Tropical Cairns is a vacation destination like no other. Overlooking the Coral Sea in Far North Queensland, Cairns is the buzzing gateway to Australia’s most famous natural attraction, the Great Barrier Reef.
From the Cairns Marina, sailing ships and fast catamarans depart for the reefs, islands, and atolls of the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, offering unique opportunities for snorkeling and diving in this rare marine environment.
Back on land, Cairns – with its boutique hotels, luxury resorts, fun night markets, and packed pubs – is also the perfect base for exploring the Daintree Rainforest, Atherton Tablelands, and Kuranda.
If you’re planning a trip to Queensland, then keep reading as we explain where to stay in Cairns.
- Short on time and don’t want to read the whole article? Here are our top 3 picks!
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The 10 Best Hotels in Cairns, Australia
1. Shangri-La The Marina
One of the best luxury hotels in Cairns is Shangri-La The Marina. Offering a welcome slice of Asian hospitality in tropical Cairns, this five-star hotel, with its breezy outdoor pool and Shangri-La-style health club, is the perfect place for a revitalizing getaway.
Enjoy a cold beer in the shade of Shangri-La The Marina’s tropical gardens, or order a cocktail as you look out over the marina from the privacy of your luxury room’s spacious balcony. Make the most of the personal pillow menu, sink into the folds of Egyptian cotton sheets with an 800-thread count, and enjoy signature Shangri-La toiletries.
The poolside bar serves wagyu beef burgers and salami pizzas during the day, while The Backyard Restaurant is known for its monstrous two-tiered seafood platters. Upgrade to a Horizon Club Suite for your stay and you’ll have access to the hotel’s member’s only lounge, plus bespoke travel experiences, including luxury sailing trips to the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Crystalbrook Bailey
The Crystalbrook Bailey, with its love for aspiring artists, is one of the most unique hotels in Cairns. This quirky boutique stay brims with creative flair, and you’ll love the dedicated art space that showcases the best of the artistic talent in Cairns.
There are bi-monthly art exhibitions, creative sessions dedicated to artistic discussion, and wine-tasting evenings frequented by Cairns’ artists and creatives. As expected, luxury rooms at the Crystalbrook Bailey feature individual artwork and colorful murals.
You can also control hi-tech in-room amenities like the STAYCAST TV streaming system through the Apple iPad Control Center, while the rainfall showers, plush beds, and blackout blinds are much welcomed after a day of sightseeing.
3. Pullman Reef Hotel Casino
One of the best hotels in Cairns is the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino. With city views of Cairns from your private balcony or vistas of the Trinity Inlet from your veranda, you’ll love the luxury suites at this five-star resort.
At this Cairns hotel, every room features a spa bath and king-size beds as standard, while plantation-style shutters and light decor add a tropical vibe to the minimalist layouts. The resort is home to the most popular casino in Far North Queensland, as well as an unusually located wildlife park, which is home to a resident saltwater crocodile named Goliath.
Bask in the tropical sunshine as you lounge around the outdoor pool, order freshly brewed coffee at the Merchant Cafe, dine on fusion cuisine at Tamarind, and enjoy Asian street food at Soy Kitchen.
4. Crystalbrook Riley
Crystalbrook Riley, one of the best boutique hotels in Cairns, offers five-star luxury in a prime location on the Esplanade. Home to 311 five-star rated rooms and suites, you’ll love the private balconies, king beds, and Apple iPad Control Centres.
Take some time off the Great Barrier Reef with a day at the Eleme Spa, or laze an afternoon away around the hotel’s expansive lagoon, which comes complete with its own manmade beach (and no saltwater crocodiles, or jellyfish!).
Did we also mention that Cystalbrook Riley is home to the highest rooftop bar in Cairns? Take a seat on the top floor at Rocco, where champagne cocktails and Middle Eastern platters are served with the best view in Cairns.
5. Cairns Colonial Club Resort
Embrace the tropical lifestyle of Far North Queensland as you relax in the shade of palm trees, ordering gin and tonics to your poolside lounger. Cairns Colonial Club Resort offers no less than three lagoon-style swimming pools, alongside manmade beaches, and the hotel’s famous “Thirsty Flamingo” poolside bar service – and it’s all set around 11 acres of lush, tropical gardens.
This luxury resort has 345 rooms and suites spread among spacious grounds. Each room leads out onto a private balcony, veranda, or directly into the gardens and features plush linens, minibars, and floral decor that adds to the tropical vibes.
Upgrade to a family room or studio, and you’ll have a small kitchenette and dining area all to yourself. The Thirsty Flamingo serves burgers, battered barramundi, and chicken parmigiana, while The Terrace cooks up pizza and pasta that it claims your Italian “Nonna” would be proud of.
