Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns

“Good Hotel Right on The Esplanade”

Stayed at Rydges while attending a family reunion in Cairns, and it has a lot to recommend it. Rooms are clean and large with comfortable beds, and bathrooms that are similarly clean and well lit. It's also worth paying a little extra for a room facing the ocean. The restaurant on the ground floor… more

Stayed at Rydges while attending a family reunion in Cairns, and it has a lot to recommend it. Rooms are clean and large with comfortable beds, and bathrooms that are similarly clean and well lit. It's also worth paying a little extra for a room facing the ocean. The restaurant on the ground floor is good, and reasonably priced. The adjacent bar ensures that Happy Hour is. I'd definitely stay there again.

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“Good one-stop resort in Cairns”

Nice room, very comfortable bed. Only a small unfurnished balcony but with good ocean view. Staff were all very friendly and accommodating. Meals were also very good, so you don't need to leave the hotel if you don't want to. Loved the buffet breakfast. Didn't use the pool but it looked lovely.

“Cashless, basic and ordinary ”

I had a room with 2 beds, balcony, bath over shower, and breakfast included. The beds are made with a top sheet. You have to make the bed yourself with the blankets you'll find in the top cupboard. After a long work day and travel, slow check in, this is not at all welcome. I like a hotel ro… more

I had a room with 2 beds, balcony, bath over shower, and breakfast included. The beds are made with a top sheet. You have to make the bed yourself with the blankets you'll find in the top cupboard. After a long work day and travel, slow check in, this is not at all welcome. I like a hotel room with bedding already made up. The air-conditioning is icy cold with no individually controlled temperature gauge . There's a sign at the On/Off switch saying the room gets cold, so turn the aircon off. I estimate 18°. There is a ceiling fan which is unusual for hotels. The balcony is large but you can't sit out there, as there's no outdoor furniture. The bed was deliciously soft and comfortable however, all the pillows were wafer thin and lumpy, they seemed a 100 years old. The bed moved away from the wall whenever I rolled over, so I lost my pillows down the crack. Room service was a disappointment. It is served in a takeaway container inside a brown paper bag with disposable cutlery, giving the impression you'd just ordered takeaway, not room service from a 4 star hotel. I ordered curry and rice for $27 +$5 delivery fee. The potatoes were frozen with that tell-tale bland taste and rubbery texture. Hugely unsatisfactory and disappointing. There is no drinking water in the hotel room. Not even a paid option. The water pressure on the shower was excellent. Obviously not a slow flow water saver shower head that so many hotels give you now. Instant coffee sachets, uht milk, and teabags in room. Check in was slow, was it the system or internet? Not sure. Reception uniforms are surprisingly unusual, a thin striped cotton tshirt, which can look quite shabby, ill fitting (oversized) and too casual. Not at all a professional appearance. Breakfast was nice, the usual hot & cold offerings. Automated coffee machine ground and brewed a decent and strong coffee. Morning reception staff were very pleasant, supervisor had a better uniform than the t-shirts, which looked more appropriate and professional. Check out was slow, again not sure if the systems or internet. The hotel is now cashless but has the audacity to charge a card fee. This is outrageously rude. Staff unapologetic as they speak off script to explain. Overall the hotel experience felt a bit cheap, and the hotel is tired. I'm giving 3 stars, mostly for breakfast staff and room cleanliness.

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“Average”

Place is quite dated. Needs a good lick of paint. Took a while to check in (not sure if this is due to the internet connection or just very old systems). Cutlery on breakfast buffet would be great but it is placed on all the tables so other guests steal it when they run out, including me! Was rathe… more

Place is quite dated. Needs a good lick of paint. Took a while to check in (not sure if this is due to the internet connection or just very old systems). Cutlery on breakfast buffet would be great but it is placed on all the tables so other guests steal it when they run out, including me! Was rather cheap hotel room so did not expect 5 star. More like a 3 star. Location 10 -15 minute walk to the lagoon pool. Just an average stay.

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