Read genuine traveler ratings & reviews to find your perfect stay.
Posted onFeb 23, 2026|Superior Queen With View
XHDmamaChoosing 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!
Show more
Price per night from:AED 499
Posted onJun 2, 2026
Guest UserOur family of three needed two rooms, and this place offered good value for money. The downsides were the lack of cooking facilities, specifically a stove, and no washing machine, dryer, or even a place to hang swimsuits. We rented a family room, and there were small steps between the bedroom, main living area, and bathroom, which we had to be mindful of. The property is older, despite being renovated. The front desk offered 24-hour service.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 479
Posted onAug 16, 2026|Deluxe One Bedroom Apartment
りんごどんThis place is perfect for long-term stays or for those renting a car! ♥
I stayed in a room with a kitchen and washing machine because I wanted to cook with local ingredients in Cairns. There's a Coles (supermarket) nearby, so I had no trouble finding food and drinks.
The glasses, cups, cutlery, pots, rice cooker, and various cooking utensils were all perfectly stocked.
🤗 Things I brought from Japan for the kitchen:
↓
Chopsticks, plastic spoons, forks
Salt, pepper, herb salt
Yakiniku sauce
Dressing (small convenience store size)
Wakame soup (instant)
Wasabi
Cooking oil
Mentsuyu (noodle soup base)
Dish soap
About 20 small garbage bags for food waste
About 20 plastic bags that can hold two 2-liter bottles
Alcohol wet wipes (25 sheets) *Can be used for cleaning
Things I didn't particularly use:
↓
Plastic spoons and forks
🥲 Things I wish I had brought:
↓
Sponge
Steel wool
Instant miso soup (I had it ready but forgot to bring it 😣)
👙 Regarding the Pool 🌴
There are 3 pools, one of which is heated.
Please bring towels from your room.
Regarding Trash.
There's a trash disposal area near the entrance. No sorting is required, so just put everything in. 🫙🥫🍎🐟️
🚘️ Regarding Parking 🚙
The rule is to park wherever there's an empty spot. What if there's no space? (lol) It was crowded, but I managed to find a spot.
🧺 Regarding the Washing Machine 👕👖
I brought gel laundry detergent pods. I did laundry twice during my 5-night stay.
There wasn't a dedicated place to hang clothes on hangers, but I managed to dry them somehow. There were some drying options, but not enough. I think there were about 12 hangers in the room.
At check-in, there was a Japanese staff member at reception, which was a great help. 💆
Reception hours are Mon-Fri 7 AM - 7 PM.
I forgot the weekend hours. 😓
*As mentioned above, early check-in is not possible, so for those arriving early in the morning, I recommend staying one night at a hotel that offers early check-in.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 569
Posted onMay 25, 2026|Bed In 8 Beds Deluxe Mixed Dormitory
Guest UserOverall, this hostel deserves 4 out of 5 stars. The rooms were clean and tidy, and the staff were friendly and helpful. I especially liked the central location and the pleasant atmosphere. The common areas were also modern and comfortably designed. My only minor criticisms would be the noise at night and the somewhat small bathrooms in some rooms. Nevertheless, the stay was very enjoyable overall, and it offered good value for money.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 86
Posted onJun 22, 2026
Salted BroadbeansThe 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.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 710
Posted onAug 22, 2026|City Room
Guest UserThe location is super convenient, just a few minutes walk to the seaside promenade. Getting to the pier is also a breeze, about fifteen minutes, and you get to enjoy plenty of ocean views along the way. It's also very close to Cairns city center.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 353
Posted onJun 23, 2025
Guest User
Felt likd my old boss wings was playing head games somehoe ingluencing othersnegativly towatds my life the took advantage of hotel to put me on display felt very uneasy watched anf a vety blank feeli g of what yhe actual fuk happening at same time felt ve tree u sqfe and secure. Not a bad place if you dont have what i can only logicly asaume to be menyal issues very clean
Show more
Price per night from:AED 323
Posted onAug 17, 2025
Dollmeister
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.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 87
Posted onOct 2, 2023|Hotel Room Esplanade View
Guest UserThe Mantra Hotel has outstanding location. It is directly in front of the Woolworths supermarket - the best option in central Cairns. It's also virtually opposite (the esplanade side)the lagoon public beachfront swimming pool. Finally it's just a 5 minute walk from Cairns Cruise Terminal, with outstanding day trips to Green Island, Fitzroy Island and the Reef. I booked a sea view room. When you enter the room, you don't see the ocean, but a building across the road. However, the view from the balcony was amazing. The balcony overlooks the main features of lagoon on the sea front. During the day it is great view - the lagoon pools and sea in the background. At night you cannot see the sea (as to be expected) but you have the amazing lagoon lights, which makes it very desirable and even romantic. Our room was at the end of block, which overlooks a shopping mall (no car noise) - looking right from the balcony is the lagoon view and looking left is a mountain view. However, from 2:00pm to 6:00pm the sun comes directly into the balcony area, which means it unusable until sun sets. Of course if you don't mind baking in the sun on the balcony, this is not really a concern. The room itself is pretty basic. The mini fridge of OK and TV has domestic channels only - no cable TV for BBC/CNN. The bathroom is of a good size. There is combined shower & bath. However, when using the shower, it can slightly flood this bathroom. A shower curtain may be desirable because the glass panel is not sufficient enough. At $225 per night this hotel was not cheap and you can better deals by coming in the off-season OR going bit further down the esplanade, and choosing another hotel. The Mantra does have its own pool and it is wonderfully heated, with normal deck chairs you would expect at 4 star hotel. However, the pool gets very little natural sunlight, because it of its location between 2 buildings. Overall, the hotel has amazing location, and it is still recommended, despite the shortcomings mentioned. My final note: When we checked in, I was impressed with the level of service provided by the receptionist. She had a very welcome attitude and a wonderful personality.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 561
Posted onJun 5, 2026
Guest UserTraveling 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.
Show more
Price per night from:AED 430