13 hotels and resorts in Cairns you should know about

Jemma Fletcher Jemma Fletcher
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Your go-to list on where to spend your next luxury escape in Cairns.

Whether you’re looking for the luxury of a five-star stay along the iconic Cairns Esplanade, a stylish haven in the heart of the city centre or perhaps an award-winning resort in the peaceful community of Palm Cove, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Cairns hotels and resorts.

From beachfront escapes to urban retreats, Cairns in Tropical North Queensland offers something for every kind of traveller.

Check out our list below to discover some of the best hotels and resorts in Cairns and find the perfect place to lay your head in this thriving tropical destination.

1. Crystalbrook Riley

the pool at Crystalbrook Riley, Cairns hotels
The five-star Crystalbrook Riley resort features a spacious lagoon-style pool spanning over 1,000 square metres. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Stylish sustainability

Part of the five-star Crystalbrook Collection portfolio, Crystalbrook Riley is a luxury resort situated on Cairns Esplanade with a huge focus on its environmental responsibility. Inside the beautiful yet sustainably modern rooms, choose between feature views of the Cairns city skyline, the iconic Cairns Lagoon, or spectacular Coral Sea views.

With luxury in mind, bring out the best of yourself at the resort’s Eléme Day Spa ahead of rooftop cocktails and share-style Mediterranean food at Rocco or tastes of Asia with a playful spin at Paper Crane .

Location: 131 – 141 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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2. Crystalbrook Bailey

the bed at Crystalbrook Bailey, Cairns hotels
Bed down at Crystalbrook Bailey. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Appreciation for the arts

The second member in the Crystalbrook trio is the innovative Bailey, known for celebrating individuality and artwork of every description. Its goal is to make art accessible, inclusive and empowering for all, so you’ll find dedicated display areas and exhibitions, as well as paint-and-sip classes, poetry recitals or live graffiti sessions.

When you’re ready for a bite to eat, transport your taste buds to the rugged Australian outback at CC’s Bar and Grill . Pet-friendly rooms are also available.

Location: 163 Abbott Street, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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3. Crystalbrook Flynn

The Reef Eye views from Crystalbrook Flynn, Cairns hotels
Crystalbrook Flynn offers incredible views of the esplanade. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Fun and flair

Last but not least of the Crystalbrook trio is the life of the party, Crystalbrook Flynn. From glass swimming pools and DJ sessions to direct access to the esplanade, this social butterfly wants to put on a show, so be prepared to be entertained.

Feast on pub classics alongside live music at Boardwalk Social , enjoy a sophisticated Italian spread at Flynn’s Italian , or treat yourself to some of the best whiskey and wine in Cairns at Whiskey & Wine . When you’ve had enough of the limelight, retreat to your deluxe city views room.

Location: 85 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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4. Hilton Cairns

Best for: Business trips

With first-class business facilities, an executive lounge, a mix of rooms and suites to choose from and a fitness centre, a stay at Hilton Cairns is perfect for those dropping into Cairns for work.

Peckish? Grab a delicious continental or buffet breakfast at its onsite Cafe Sunrise, taste the tropical flavours and freshness of the region at Signature Restaurant, or sip your way through the extensive collection of gins and craft beers at Gin Social.

Location: 34 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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5. Oaks Cairns Hotel

the rooftop Oak & Vine restaurant at Oaks Cairns Hotel
Enjoy rooftop drinks at Oak & Vine restaurant. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Simple luxury with rooftop drinks

For a sprinkle of luxury on the simpler side, consider staying at Oaks Cairns Hotel. While you won’t find a pool or balcony here, the rooms are modern and comfortable and are priced at an affordable rate on Cairns Esplanade.

The hotel’s main attraction is the rooftop Oak & Vine restaurant, serving up breakfast and share plates daily, showcasing modern Australian cuisine As the sun sets over the Coral Sea, the terrace transforms into a lively cocktail bar where you can take your pick of signature cocktails, fine wines, craft beers and botanical gins with spicy tonics.

