Shangri-La The Marina

“Good but improvements can be made…”

Overall a great stay. Our suit was massive and had spectacular views. Breakfast was good. Room service food quality was high and the price very reasonable. The location is unbeatable. Right on the water with restaurants and amenities all within walking distance. Be prepared to do a lot of walking... more

Overall a great stay. Our suit was massive and had spectacular views. Breakfast was good. Room service food quality was high and the price very reasonable. The location is unbeatable. Right on the water with restaurants and amenities all within walking distance. Be prepared to do a lot of walking - this hotel has some of the longest corridors I’ve ever seen! But some improvements could be made: A) We ordered room service and one ingredient (peanuts) was missing from a salad. It was disappointing as otherwise the food was good - much better standard than most room service food and reasonable prices. B) The pool is freezing. I couldn’t get in at all during our stay which was a real shame, especially on hot days when it was still too cold. C) the behaviour of other guests and their children at the pool was poor and the staff did not intervene. Lots of running, excessive splashing, screaming, “bombing”, slapping of pool noodles etc. This made it unpleasant for us to sit next to the pool area where we hoped to relax and unsafe for our toddler. D) I think charging $6 for espresso coffee at breakfast is unnecessary for a 5 star hotel. It just feels a bit tacky. E) The hotel appears to have been half renovated? Literally the bathroom was in 2 styles (see photos). Some bits look old and some new - even in the rooms there is a weird half and half vibe with some furniture old and knackered. It’s a shame for such a stunning location to have pretty underwhelming rooms, and not up to the usual Shangri-La standard. F) Not having a proper cot mattress was really unacceptable. (See photos) A travel cot with folded up blankets and a massive, unfitted sheet was all that was on offer. They are not expensive to replace and it’s frankly dangerous to have babies sleeping on folded up blankets. I was very disappointed that this was not able to be rectified during our long stay even after I asked about it. G) Beware a local restaurant/bar/club called Salt House has music every night and on Mondays it is extreme. It went on until 2am with absolutely thumping base. I live in the middle of a city next to a pub so I’m used to noise, but this was next level! Staff said Cairns City Council had given them permission for this so there wasn’t much they can do, but they were apologetic.

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“Enjoyable stay. Good location”

We had a good overnight stay here. Reception seemed a bit short staffed, but welcoming. The position is great for walking on the esplanade and in very easy reach of nice restaurants. Our room had a great view. We probably would have preferred more space in the room to having two queen sized beds,... more

We had a good overnight stay here. Reception seemed a bit short staffed, but welcoming. The position is great for walking on the esplanade and in very easy reach of nice restaurants. Our room had a great view. We probably would have preferred more space in the room to having two queen sized beds, however otherwise it was comfy and it was lovely to have a balcony. The shower cord cover was disintegrating, but otherwise the bathroom was modern with a walk-in shower. Breakfast was the only real disappointment. We obviously got there before items were replenished in the hot buffet area and the choice was not great. Also it would have been nice to have been able to have eggs to order and a proper cappuccino (rather than the machine where you self-serve). We would definitely return to stay but go elsewhere for breakfast.

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“Noisy, and Strangely Configured Room”

A nicely placed hotel in Cairns, but unfortunately our room was on the corner directly above the (Saturday night) nightclub, and opposite the helicopter landing pad. It was comfortable, but very strangely configured, with the couch and bed parallel to the tv, therefore impossible to watch. Be p... more

A nicely placed hotel in Cairns, but unfortunately our room was on the corner directly above the (Saturday night) nightclub, and opposite the helicopter landing pad. It was comfortable, but very strangely configured, with the couch and bed parallel to the tv, therefore impossible to watch. Be prepared for a very long walk from reception. Fortunately the staff led us to our rooms, or we might still be looking for them!

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