of ocean views. There are 311 rooms and suites for your booking pleasure, as well as the Eléme Day Spa.   

Live the good life at the DoubleTree where you have a pool and patio, 24/7 fitness centre, tropical gardens, and food and drink outlets right at your fingertips. The most special of all might be the latter, which includes a restaurant called Le Petit Chef. Translated from French, a ‘little chef’ is hologramed onto your dinner plate, walking you through four gastronomical courses. Rooms and suites vary between balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, so you’ll be spoilt for views either way.

Travelling in Cairns is the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure, and that starts with your room at Park Regis City Quays. The one- or two-bedroom self-contained apartments were recently revamped with new pillow-top beds, sleek modern desks and new technologies, such as high-definition LCD TVs. And when the humidity spikes, the individually controlled air-conditioning, ceiling fans and breezy balconies (found in most apartments) will keep you cool and comfortable. The two-bedroom dual-keyed apartments are a match for large groups and longer stays. You can cook up a storm in the fully stocked kitchen, or fire up the rooftop barbecue for a lazy arvo sausage sizzle. Other hotel perks include undercover parking and a rooftop swimming pool boasting beautiful views stretching from Cairns’ city to the harbour.

To put it simply, this Pullman is massive. The five-star complex has a boutique casino, in-room spa baths and garden balconies, a rooftop pool, sauna, gymnasium, free live entertainment in the Bar36 lounge and four different restaurants. Depending on the room or suite you book, you’ll get views of the city, the park or Trinity Inlet. For those opulent vacationers, splash some cash at the Presidential Suite on the top floor with an eight-person dining suite, a walk-in robe and harbour views.