Location: 59 – 63 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$

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6. Mantra Trilogy Cairns

a balcony with sea view at Mantra Trilogy Cairns
Stay in a spacious room with ocean views. (Image: Mantra Trilogy Cairns)

Best for: Large groups and families

Looking for a hotel the whole family can enjoy? Mantra Trilogy offers spacious, open-plan rooms — some with fully-equipped kitchens and laundry facilities. Kids will love the lagoon-style swimming pool (with ocean views!) and children’s wading area, and there’s a 25-metre lap pool and onsite gym for the adults to enjoy too.

When you’re ready for lunch, hit the outdoor BBQ facilities before wandering to the nearby attractions along the esplanade.

Location: 101/105 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$

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7. Pacific Hotel Cairns

Best for: Accessible rooms

Enjoy a stay in one of the accessible rooms at Pacific Hotel Cairns, which carry a tropical paradise theme. Fitted with features that cater to every guest, there’s a wider doorway, lower benches, a walk-in shower, handrails, a specialised toilet, and elbow-operated taps.

For dinner, head downstairs to Bushfire Flame Grill , an award-winning Brazilian-inspired restaurant serving a unique Australian BBQ-style experience where the theatre of the kitchen is brought to your table.

Location: 43 Esplanade, Cairns City

Average price: $$$

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8. Pullman Cairns International

a couple walking inside Pullman Cairns International
Pullman Cairns International mirrors the architectural style and grandeur of the city’s past. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Spoiling yourself

Pullman Cairns International offers the ideal fusion of convenience and comfort in the city. Its rooms are the largest in Cairns at over 40 square metres and mirror the architectural style and grandeur of the city centre’s illustrious past. The Deluxe Room Harbour View, which has plenty of natural light and stunning views of the harbour, is our top pick. From here, you can watch the boats return from a day of exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

For an extra treat, stop in for a massage at Vie Spa before indulging in a delicious high tea experience .

Location: 17 Abbott St, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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9. Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns

a woman relaxing by the pool at Shangri-La The Marina, Cairns
Relax by the pool with a fresh mojito. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Exceptional service and seascape views

Receiving worldwide recognition for its legendary hospitality, the five-star Shangri-La Hotel is known for its warm welcome (there’s a complimentary shoeshine service for one) and luxury accommodation.

Each room features a private balcony overlooking either Trinity Bay, Marlin Marina or a tropical garden. Relax by the swimming pool with a fresh mojito or sample the flavours of Tropical North Queensland in their waterside restaurant, The Backyard , serving modern Australian cuisine.

Location: Pier Point Rd, Cairns City

Average price: $$$$

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10. Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

a couple inside their room at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort
Each guest room is spacious with its own private balcony. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Cairns’ only swim-up pool bar

Treat yourself to five-star resort-style accommodation in the heart of Cairns at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort. There’s a range of bright guest rooms to choose from — each with its own private balcony or terrace with views overlooking either the lagoon pool, the hotel’s tropical gardens or Cairns city. With its sandy lagoon-style pool with a fun swim-up bar, guests can relax by the pool with a drink in hand.

For sustenance, head to Moku Bar & Grill for drinks and daily specials, including 1kg of Buffalo wings for $23.

Location: 122 Lake Street, Cairns City

Average price: $$$

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11. Cairns Harbourside Hotel

a couple relaxing in the pool at Cairns Harbourside Hotel
Laze by the outdoor pool with spa at Cairns Harbourside Hotel. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Kids stay and eat free

Located on Cairns Esplanade, check in to paradise at the family-friendly Cairns Harbourside Hotel for relaxed holiday vibes all year round. Unwind with cocktails on tap by the outdoor pool with spa, enjoy a moment of serenity in the lush secret garden, taste the local produce at the on-site Harbourside Bar & Kitchen and take advantage of the free shuttle bus to the Central Business District and night market.

