Cairns Hotels with Pools

I accidentally booked this hotel and found out it was non-cancellable when I tried to cancel, so I had no choice but to stay. Overall, it was okay; the room was a bit small but quite tidy and clean. The front desk staff were very friendly. The restaurant was under renovation during our stay, so we were given vouchers to have breakfast at the hotel across the street. Clearly, for an extra AUD$80 a day, we could have stayed somewhere much better. The hotel hallways had no air conditioning and were very stuffy and hot. However, there was a free coffee machine downstairs with complimentary coffee. The swimming pool looked dirty though, and no one was using it. The location is a bit far from the Reef Terminal, about a 17-minute walk.

Choosing The Benson Hotel for my Cairns trip was a brilliant decision! The location is absolutely superb – super close to the airport, just about a 15-minute taxi ride. It’s also only a 10-minute walk to the Lagoon Pool and the Marina, making it incredibly convenient for an evening stroll along the waterfront to the pool for a swim, or heading to the Marina to catch the sunset. The surrounding area is incredibly well-equipped too: right outside the hotel, you’ll find a huge variety of restaurants, from local seafood specialties to Asian cuisine, so you can try something new every day. There’s also a large supermarket nearby, perfect for grabbing fruits, snacks, or travel essentials. Shopping here gets full marks! The hotel rooms are spacious and bright, with all the amenities you could need, including air conditioning, making it feel just as comfortable as home. The front desk service was exceptionally thoughtful and attentive; they patiently recommended nearby attractions and restaurants, and any issues were resolved quickly. In short, this stay far exceeded my expectations. I will definitely choose The Benson Hotel again on my next visit to Cairns! I highly recommend it to anyone looking for convenient travel and comfortable accommodation – you won’t be disappointed!

Old rundown property. We stayed in a suite that was falling apart. Cabinet door to mini fridge was stuck and needed a lot of effort to open/close. Shower taps were faulty and could not shut the water completely. Water was dripping from shower head throughout the day/night. Housekeeper was not attentive to details. Did not replenish items at the vanity counter in the bathroom after being used. Like facial cotton pads and cotton buds. Floor neither swept nor vacuumed throughout our stay. Curtains in the room was torn on one side. Curtains seemed to be too short and had big gaps in between. We chose a non-smoking room. Other guest were allowed to smoke from their balcony? Couldn’t enjoy the cool air outside at our balcony due to constant inhalation of 2nd-hand smoke. What a shame as the room actually had a wonderful view of the marina. Annoying. Breakfast at the restaurant and VIP lounge were repetitive and we had the same items over our 7-day. Plus point is the location of the hotel. Overall, dated hotel that really needs to be upgraded.

The staff were incredibly friendly. Also, I felt very secure and at ease knowing that a card key was required to enter both the hotel entrance and the rooms, which is a great security feature. The $10 dinner at the attached pub, which was pizza when I went, had a crispy crust and was absolutely delicious – I was extremely satisfied.

This time, my partner and I stayed in a pool-view studio apartment at South Cross Apartments, and the overall experience was decent. Service: The staff were friendly and efficient, handling requests quite well. Location and Cleanliness: The location and room hygiene were average, basically meeting basic accommodation needs. Facilities: The facilities felt a bit dated or slightly insufficient, with significant room for improvement and upgrades. It's an acceptable option for a short stay, but it would be even better if the facilities were better maintained.

Okay here’s my review. The Espy has so much going for it in terms of being central to the entertainment precinct of Cairns Esplanade.  Check in was easy and friendly and the two bunk dorm had its own dedicated ensuite bathroom which was very clean and quite large. The bedroom was clean and the bunks were enclosed wood and steel construction with zero squeaking. Clean towel and linen provided. So that’s all the very good stuff. The not as good things I observed were: - the lounge/common areas were dimly lit, very tired (bordering on festy) furniture and not somewhere I’d socialise due to limited seating, very few power/USB outlets or clean comfortable seating. - The pool…. Or should I call it the tropical punch bowl of various biological matter and other detritus… if you’re keen of growing something fungal on your body, go in…. I decided not to. -Kitchen and meal prep area all seemed clean and safe to get your mung bean and tofu ready for consumption.  - The personal under bunk locker was missing its latch and with two roommates I had to say a little prayer that my gear would be safe inside my enclosed bunk. Overall this was my maiden voyage as a backpacker and at 57 years of age, I’ve stayed in a lot of Hotels and Motels costing far more for way less cleanliness. I rate this place highly for all the good reasons above.  The not so good stuff is easily fixed by management but for $65 per night in peak season, I don’t think you can get any better value in Central Cairns right near the action. Pubs, cafes, night market and the City Lagoon. Thanks Espy crew, you made this old dog’s stay a pleasant one and will be back if and when the opportunity presents itself.