6. Oaks Cairns Hotel
Overlooking the Esplanade, and just steps away from Cairns’ public lagoon, you couldn’t ask for a better location than the Oaks Cairns Hotel.
All of the rooms at this four-star boutique hotel are super spacious, and given the minimalist layout, open wardrobes, walk-in rain showers, and Bluetooth sound systems, they’re brilliantly modern, too.
We recommend splashing out a little bit more, though. Upgrade to the “Hotel Executive Ocean” room and enjoy sweeping vistas of the Esplanade and the Coral Sea as you sink into your plush bed.
Alternatively, just pop upstairs to the rooftop, where the Oak and Vine offers exceptional ocean vistas alongside an extensive menu of artisanal gins, crispy pork belly tacos, and grilled barramundi filets.
7. Gilligan’s Hotel & Resort Cairns
A long-time fixture on Grafton Street (right next to Rusty’s Markets), Gilligan’s Hotel & Resort Cairns is where backpacking meets luxury. This is one of the coolest hotels in Cairns, with a large outdoor lagoon that’s surrounded by huge television screens showing live sports.
Backpackers can book “luxury” dorm beds in shared rooms with their own verandas, while travelers who prefer their privacy can opt for a twin or king room. Gilligan’s is home to its own bars and club, so be warned that things can get a little out of hand on weekends (but guests do get free entry to the club!).
8. Peppers Beach Club & Spa
Leave the city behind and travel north to Palm Cove, Cairns’ very own vacation getaway suburb. Home to a long sandy beach lined by palm trees, you’re just a 25-minute drive away from central Cairns, and you can immerse yourself in boutique luxury at the Peppers Beach Club & Spa.
Overlooking soft, white sands, this five-star hotel has three swimming pools, a swim-up bar, a dedicated day spa, and a Latin American-inspired restaurant. A variety of room types cater to all travelers with a penchant for the luxurious, with Garden Spa rooms offering kitchenettes and Resort Spa rooms featuring private spa baths on the balcony.
9. Fitzroy Island Resort
Escape Cairns with a stay on Fitzroy Island, where one of Queensland’s most unique luxury resorts awaits you. The Fitzroy Island Resort is located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and although it’s just a 45-minute catamaran ride from Cairns Marina, you’ll be a world away from the mainland.
Start your stay in style as you cruise through the Great Barrier Reef on the Fitzroy Flyer. When you arrive, you’ll be immersed in barefoot luxury, with white sand beaches and tropical rainforest right on your doorstep.
The resort itself is home to an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar, and you can snorkel, paddleboard, kayak, and canoe on the surrounding reef. You might even spot a few turtles, as the nearby Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (which you can visit) does stellar conservation work.
Rooms at the Fitzroy Island Resort are fantastically spacious, with the best suites equipped with private balconies and verandas where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the rainforest as the sun sets.
The General Store sells all the island supplies you’ll need, Foxy’s Bar & Cafe serves beachside snacks and drinks, and Zephyr Restaurant provides a fine dining experience – try the chicken coconut curry or Sicilian gnocchi – overlooking the ocean.
10. Daintree Wilderness Lodge
Cairns is the gateway to the Daintree Rainforest, and for the most immersive rainforest experience, you’ll want to book a stay at the Daintree Wilderness Lodge.
Surrounded by the world’s oldest rainforest, wooden boardwalks lead through ancient fig and cedar trees to boutique cabins with luxurious interiors and private viewing verandas. Wake up to the sounds of the forest inside the national park itself, safe in the knowledge that you’re staying in a sustainably run resort powered by solar.
You can take part in a local reforestation project during your visit, join guided walks through the Daintree Rainforest, and look for crocodiles on a cruise of the Daintree River. Finish the day with dinner at Cycad, the lodge’s very own fine-dining restaurant.
That completes our list of the 10 best Cairns hotels! Did we miss any cool luxury hotels in Cairns? Comment below so we can add them to the list!
Where to Stay in Cairns
Cairns might be the biggest city in Far North Queensland, but with a population of only 150,000, this popular Aussie destination knows how to keep its luxury offerings boutique. Cairns is small by international standards, but the choice of hotels is, surprisingly, excellent.
The best luxury hotels in Cairns are found along the Esplanade, where you’ll enjoy beautiful views of the Coral Sea and be just a short walk away from the Night Market, the public lagoon, and the marina (where you’ll catch a catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef).
Away from the Esplanade, luxury properties can be found in suburbs like Edge Hill, while north of Cairns, Palm Cove and the Daintree Rainforest are home to some of Far North Queensland’s most unique boutique hotels.
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