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Where To Stay Cairns – Hotels and Airbnb

Where To Stay In Cairns – Your Choice For Luxury, Mid-Range and Cheap Hotels

Cairns is a tropical city that is located in Tropical North Queensland. It is actually known to be the safest place of its kind in the world. Situated at the border of the Coral Sea, this city boasts of being modern as well as stylish. It burgeons with shops, restaurants and a nightlife that is ever elegant.

If you’re looking for a spectacular tropical adventure, and things to do in Cairns, this is the place to be. This location is quite easy to acclimatize to when it comes to this feat. Sitting on a hollow mangrove bay, it tends to expose mudflats when it’s low tide while being encompassed by the rainforest-swathed mounts of the Great Dividing Range.

Up in the north of Cairns, you’ll find a number of laid-back and serene white sandy beaches. Beckoning from the range, on the other hand, are the Kuranda, along with the Tablelands. You can call Cairns to be the tropical Australia where you can revel in quixotic palm-trimmed beaches, sweltering rainforest and outlands that are nothing but legendary. But don’t discount the fact that this city is also laden with extraordinary adventures and exciting modern luxuries.

These said, and if you’ll want to have a fantastic holiday in Cairns, you’ll have plenty of choices about your accommodation. Listed below are your awesome luxury (if you’re doing luxury travel), mid-range and cheap accommodation options about where to stay in Cairns.

Where is the best area to stay in Cairns: 3 Best Areas

The best area in Cairns to stay in for a family is the Cairns City area, which has most of the entertainment. You can walk around The Esplanade. It is also close to the tour buses that pick up from The Esplanade, which are great for transport.

#1 Luxury Cairns Accommodation For A Splendid Holiday

Shangri-La Hotel The Marina Cairns

where to stay in Cairns
This hotel is prized for its marina waterfront location. As a 5-star hotel in Cairns, it is strategically situated to be the entry point to the Great Barrier Reef. Rooms in this luxurious establishment are featured with contemporary design in their interiors. They are set up with spacious balconies and terraces that offer panoramic vistas. There are 255 elegant suites and guestrooms in this hotel where in-house guests avail of free internet access. A particularly amazing plus is that the City Center, the Reef Fleet Terminal and the Esplanade are only a short stroll away.

Dining at the waterfront gives guests and locals alike a tasteful experience. At The Backyard, they can truly relish marvellous views of the flourishing mountains and the ocean while doing so. Their chef is world-class and internationally acclaimed, and their menu proffers an impressive selection of fresh local produce and seafood.

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Pullman Reef Hotel Casino

cairns accommodation

The location of this hotel in Cairns is quite ideal for all your holiday needs. A plethora of shops and restaurants are nearby, together with other entertainment spots and the Great Barrier Reef Terminal. It overlooks the prominent Trinity inlet, too. Indeed the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino deserves to be acclaimed as the most impressive five star hotel and entertainment hub in Cairns. The decor of all their 123 beautiful rooms is sleek and classy, and they are featured with large balconies and deluxe spa baths.

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Bloomfield Lodge

best hotels in cairns

Everything that is offered by Bloomfield Lodge to their guests is utterly the best! It truly lives up to its reputation as the most exclusive retreat in Australia. Your senses can be indulged to the utmost in this wonderful place, and it is an opulent choice to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. This is the most astounding location where you can ever be whether you want to just unwind, or else explore.

The hotel staff is warm, courteous and thoughtful, and the service that they offer is attentive but unobtrusive. They are there to guarantee that your stay is absolutely grand and comfortable.

What’s so unique about the Bloomfield Lodge is that they offer a surfeit of wonderful attractions at close proximity. Among them are two Wold Heritage sites, the Daintree Rainforest just outside your door and the Great Barrier Reef which is simply athwart the bay. The hotel is strategically located to bring you closer to many of the astonishing animal, plant and marine life of Australia. You’ll experience nature that is as exuberant as can be where you get to see elusive orchids and strangler figs, as well as cherry-cheeked parrots and lorikeets. Have fun with the clownfish and the dolphins at the same time.

