Cairns Harbourside Hotel

Perfect piece of Paradise  In one word the hotel is Awesome ! In one line its a great place to relax in Cairns but might needs some tweaks . Short review : Great hotel with amazing staff, good breakfast and beautiful location. Bit away from Cairns centre/reef terminal but close to the airport. Rooms and amenities are good but dated . Value for money.  Long review :  The Cairns harbourside hotel was originally a holiday inn hotel. It's located right on the Esplanade which overlooks the harbour and reef terminal . It's neither large nor small. Has a decent pool with added small jacuzzi /kiddie pool, a nice restaurant with good food and relaxed vibes. The hotel has conference rooms and facilities for that but i didn't use them so cannot comment. Rooms : The rooms are comfortable size but a tad small, especially  for 2 double beds. The beds( double ) are bit small .  Most rooms have a balcony. Go for the rooms with view as they are worth paying a little extra. Higher floors are best . Our room had a view which was so gorgeous we didn't feel like leaving. It felt out of a postcard. ( Check pics) . The bathroom is small but has a bathtub shower combo. The in room amenities are very basic but staff provides anything reasonable E.g. Toothbrush or electrical adapter , you might need with a smile.  The decor is old...yes it feels vintage!  with very little upgrade done, if any , but it's not a big issue and some might find it charming in a way. All the basics amenities ( tea coffee fridge, iron, hair dryer)are present . The hotel provides free shuttle van 4 times a day into the city ( check the times at reception)  Vending machines are present at reception for small snacks, drinks and knick nacks like charging cable or toothbrush etc. Location : To begin with CAIRNS is small ! I mean it takes just 5-15 min cab ride from almost anywhere to get to the airport  ! ! The hotel is  just 5min away from airport. The hotel is located in a quiet neighborhood just outside the Cairns central area at a perfect location.This is both an advantage and disadvantage. If you like to be very close to everything while travelling then better take something close to cairns central . The Cairns central area gets crowded and this hotel is in the perfect spot . Just a brisk walk or 5min taxi to the central/reef terminal. There are few small supermarkets ( no woolworth or coles) and restaurants nearby . Breakfast and food :  The buffet breakfast is great value for the price with good variety. Cereal of 3-4 types ( even weetabix) , yoghurts, cold cuts, cheese slices, salad, 4-5 fresh fruit, 4-5 types of breads , mufins , danish pastry , butter , jams, honey , peanut butter, marmalade and Vegemite !   And...hot foods too...2-3 types of eggs , 2 hot meat dishes, 2 vegetarian dishes ( baked beans, stirred fried veggies,veg noodles, veg fried rice) hash browns , roasted tomato alongwith with condiments. Teas , coffee ( cappuccino, latte) and hot and cold milk. It is extensive, everything is tasty, fresh and refilled promptly. I couldn't fault it at all.  The restaurant has a happy hour with snacks at good prices. The restaurant has an outside area on the side of the Esplanade...which also is a nice touch to give it a holiday vibe. Staff and service : The staff especially the front desk staff are too too good. They are super friendly and genuinely want to make your stay as comfortable as possible...be it your room or suggestions of Sightseeing or booking you a tour or even just providing you with a disposable toothbrush or beach towels to go on the beach or pool. A tiny place for improvement is the in room cleaning/ housekeeping. We stayed for 4 nights but the room wasn't cleaned equally well on all days or towels replaced consistently.  But a big big thanks and appreciation to the front desk staff - Esteban , Rainie, Charval and David. I forgot the names of 2 more staff members ...one lady and one gentleman...but they all are equally good. Special mention for DAVID for fixing our tv problem and also giving us a higher floor room and Charval for the recommendation to go to Palm cove !  In conclusion: if you find a room with a view for a price you are comfortable...just book it...promise of no regrets at this place .