In February, 2022 I went to stay at the Crystalbrook Bailey in Cairns with my family and our dog, Plugger.
Mum and I had seen a post on Facebook about how they were letting you bring your dog to stay and my family all thought that would be a lot of fun to take our dog Plugger. You had to stay in their apartments, which they call residences because they are bigger and they have private courtyards. When we rang up we found out that you could bring your dog if it was less than 20 kilograms and would be well behaved. When we booked our 2 bedroom residence they sent a waiver we had to sign and it said that all dogs needed to be on a lead if they were not inside the residence or courtyard and that they couldn't go to the pool areas, restaurants at the Crystalbrook Bailey or the gym. You have to stay with your dog at all times too and are not allowed to leave them in the rooms on their own. You also have to take them out to the park to do their toilet business and clean up any mess they might make. There was a cleaning fee of $95 extra per room to have a dog stay and if they cause any damage there might be extra fees.
Before we went we packed Plugger a special bag with his blanket, a fluffy cushion, some dog treats, some poo bags and some new chew toys for him to play with. We also took his dinner with us. He was very excited when we put his lead on and told him he was going on a holiday!
I walked Plugger in to the reception area and he was a very well behaved boy while we checked in. The lady on the desk thought he was a nice dog. She explained everything to us and showed us where the lift was to our room, which was on the first floor. We wanted to park in the undercover carpark so she told us to find a spot on the basement level and a carpark with a green line at the front. It cost $12 to park there for the night.
The key fobs for our room were made from wood so they are environmentally friendly and they were easy to use in the lift and to get into the room.
Plugger had never been in a lift before and he was very excited when he went in. I think he liked it a lot.
When we got to our residence Plugger was very happy because there was a bowl of water and a bowl with a special doggy treat made by Harley & Me Dog Treats for for him to eat. He ate the treat and then looked around the apartment.
There was a note for Plugger to say welcome to the Bailey and that they hoped he has a 'paw-some' stay. Plugger really liked the courtyard but it was very sunny when we booked in and it was a bit hot out there for him so we left him inside until later. He barked at himself when he looked in the mirror and was busy sniffing everything and checking out all the rooms. Plugger really liked it there.
The apartment was very nice and modern and had two very awesome bedrooms and very nice bathrooms.
There were rain showers and very nice bath products to use that were in pump packs so it was easy to use them. and they smell very nice. The shower was easy to use too and if you didn't want the rain shower you could push a button and use the normal shower. I shared a bedroom with my brother and there were two single beds in it. My mum and dad had a bedroom with a king size bed and my sister got to sleep on the sofa bed in the lounge room.
The Kitchen was very nice, it had a big fridge and freezer, a dishwasher, an oven and hotplates and lots of cupboards. It was very modern.
There was a table and chairs inside and a table and chairs in the courtyard. The courtyard was big too and there was plenty of room for Plugger to run around and play.
The apartment smelled very nice and it was really clean. The beds were very comfortable too and I liked it a lot and one day I would like to live in an apartment like that. There was also a washing machine and dryer in the cupboard in case you needed it.
After we looked around the apartment we took Plugger for a walk to the Cairns Esplanade which is only one block from the Crystalbrook Bailey. He loved walking there and did lots of wees and a poo. There is a nice boardwalk to walk on and lots of grass and trees around.
When Plugger got tired we went back to the apartment for him to rest and my brother stayed with him while the rest of us went to the pools for a swim.
There are two very nice pools. One was on level 3 next to the Pachamama restaurant, but it was shut because it is the low season for tourists at the moment. It was very shady and a bit cold for us so we didn't swim there.
The other pool is on Level 1 and it was nice and sunny and the water was warmer so we swam in that pool. There are about 8 sun lounges around it and they were taken when we got here so we hopped in the water. Later we got to relax on a sun lounge when people left and we took our drinks and snacks out to the pool area.
There were very nice views of the Mantra Trilogy, the Novotel Oasis and the
Crystalbrook Flynn hotels nearby and also the mountains in the distance.
There is a good gym on Level 1 that I went to in the afternoon with my dad and brother. We enjoyed using the equipment there.
The Crystalbrook Bailey is a very modern building which was opened in Cairns in 2019. There are three Crystalbrook hotels in Cairns and the Bailey is known as the 'Arty' one. They like to have art displays and when we were there they had art featured by local artist, Amanda McGahan. Her exhibition was titled, 'Pooch and Hooch' and there were lots of really cute dog statues and awesome paintings made by her on display in the reception area.
