Cairns Harbourside Hotel

About this hotel

Stunning Views and Convenient Location Located on The Esplanade, Holiday Inn Cairns offers rooms with stunning views of Trinity Bay or the surrounding mountains. Each room boasts a balcony. Comfortable Rooms and Relaxing Amenities All air-conditioned rooms include a work desk, a TV, and tea/coffee making facilities. Guests can enjoy the sun on the terrace, or indulge in an in-room massage. Delightful Dining and Exceptional Service Guests can admire the spectacular views of the Coral Sea while enjoying Cairns cuisine showcasing local produce. With an extensive natural wine list, including over 300 of Australia’s and the world’s best organic, biodynamic, and minimal intervention wines, your dining experience will be unforgettable. Book your stay at Holiday Inn Cairns for a memorable and relaxing getaway.

Highlights

Facilities

• Parking
• Free Parking
• Swimming pool
• Private parking
• Outdoor pool
• Accessible parking
• Street parking
• Pool with view
• Pool bar
• Fence around pool

Check-in & checkout

Check-in

03:00 PM

Check-out

11:00 AM

Choose dates from search to see available rooms.

Guest sentiment

• Cleanliness7.6

  Some reviews mentioned dirty shower tiles and outdated decor.

• Service9.1

  Staff were described as friendly and helpful across multiple reviews.

• Location8.6

  Highlighted as a great location close to the airport and other amenities.

• Room Quality8.1

  Rooms were generally clean and comfy, although some found bathrooms small and dated.

• Amenities7.6

  Mention of limitations in amenities like a limited breakfast and outdated facilities.

• Value for Money8.1

  Price considered high for the quality, but generally acceptable due to cleanliness.

• Food and Beverage7.1

  Breakfast options were noted as limited and not very good.

• Overall Experience8.6

  Guests expressed satisfaction with their stay despite some minor issues.

Guest reviews

Absolutely perfect for our holiday, Room with a fantastic view The hotel staff were always super helpful, friendly and accommodating Rooms was very clean and the house keepers always super helpful Location was great not too far to walk to main shops and restaurants To be honest the noise level was good Great amenities, restaurant food was amazing Will be back to stay again

Absolutely perfect for our holiday, Room with a fantastic view The hotel staff were always super helpful, friendly and accommodating Rooms was very clean and the house keepers always super helpful Location was great not too far to walk to main shops and restaurants To be honest the noise level was good Great amenities, restaurant food was amazing Will be back to stay again

Quiet, clean and comfortable. Just ten minutes walking along the Esplanade to the heart of the CBD, fifteen to the wharf area. The breakfast buffet is excellent. Staff are very courteous and professional. Family friendly, but not a madhouse if you’re traveling alone or don’t want to hear kids all day.

Quiet, clean and comfortable. Just ten minutes walking along the Esplanade to the heart of the CBD, fifteen to the wharf area. The breakfast buffet is excellent. Staff are very courteous and professional. Family friendly, but not a madhouse if you’re traveling alone or don’t want to hear kids all day.

I really enjoyed my 4 nights at this Hotel, and found the staff professional and friendly. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and quiet. I also really enjoyed the bar restaurant for lunch, dinner and afternoon canapes, and also really enjoy the breakfast buffet each morning. I'd absolutely come back and stay here again when I come to Cairns next. I like the location because it's quieter and right across from the ocean, great for a stroll! Highly Recommend!

I really enjoyed my 4 nights at this Hotel, and found the staff professional and friendly. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and quiet. I also really enjoyed the bar restaurant for lunch, dinner and afternoon canapes, and also really enjoy the breakfast buffet each morning. I'd absolutely come back and stay here again when I come to Cairns next. I like the location because it's quieter and right across from the ocean, great for a stroll! Highly Recommend!

Great value for money and the location a bit further down from the main strip was quieter. Lovely staff, pool looked great (no time to swim though) and nice to have a balcony for fresh air and view. Buffet breakfast was great and again good view to start the day. Appreciated the shuttle van into the night market area at 4 pm but lovely walk back to the hotel along the esplanade as the sun set. If we had longer in Cairns at the end of the trip, would book a second night here.

