In January, 2023 I stayed at the luxurious Hilton Cairns hotel with my mum, dad and sister. It was a very lovely place to stay and I had a very enjoyable night.
Checking in was quick and easy. There were two people working at the desk so we didn't have to wait long for our turn and the lady we spoke to was very friendly and had most of our information from our online booking. She told us we were staying on Level 5 and told us how to find our room. She asked how many keycards we needed and told us where the pool was and where we could go to have our buffet breakfast. We had our car with us so she also told us where to park it in the underground parking lot. She also asked if we needed anything else and said to call if we did.
The keycard was easy to use and our room was great. There were two double beds, one for me and one for my mum and dad and there was a roll away bed in the middle for my sister. There was a big window and door to the lovely balcony and I liked the room a lot because it was very light. There was also a desk and a chair and a TV. There were lots of power points to charge our phones and some lights beside the bed. There was a fridge too and a safe in the cupboard as well as a bathrobe and an ironing board. There were also nice blockout curtains so the sun didn't wake us up too early in the morning. I liked the lovely soft carpet too as it was very nice to walk on and made the room nice and quiet.
The bathroom was very beautiful. It had very nice lights and lots of mirrors and the tiles were new and lovely. There were very nice bath products as well and soft, fluffy towels that were great to use.
The shower was over the bath and to turn it on you had to push a little button in behind the handle. It was pretty easy to do and there was a grab rail inside the shower to hold onto if you needed extra balance when you got in.
On the website it says they do have wheelchair accessible rooms without steps and with roll in showers upon request.
Our balcony was very nice and I really loved the beautiful view of the Trinity Inlet and the Cairns Marina. I could see the lovely mountains and the palm trees and lots of boats. There was a nice table and two chairs to sit on and it was a very quiet and relaxing place to sit. I could hear the birds and there wasn't any traffic noise because our room was away from the road. I could also see the tables and chairs at Mondo on the Waterfront restaurant, where we went for dinner.
The pool at the Hilton Cairns is awesome! It is very big and goes around the corner. There were some pool toys in it and a volleyball net so you could play in the water.
There were lots of lovely sun lounges to sit on and I really loved reading my book by the pool.
There were a lot of people staying there but they had lots of sun lounges to use.
There were also some lovely couches and tables and chairs to sit on next to the pool and
there is a really big spa. I liked the spa a lot because the water was very warm.
If you are hungry you can order food and some drinks from the pool bar and there are lots of things on the menu.
There are also books on a shelf you can read and there is a big chess board and table tennis so you can play games by the pool.
I really like these chairs and nice signs around the pool.
There are big wide steps and handrails to use to help you balance when you get in and out of the pool.
To get to the pool there was a flat path you could use if you went from the reception level, which is accessible for prams or wheelchairs, or you could walk down the spiral staircase from Level 3. We used both entrances at different times.
All around the Hilton Cairns the walkways are very wide and flat and there were a lot of signs showing pictures, as well as words, so you could find our way around. There was also hand sanitiser to use and everything was very clean and the gardens are very lovely.
It is also very good because you can use the glass refillable bottles from the room or your own bottles at the drink stations around the hotel.
There is also a cool photo frame with the word Cairns on it and I liked having my photo taken in it.
For dinner we went to Mondo on the Waterfront, which is a very lovely restaurant at the Hilton Cairns. We sat at a table right next to the water and I really enjoyed the very awesome view and the delicious food. I had Chicken Kebabs and chips and also had a Creme Brulee for dessert and a very refreshing pineapple juice. The staff there were very friendly and helpful too.
For breakfast we went to the Cafe Sunrise restaurant on the ground level. It is open for the buffet from 6.30 til 9.30am.
A nice lady called Ann showed us where to sit and told us all about the food we could have from the buffet. She was very friendly.
There was fruit, eggs, bacon, sausages, juice, coffee and you could even make your own smoothies if you wanted to.
I was very happy that they had a lot of Gluten free food including cereal, bread, pastries and muffins. We had an amazing buffet breakfast and I would love to go there again.
The lifts at the Hilton Cairns are very nice. They are big and clean and they had nice big lights inside them. The doors open very wide and there is a beeping noise before the doors shut to let you know they will be shutting. I think that's a good idea because sometimes in lifts the doors shut quickly and I get a bit worried that someone might get left behind.
In the rooms there were some cards with QR codes on them to order room service or find information about the hotel. or ask for help. This is a really good service and it is nice and easy to use.
The Hilton Cairns is in a very good spot. It's close to the Marina, the Esplanade, lots of restaurants and shops and right across the road from The Reef Hotel Casino. We enjoyed walking around after our dinner and seeing the pretty lights of Cairns. The Reef Eye looks awesome at night.
It is also very handy if you are going to go out on a boat trip to the islands or the Great Barrier Reef because it is right near the Marina.
I really loved staying at the Hilton Cairns and I would definitely love to go back again one day soon. I think most people would really love it too because the hotel is so nice and the staff are so helpful.
Tips from my travelling companion -
The Hilton Cairns is a great place to stay. The location is fantastic, beautifully situated on the Trinity Inlet and right next to the Cairns Marina, providing the perfect backdrop. The facilities at the hotel are top class and the staff were all very friendly and helpful at all times.
The check in process was quick and efficient and Flynn was made to feel involved at all times. We had provided a lot of information online earlier so the process was fast and the directions given to Flynn and I upon check in were clear and easy to understand.
The rooms were very clean, spacious and recently renovated. The beds were very comfortable and it was great to have a balcony to sit on and enjoy the setting. The view was amazing as was the beautiful pool area. The bathrooms were well appointed and well lit. Having the large pump bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash is also very helpful for Flynn as they are easier to use than the small little bottles that you have to open and squeeze out.
There were a lot of other accessible features that made things easier for Flynn too, such as the QR codes to find out hotel information, order room service or seek assistance, the handrails by the pool and in the shower and the audible alarms in the lift, which allowed him to know when the doors would shut. Another plus was the great range of gluten free food at the buffet breakfast, which is often lacking at other hotels. The signage around the hotel, both in written and pictorial form, and the extra explanation of where things were upon check in and at the breakfast also helped make things easier for Flynn.
Overall, the Hilton Cairns was a fantastic place to stay and we would highly recommend it to others.