They will be on display until the end of March. Even if you don't stay there you could go in and have a look at them and you would like them a lot if you like dogs.
Plugger really loved playing in the courtyard when it was shady. It was big enough for him to run and chase his toys and have fun out there.
There‘s also other nice art and sculptures in the foyer at the Bailey which are very nice to look at, like this big turtle one.
One thing I really liked about the Crystalbrook Bailey was the glass lift they have there. We went in it from the ground floor up to Level 3 to go to the pool. It was awesome to look at the view while you go up.
The other lifts were very nice too. They were quiet and clean and very fast.
The Crystalbrook Bailey is located in the city of Cairns at 163 Abbott Street and it is very close to a lot of shops and some very nice restaurants, like La Pizza, Splash, Pho St, Fishpoint and Cairns Burger Bar. There are also lots of others nearby and we decided to go to the Boardwalk Social for our dinner, which is at the Crystalbrook Flynn hotel on the Esplanade. It is an open air dining area and has grass at the front so you are allowed to take your dog with you. The staff were very friendly and nice and they gave Plugger a bowl of water. We had pizza and burgers for dinner and we were lucky because there were fireworks while we were eating because it was the Chinese Lantern festival.
The fireworks were loud but they looked very nice and there were a lot of pretty colours. I gave Plugger a pat so he wouldn't be scared. After dinner I got a chocolate sorbet from Gelocchio ice-cream shop, and it was very yummy.
There are free movies to watch at Bailey so we watched a movie after we went back to the room and then went to bed. I wore one of the special Bailey signature robes they have in the room. It is very nice and comfortable to wear and I really like the colours of it.
I really liked the bed a lot too, it was very comfortable and the doona was very soft and nice and light. I slept very well all night and it was very quiet in our room. Plugger slept on his mat on the floor next to the sofa bed.
He liked sleeping inside but he needed to do his business at 4am so Dad took him down to the street and found some bushes.
In our room we had an IPad that we could use to find out information about the Bailey and also order anything we might need. It was really easy to use and is a great thing to have when you need something.
In the morning we all went for a walk along The Esplanade and decided to have breakfast at The Coffee Club. Plugger was allowed to sit on the grass next to our table. He liked watching all the people and dogs going by but he didn't like the cheeky pigeons that kept flying low and sitting on the tables and chairs.
I had a very nice breakfast of bacon and eggs and a very nice pineapple juice.
Everyone else enjoyed their breakfast too and Plugger got some of our scraps.
The staff at Crystalbrook Bailey were very helpful and friendly. They got us extra pillows and toothbrushes and sent ice to our room when we asked for it. They really liked Plugger and they were very nice to us all. On Sunday morning we asked if we could have a late check out and they let us stay until 1pm. When we checked out they were very friendly too and asked if we had all enjoyed our stay and if everything was good. I would love to stay there again and I think Plugger would too. Tips from my travelling companions-
Our stay at Crystalbrook Bailey in Cairns was a fantastic experience. We had never stayed at a hotel with our family pet before and it was a lot of fun to take him along. We all loved the beautiful two bedroom residence we were staying in and it was everything you would expect from a 5 star, luxury hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful to us all, and very patient with Flynn upon check in and check out, they certainly made us all feel very welcome, Plugger included! Nothing was too much trouble for them, and we appreciated their professional service, even after we'd left when I had to ring and ask them to check for my phone charger, which I had left in the room!
The Bailey was very clean and beautifully maintained and all the amenities were first rate. My only suggestion would be for more sun lounges/chairs by the pool on Level 1 and possibly an umbrella over the table in the courtyard of our residence as it was bathed in full sun for most of the afternoon, which in Cairns in summer is quite hot.
The appliances in the rooms were very user friendly and the use of the IPad to order things and make requests is a very useful tool for someone like Flynn, with communication challenges. The rooms and amenities were clearly signed which made it easy for Flynn to navigate his way around without too much support.
The location is fantastic, being so central to all the beautiful sights and restaurants/attractions of the Cairns CBD and is in a perfect spot for those wanting to explore on foot.
We would highly recommend staying at the Crystalbrook Bailey, and especially recommend taking advantage of their 'Paw-some' residences where you can take your dog along for a memorable stay.