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#2 Best-Value Holiday With Mid-Range Cairns Accommodation

The Abbott Boutique Hotel

cairns 5 star resort accommodation
You’ll find this 3-star, modern hotel at the heart of the city of Cairns. Your escape into the tropical Far North of Queensland will be as enjoyable as can be with your stay here. Rooms are generous, with en suites, and they provide complimentary internet access, too. Socializing and meeting people at the hotel’s guest lounge area can be relaxing, plus, the location is just a short walk to the Great Barrier Reef Terminal, shopping, bars and restaurant venues, the bus station and the Esplanade.

Guests can have a terrific gastronomic experience at the lounge with their free continental breakfast. Their day can be warm and satiating as they start it with coffee, tea or pastries. If you need information or assistance about tours, bookings or suggestions about local dining hubs, you can ask their friendly staff for help.

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Cairns Colonial Club Resort

where to stay in cairns 5 start
Accommodation in this resort is pleasingly affordable. Its location is ideal, where you can get to the city center and the airport by only a 10-minute drive. Splashing about in the resort is fantastic, and you can choose to go about with it in either their man-made beach or their 3 lagoon-style pools.

The site of the Cairns Colonial Club Resort expands to 11 acres. There, you can have an excellent time exploring their tropical gardens. The facilities in this establishment include a guest lounge, a tour-booking office and a shop. The resort had their Thirsty Flamingo Poolside Bar and Dining restaurant refurbished where you can have a nice time choosing from a wide selection of dining options along with thirst-quenching cocktails. Daily in the morning, you can relish a hot buffet breakfast in the resort’s Homestead Restaurant.

Accessibly located 2 kilometers near Cairns Colonial Club Resort are the Lily Creek and the Flecker Botanic Gardens.

If you want to avail of an airport shuttle service to and from the Cairns Airport, you can request from the resort staff. You have to do so 48 hours before your arrival or departure, though, and for an additional charge. Likewise, a shuttle service is provided for guests who want to go to and from the resort and the city center at daytime and during the evening.

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DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns

airbnb cairns
This hotel is ever unique because it is located in the middle of a rainforest atrium. Their amenities include a bar and restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. You can choose to stay in a room with a great view of the ocean.

DoubleTree by Hiltin Cairns has an ideal location. The entertainment, business and shopping center of Cairns are merely a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Via a 15-minute drive, you can get to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.

Rooms in the hotel are air-conditioned, and they come with a mini-bar and satellite TV. Windows of the rooms from floor to the ceiling offer a vista of either the Coral Sea, the city or the mountains that surround the hotel.

At the Atrium, you can relish modern Australian-inspired cuisine, together with a wide selection of wines, and cocktails. You can enjoy all-day dining while taking delight in the panorama of the hotel’s rainforest atrium. The Lobby Bar is an awesome place for a drink, and there’s 24/7 room service.

Free wifi access is provided in DoubleTree’s business center, and they also feature a tour desk where guests can be assisted with their trips to the Great Barrier Reef.

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Coral Tree Inn

cairns best stay hotels
If you’re looking for a tropical and tranquil sanctuary in the heart or Cairns, this property is recommended. Nearby, you can find interesting attractions, bars and restaurants. Seven minutes of walking from this place takes you to the Esplanade, while a 10-minute drive leads you to the airport. Within the entire premises of the property, free wifi is available.

Each room in the property is designed with either of four themes. The inn is in fact set-up with an elegant combination of beach house and Queenslander house styles. An en-suite bathroom, a flat-screen TV and a spacious balcony is included in every unit.