Location: 209-217 Esplanade, Cairns City
Average price: $$$

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12. Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore

a woman relaxing at the infinity pool with a backdrop of palm trees at Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore
Soak up the picturesque Coral Sea from one of the pools. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland)

Best for: Direct beach access

Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore is the only resort in Tropical North Queensland with direct beach access, making it easier than ever to unwind.

If you’re looking to drop and flop, join a beach yoga class or relax by one of the three pools (choose between family-friendly and adults-only options), indulge in a treatment at the hotel’s famed L. M. Spa, or dine at the fabulous Nu Nu beachside restaurant nearby.

Location: 1 Veivers Road, Palm Cove

Average price: $$$$$

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13. The Reef House Adults Retreat

a Japanese-style pool at The Reef House Adults Retreat
Take a relaxing dip in the Japanese-style pool. (Image: The Reef House Adults Retreat)

Best for: A couple’s retreat

Another Palm Cove favourite is The Reef House, the perfect adults-only getaway for a peaceful stay in Cairns. On arrival, you’ll be greeted with a gin-infused drink, and that’s just the start.

Enjoy award-winning dining on the deck overlooking the beach at Reef House Restaurant , rejuvenate in the tranquillity and heated mineral pools, join in on the daily wellness and interactive classes (including cocktail mixing and wine tasting) or relax with cruiser bikes, chess sets, the guest library, or complimentary sketch pads.

Location: 99 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove

Average price: $$$$$

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If spacious houses and apartments are more your style, here are some of the dreamiest Airbnbs in Cairns to call home.

Jemma Fletcher
Based in sun-kissed Brisbane, Jemma Fletcher is an accomplished writer, editor and content manager. Armed with a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Queensland, as well as over a decade of tourism marketing experience, Jemma now specialises in freelance travel writing and has a soft spot for the beauty of Queensland. Her expertise has been honed through her previous roles as Chief Editor of Queensland.com and WeekendNotes.com and she is the passionate creator of High Cup of Tea, an online directory celebrating Australia's finest high tea experiences. After growing up in the UK (hence her love for tea and scones) and a delightful chapter in Sydney, Jemma loves to explore quaint towns with a rich history. Also high on her weekend list is tasting the local cafe scene, enjoying charming farm stays with her young family and deciding where her next travel adventure will be (half of the fun is in the planning!)
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A gourmand’s guide to eating your way around Hamilton Island

(Credit: Nikki To)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.

    Hamilton Island ’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.

    Catseye Pool Club

    Catseye Pool Club
    Catseye Pool Club offers stunning beach views. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)

    Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.

    The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.

    My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.

    Sails Restaurant

    Sails Restaurant hamilton island
    Settle into casual poolside dining. (Credit: Nikki To)

    A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant , where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.

    The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.

    Bommie

    cuttlefish dish at Bommie restaurant Hamilton Island Yacht Club
    Head to the Hamilton Island Yacht Club for a taste of Bommie. (Credit: Nikki To)

    Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.

    Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.

    Pebble Beach

    qualia Resort Pebble Beach
    qualia Resort guests can dine at Pebble Beach. (Credit: Lean Timms)

    Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.

    The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

    Beach Club Restaurant

    Beach Club Restaurant hamilton island
    Book in advance for Beach Club Restaurant. (Credit: Nikki To)

    A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.

    I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.

    Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.

    Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher

    hamilton island Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher
    Join this immersive wine experience. (Credit Eleanor Edström)

    There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.

    We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.

    The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.

    coca chu

    table spread at CocaChu
    Get a taste of Southeast Asian flavours. (Credit: Nikki To)

    Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.

    Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.

    Marina Cafe

    hamilton island MArina Cafe
    Take in harbour views and comfort food.

    Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.

    The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.

    Discover your foodie getaway now at hamiltonisland.com.au.