Great value for money and the location a bit further down from the main strip was quieter. Lovely staff, pool looked great (no time to swim though) and nice to have a balcony for fresh air and view. Buffet breakfast was great and again good view to start the day. Appreciated the shuttle van into the night market area at 4 pm but lovely walk back to the hotel along the esplanade as the sun set. If we had longer in Cairns at the end of the trip, would book a second night here.

Stayed 1 night as a family of 4 in a 'sea view' standard room. The smallish room has 2 double beds (not queen) and a tiny out-dated old bathroom with a shower over the bath and a shower curtain. The 'sea view' was obstructed by another building so I would classify it as 'partly sea view'. It had a balcony with 2 chairs. Beds comfortable, staff friendly, nice swimming pool, buffet breakfast very average quality and choice, late check out was great (12 pm for direct bookings), easy and free parking. Overall I would rate this a good 3-star hotel, however, the current 4-star is probably not the right qualification for what you get, especially for the price you pay ($350/night incl. breakfast).

Stayed 1 night as a family of 4 in a 'sea view' standard room. The smallish room has 2 double beds (not queen) and a tiny out-dated old bathroom with a shower over the bath and a shower curtain. The 'sea view' was obstructed by another building so I would classify it as 'partly sea view'. It had a balcony with 2 chairs. Beds comfortable, staff friendly, nice swimming pool, buffet breakfast very average quality and choice, late check out was great (12 pm for direct bookings), easy and free parking. Overall I would rate this a good 3-star hotel, however, the current 4-star is probably not the right qualification for what you get, especially for the price you pay ($350/night incl. breakfast).

Good room for the price. All was clean, front desk was helpful. On-site laundry (a week’s worth) done for $25 Aus and delivered back to our room was an unexpected bonus.

Good room for the price. All was clean, front desk was helpful. On-site laundry (a week’s worth) done for $25 Aus and delivered back to our room was an unexpected bonus.

The location of this hotel is hard to fault. Harbour side views are great. Unfortunately, the flights departing Cairns Int’l airport start operating from 6:00 am. It’s a great alarm clock unless you want to sleep in. The staff are all helpful. But in my opinion two things let this establishment down: if you have a shuttle bus it has to operate at least until 6:00 pm (it finishes at 4:30 pm as there are no staff to drive it after that time); the bathrooms are, again in my opinion, a big let down. The two rooms we had 403 and 503 are in need of renovation. In this day step into baths, to shower are a big safety hazard, shower curtains went out with manual gearboxes. To conclude the other let down there are no bedside power points on either side of the bed. The best that reception could do was provide an extension lead. I would give it 3 stars at best, if all the rooms facing the harbor are the same then 2:5 stars.

The location of this hotel is hard to fault. Harbour side views are great. Unfortunately, the flights departing Cairns Int’l airport start operating from 6:00 am. It’s a great alarm clock unless you want to sleep in. The staff are all helpful. But in my opinion two things let this establishment down: if you have a shuttle bus it has to operate at least until 6:00 pm (it finishes at 4:30 pm as there are no staff to drive it after that time); the bathrooms are, again in my opinion, a big let down. The two rooms we had 403 and 503 are in need of renovation. In this day step into baths, to shower are a big safety hazard, shower curtains went out with manual gearboxes. To conclude the other let down there are no bedside power points on either side of the bed. The best that reception could do was provide an extension lead. I would give it 3 stars at best, if all the rooms facing the harbor are the same then 2:5 stars.

Definitely one of the best if not the best 4/5-star hotels we have stayed in Australia and Bali. Absolute bargain for the money, so don't tell anyone. Could not fault, quality, facilities, staff, service, views, and location. Will be the first choice when staying in Cairns. If driving north and within 200 ks of Cairns. Forget everything else. Just drive the extra 200 ks and stay here. John and Vikki 18th and 19th June 2026

Definitely one of the best if not the best 4/5-star hotels we have stayed in Australia and Bali. Absolute bargain for the money, so don't tell anyone. Could not fault, quality, facilities, staff, service, views, and location. Will be the first choice when staying in Cairns. If driving north and within 200 ks of Cairns. Forget everything else. Just drive the extra 200 ks and stay here. John and Vikki 18th and 19th June 2026