You can have a fun and worthwhile time swimming in their resort-style swimming pool, and it is awesomely located within a surrounding thriving tropical garden. Every morning, at the poolside cafe, the inn serves a buffet breakfast. Coffee and tea is free at the library and gift shop while free BBQ facilities can be enjoyed at the courtyard.

If you need help with local knowledge or tour bookings as well as with anything that concerns your stay at the inn or in Cairns, the staff can willingly assist you.

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#3Cheap Cairns Accommodation For A Budget But Fun Holiday

YAL Cairns

photo of pool and where to stay in cairns Australia
Water sports facilities are just awesome at YAL Cairns which is strategically-located at 2 kilometers from the city center. It is also a stone’s throw away from Cairns Base Hospital which is merely 1 kilometer away.

This motel features a tour desk, a fitness center and a BBQ area. All rooms are air-conditioned and furnished with a refrigerator, a microwave, a kettle and a desk. There’s a seating area and a private bathroom in every room, and the toiletries are free. You can enjoy free wifi access.

An outdoor pool is set in the motel for guests’ enjoyment, and popular and interesting points near this place are the Cairns Flecker Botanic Gardens, the Center for Contemporary Arts and the Cairns Civic Theater. The Cairns Airport is situated only 4 kilometers from the property.

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Travellers Oasis

cairns 5 star resort hotel
You can find this property right at the center of the city. Just opposite it is the Cairns Train Station and the Central Shopping Centre. Accommodation at the Travellers Oasis includes an outdoor swimming pool where hammocks are set for guests to relax in. Free wifi is available, too.

This place has an accessible location to the Pier and the Esplanade that are only 10 minutes away on foot. Private single, twin and double guests rooms are offered, as well as spacious dormitory rooms. Each of these is equipped with a safety deposit box, towels, linens and fans. There are shared bathroom facilities for guests and air-conditioning is provided for an additional cost.

At a short walk, you can find a variety of bars and restaurants, although a shared kitchen is featured in the property. Tea and coffee is free, and you can enjoy watching free movies at the shared lounge area.

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The Red Sparrow

The Red Sparrow
What are the amenities of this property? For free, you can avail of internet access, a shared lounge and a shared kitchen and parking. You can hang out in the bar. As a budget bed and breakfast, the Red Sparrow is ideally located in an area where you can engage in worthwhile activities that include billiards and hiking.

This bed and breakfast is air-conditioned and set-up with a flat-screen TV and a Blu-Ray player, a dining area and a kitchen equipped with a dishwasher. Daily, a continental breakfast is served. The property is fixed with a sun terrace, a garden and a BBQ area.

Points of interest that are accessible to the Red Sparrow are the Cairns Rainforest Dome, the Center for Contemporary Arts and the Cairns Civic Center. Within 7 kilometers, you can get to the Cairns Airport.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to stay in Cairns or Port Douglas?

Overall, Cairns is the place to go if you’re looking for adventure, a vibrant nightlife, great food, and shopping. For those on a tighter budget will find more stuff to do. Port Douglas is better suited to those looking for a laid-back holiday in the midst of nature in a small village setting.

Is it better to stay in Cairns or Palm Cove?

Cairns is a fantastic city with nice people and excellent shopping. Palm Cove is a lovely place to unwind, with many excellent restaurants and hotels, but at a high cost.

Which is better Cairns or Whitsundays?

Although Cairns is the best place to dive and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays offer fantastic sailing (we recommend at least a two-day, one-night trip to fully appreciate the area) and a 4WD tour on Fraser Island is a must-do.

Get The Best Value Accommodation For Your Budget

These are your fantastic choices for where to stay in Cairns depending on how much you are willing to spend. Whether you want to splurge on your accommodation for a staycation or to explore the best of attractions in Cairns, or do so in a budget, there is a perfect choice for a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast or the appropriate property for you.

Guests have rated the above list of hotels in Cairns to be their favourites, and you’re guaranteed to have a splendid time with these accommodations.

Make sure to check out the Sydney to Cairns roadtrip.

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