The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Cairns

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to Cairns

Cairns, Australia Cairns, Australia

If it's your first trip to Cairns, Australia for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to Cairns. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in Cairns. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in Cairns for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited Cairns beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in Cairns for your first trip!

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Shangri-La The Marina Cairns

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $181 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Located at Pierpoint Road, Shangri-La The Marina Cairns has great rooms from $181 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a casino, and a restaurant. It has a terrific 8.70 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 1.5 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a fitness center, snorkeling, a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, and mountain views at this relaxing hotel. Getting room service delivered is always a nice luxury.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Child pool
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Pullman Reef Hotel Casino

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $186 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Cairns
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Pullman Reef Hotel Casino which has nice rooms starting at $186. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a fitness center, it also has a great guest rating of 9.00 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 35-41 Wharf Street PO Box 7320. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers scuba diving, a bar, parking, rooms with kitchenettes, and child care which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.7 km from the city center. You'll enjoy unwinding in the hot tub, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Pullman Cairns International

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $173 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

We found Pullman Cairns International to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $173. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, room service, a casino, a restaurant, and a fitness center, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.00 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 17 Abbott Street PO Box 934. You'll also find scuba diving, snorkeling, a bar, parking, and mountain views which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 1.5 km from the center of town. Make sure to set aside some time for swimming in the pool, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Casino
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $92 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

With terrific rooms from $92, Holiday Inn Cairns Harbourside, at 209-217 The Esplanade provides an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. Its terrific guest rating is 8.60 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers snorkeling, a bar, hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, and child care. It's located just 0.8 km from the city center, too. Having the delicious restaurant in the hotel is an added bonus. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Tennis
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Cairns Plaza Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $152 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Cairns
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach

Cairns Plaza Hotel has a great guest rating of 8.60 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a kid-friendly buffet, mountain views, and rooms with kitchenettes. The great rooms here start at $152 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at Corner 145 Esplanade & Minnie Streets. Furthermore, it also offers laundry services, city views, free parking, kids meals, and laundry facilities, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 0.6 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. We find the kitchenette here to be a great way to get a good breakfast and save time and money.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground


DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $146 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

The great guest rating of DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns is 8.20 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $146, and it's located at 121 - 123 The Esplanade & Florence Street. We also love the a kid-friendly buffet, mountain views, laundry services, city views, and a child pool which are great for visitors. And since it's just 0.8 km from the center of the town, the location is great, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Child pool
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Table tennis
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Cairns Colonial Club Resort

4-star Resort with prices starting at $72 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Cairns
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is Cairns Colonial Club Resort because it has great rooms that start at $72. It has an outdoor pool, a pool bar, a restaurant, a bar, and rooms with kitchenettes, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.10 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 18-26 Cannon Street. Only 2.1 km from the city center, travelers will especially love laundry services, golf, a game room, a spa, and a child pool at this convenient hotel. We always love having a pool, and the one here is really nice. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Spa
  • Child pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Saltwater pool


Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort

3-star Resort with prices starting at $94 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort offers an outdoor pool, a water park, a restaurant, a fitness center, and snorkeling which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $94 (before taxes). It's located at 23-51 Anderson Road and has earned a guest rating of 9.00/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers a bar, outdoor tennis, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, and laundry services which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 6.2 km from the city center. It's always nice having a heated pool to relax in. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Water park
  • Snorkeling
  • Kitchen
  • Airport shuttle
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kitchenette
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Saltwater pool


Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $481 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Cairns
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Located at 1 Veivers Road, Alamanda Palm Cove by Lancemore has great rooms from $481 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, scuba diving, and rooms with kitchens. It has a terrific 8.70 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find child care, laundry services, a hot tub, a spa and wellness center, and a game room which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 21.2 km from the center of town. We always love being able to cook meals in a hotel room, and the kitchen here was a nice touch.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Table tennis
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Kewarra Beach Resort & Spa

4-star Resort with prices starting at $121 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Kewarra Beach Resort & Spa which has nice rooms starting at $121. Offering an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a bar, child care, and laundry services, it also has a great guest rating of 9.60 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at Kewarra Street. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a spa, free parking, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, and family rooms. It's located just 17.8 km from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Spa
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Saltwater pool


Also, you might be interested in the nearby first time trip hotels in Port Douglas.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Cairns, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Cairns, Best Beach Hotels in Cairns, Best Cheap Hotels in Cairns, Best Luxury Hotels in Cairns, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Cairns, Best Hotels for One Week in Cairns, Best Hotels for One Night in Cairns, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Cairns, Best Party Hotels in Cairns, Best Hotels for Scuba Diving in Cairns, Best Business Hotels in Cairns, or Best Party Hotels in Cairns.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Cairns?

Cairns Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$114

After analyzing 46 first time trip hotels in Cairns, Australia, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $114. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Cairns.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $181
  • 4-star hotels: $110
  • 3-star hotels: $93
  • 2-star hotels: $38


Budget Your Trip
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. On this website you can also find travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
Share This Page

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.