The unit is adequate for my family of six for a 3-night stay. Basic necessities are generally met, and the overall stay was acceptable. However, there were several maintenance and usability issues that affected comfort. Some air-conditioning remotes were faulty or missing batteries, requiring us to swap between rooms to find working ones. The telephone/RJ45 connection head was also broken and left dangling, with wiring not properly connected, which gave a poor impression of upkeep. In terms of sleeping comfort, the beds are quite soft and the pillows offer very little support. The positioning of the electrical wall outlets behind the bed also made it inconvenient, as we had to shift the bed forward to access the sockets. For kitchen use, it would be helpful to provide basic dishwashing supplies such as a small bottle of dishwashing liquid and a sponge, especially when only a few items are used in the dishwasher. On a positive note, the bathroom facilities are in good condition. Water pressure is strong and hot water is consistently available, which made showers comfortable. Overall, the stay was acceptable, but there is clear room for improvement in maintenance and basic guest amenities.

I expected much better from a hotel carrying the Ramada name. We arrived just after midnight, exactly as we had advised the hotel in advance. To our surprise, the entrance gates were locked. There was a phone number on the gate to call for assistance, but despite repeated calls, nobody answered. We could see reception from outside, and could clearly hear the phone ringing, but there was no one there to help. After standing on the roadside for around 15 minutes with two tired children in the middle of the night, I ended up climbing over the locked fence just to unlock the gate from the inside so my family could enter. Once inside, we rang the reception bell several times before anyone appeared. Around 20 minutes later, the receptionist (a gentleman with long hair) eventually arrived. Rather than apologising for leaving a family locked outside at midnight, he simply said he had been ”dealing with something”, that there were ”100 guests and just him”, and told us, ”you need patience.” Those are his exact words. I appreciate that staff can be busy, but this was a complete failure of customer service. An apology would have gone a long way. Instead, we were met with rudeness and a dismissive attitude. It was one of the worst customer service experiences I have encountered. The hotel itself was also disappointing. The photos on the website appear to be either very old or heavily enhanced. The grounds look nothing like the promotional images—there are no palm trees as shown, and the swimming pool sits right beside the car park, giving it a very different feel from what is advertised. The one major positive is the location. It's within easy walking distance of the city centre, which was extremely convenient. Unfortunately, because of the poor customer service on arrival and the misleading impression created by the website photos, I would not choose to stay here again

The location was excellent. It was close to the ferry terminal, just a few seconds' walk from the Esplanade public pool, two minutes from the night market, and across the street from a supermarket—it was a fantastic location. However, apart from the location, the only other positives were the water dispenser next to the front desk, the ability to smoke on the balcony, and the ability to watch YouTube and Netflix on the TV in your room. The only negatives were the sheets and towels, which were unsanitary. The towels were stained and smelled bad, and the sheets smelled damp. The bathroom shower had incredibly weak water pressure, making it take a long time to rinse. The drainage was so poor that I asked the front desk for a replacement, and they fixed it while I was out, which improved it, but I still wish they'd done something about the water pressure. The on-site pool had a jacuzzi, but it wasn't very warm and wasn't very good. While the daytime staff were generally friendly and nice, the elderly man who came at night was overbearing and never smiled, which I found annoying. Having lived in Australia for about a year, I thought my English skills were good enough, but even after listening to him twice I still didn't understand what he was saying, and when I asked him to repeat himself he said ”That's enough,” and then ended the conversation. To be honest, it made me feel uncomfortable. I remember not being so dissatisfied when I stayed at the nearby Mantra Trilogy a long time ago. I don't have any plans to go to Cairns for a while, but I don't think I'll choose this hotel again. Thank you to the staff for your kind assistance.

Traveling solo, I found this place quiet and clean. The only minor drawback was the slightly dated facilities, but everything else was perfect. The price was also reasonable. I'll definitely choose this hotel again next time I'm on a road trip in New Zealand.