New hotels in Cairns

We track three hotels along Cairns' Esplanade, the waterfront boardwalk that fronts Trinity Bay and the Great Barrier Reef beyond it: Crystalbrook Flynn, the group's five-star Esplanade flagship since 2020; Oaks Cairns Hotel, a 2020 conversion with its own rooftop restaurant; and Cairns Harbourside Hotel, relaunched as an independent property in 2024 after more than three decades under the Holiday Inn flag. All three put Reef tour departures, the Esplanade Lagoon and the CBD within walking distance.

What to do

A weekend in Cairns

Spend the morning at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, a free saltwater swimming pool looking out to Trinity Inlet, with a kids' water playground and grassy areas alongside it, then walk the boardwalk to the Esplanade Dining Precinct for lunch. On Saturday, the Esplanade Markets sell locally made crafts and produce, and the promenade runs regular free fitness classes (aqua aerobics, yoga and beach volleyball among them) most days of the week.

A full week

A trip to Cairns is built around a Great Barrier Reef day trip: options range from all-inclusive snorkelling and diving cruises with waterslides to Indigenous-led tours and underwater-observatory cruises, plus scenic helicopter flights (the Esplanade itself has a helipad for a fly-and-cruise combination) most departing from the Pier or Marlin Marina a short walk from the Esplanade hotels. With more time, the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway both run inland to the rainforest village of Kuranda, and the Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge are reachable on a full-day trip north. Fitzroy Island and Green Island, both closer to shore than the outer Reef, make for a shorter half-day snorkelling trip for anyone short on time.

Where to stay in Cairns

The Esplanade

All three hotels we track sit on or just off Cairns' Esplanade waterfront strip. Crystalbrook Flynn, at 85 The Esplanade, opened in 2020 as the Crystalbrook Collection's five-star flagship among its first three Cairns hotels, with five restaurants and bars including the Crystalbrook Station steakhouse. Oaks Cairns Hotel, a five-storey, 76-room conversion at 59 Cairns Esplanade, opened in September 2020 with its own rooftop restaurant, Oak & Vine, after three storeys were added to a former commercial building. Cairns Harbourside Hotel, in Cairns North facing Trinity Bay, ended a three-decade Holiday Inn franchise in February 2024 to relaunch as a self-managed, independent 173-room hotel built around a Tropical Queensland identity in design and food.

Which hotel for your trip

Reef-trip travellers wanting a five-star base

Crystalbrook Flynn's Esplanade flagship status and five on-site restaurants and bars make it the most full-service option among the three, close to the Reef departure points at the Pier and Marlin Marina.

Independent-minded travellers

Cairns Harbourside Hotel's 2024 relaunch as a self-managed, non-branded property (every room keeps its private balcony over water, mountain or garden views) suits travellers who'd rather skip a global chain in favour of a locally run identity.

Rooftop-dining & value travellers

Oaks Cairns Hotel's adaptive-reuse building and rooftop restaurant give it a distinct identity at a more moderate rate, a short walk from both the CBD and the Esplanade Lagoon: the AUD$12 million redevelopment added three storeys to a former commercial and retail building to create the current five-storey, 76-room property.

Why the Esplanade is Cairns' hotel core

Nearly every hotel Cairns has added or reinvented over the past six years sits on the same stretch of waterfront boardwalk, and the reason is straightforward: the Esplanade puts the free public lagoon, the Reef departure points at the Pier and Marlin Marina, and the CBD's restaurants all within the same short walk, without requiring a car. Crystalbrook Flynn's 2020 opening, Oaks Cairns Hotel's adaptive-reuse conversion the same year, and Cairns Harbourside Hotel's 2024 rebrand from Holiday Inn together show a market consolidating around that single address rather than spreading hotel investment across the wider city. Cairns Harbourside Hotel's relaunch is the clearest sign of that shift: after more than three decades under a global franchise flag, owner Taisei Kanko chose to drop the Holiday Inn brand entirely in favour of a self-managed identity built around Far North Queensland rather than a standardised international format, a bet that the Esplanade address itself, rather than the brand attached to it, is what draws guests back.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Cairns?

Cairns Harbourside Hotel, relaunched as an independent property in February 2024 after more than 30 years as a Holiday Inn.

Is there a five-star hotel on the Cairns Esplanade?

Yes: Crystalbrook Flynn, at 85 The Esplanade, is the Crystalbrook Collection's five-star flagship among its Cairns hotels.

How do I get to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns?

Reef tour boats depart daily from the Pier and Marlin Marina, both a short walk from the Esplanade hotels, with options for snorkelling, diving, glass-bottom boat viewing and scenic flights.

Which Cairns hotel has a rooftop restaurant?

Oaks Cairns Hotel's Oak & Vine sits on the roof of its adaptive-reuse building at 59 Cairns Esplanade.

Is Cairns Harbourside Hotel still branded as Holiday Inn?

No: it ended its Holiday Inn franchise agreement in February 2024 and now operates independently under general manager Glen Macdonald.

How far is the Cairns Esplanade from the airport?

About 10 minutes by car from Cairns Airport, and within walking distance of the CBD's restaurants and shops.