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Posted on Apr 30, 2026|Bed In 6 Bed Female Dorm
NaiyougegewuThis hotel is centrally located in Cairns, close to the Esplanade and the Great Barrier Reef departure terminal. It's right next to a large Woolworths supermarket, making shopping incredibly convenient. An Uber from the airport was only about $20.
The terrace off the kitchen is fantastic; dining out there in the tropics is just perfect. Each bed has a reading light, a charging outlet, and a privacy curtain, which is very convenient. The shared bathrooms are clean.
The indoor air conditioning was too cold. On my first night, someone in the dorm coughed all night, making it impossible to sleep. I ended up having to sleep on the sofa in the common lounge.
The only downside was the front desk staff – they were cold and often absent. I checked in at 5 PM, and there was no one there; it was all self check-in via QR code. When I asked staff for help, the most common responses I got were ”I don't know” and ”it's not my responsibility.”
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Price per night fromNZD 72
Posted on May 7, 2026|Urban King
Anonymous UserThis hotel boasts a fantastic location, right downstairs from the night market. Their beef noodles are a real highlight, providing comfort for Chinese palates. The hotel's convenient location also means it's just a 10-minute walk to the cruise terminal and very close to the waterfront promenade, which is great for a stroll. The hotel's own bar is super chill, with live music in the evenings – perfect for a drink and a chat.
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Price per night fromNZD 442
Posted on Dec 19, 2025|Urban Twin
Fay YangThe room layout was cozy, and the room service was quite good. The pool was beautiful, and the food was also nice. The hotel is within walking distance of the city center. On a side note: avoid the trendy pasta restaurant Vila Romana (pictured in Figure 4). We're from Melbourne, and they thought we were tourists from China. An old man who spoke some Chinese kept trying to rip us off and was vague about wanting a tip. Figure 3, IMM Thai Cafe, was delicious; we ate there three times, haha.
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Price per night fromNZD 551
Posted on Dec 14, 2025
J小米
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.
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Price per night fromNZD 298
Posted on Jan 1, 2026|King Room
Guest User
The hotel felt a bit old, but the location was super convenient, very close to the night market and shopping center! I'm not sure why they only provided a thin sheet and one blanket instead of a proper duvet like most hotels... The windows were old with a metal grill, and the bathroom wasn't a wet/dry separation.
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Price per night fromNZD 36
Posted on Aug 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.
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Price per night fromNZD 41
Posted on Jul 27, 2026|Family Room with 1 Queen Bed and 2 Single Beds
DingxiangGreat location, within walking distance to the pier and surrounded by plenty of shops and restaurants. The room was spacious, and although the facilities were a bit dated, it was clean. Free parking was a huge plus.
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Price per night fromNZD 184
Posted on Feb 24, 2026
HazelS
Great hotel at a great price. Big, clean room with a lovely balcony overlooking the pool and garden. The pool was also great and refreshing.
Walking distance to all restaurants and major shops.
They make good coffee in the hotel bar too!
They don’t clean your room for stays of less than 7 nights, but we were able to get clean towels daily if we wanted them.
Friendly staff and overall a great home for us while we visited Cairns!
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Price per night fromNZD 257
Posted on Oct 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.
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Price per night fromNZD 301
Posted on Jul 10, 2026
MaisonmeidasenHides Hotel in Cairns offers exceptional value for money. This century-old hotel has a unique city vibe and is perfectly located in the heart of downtown. It's just a few minutes' walk to the Esplanade, night markets, and the Great Barrier Reef terminal, surrounded by a multitude of restaurants and shops, making getting around incredibly convenient. The guest rooms are clean and tidy, equipped with air conditioning, a mini-fridge, and free Wi-Fi, and the beds are soft and comfortable for a good night's sleep. The front desk staff are warm and helpful and can assist with booking reef tours. The spacious, vintage veranda is perfect for relaxing. It's definitely a top choice for budget travelers, and I'll stay here again next time I'm in Cairns.
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Price per night fromNZD 147