Cairns Queenslander Hotel & Apartments

“Highly recommended for location; for a quiet, peaceful, relaxing experience and for its thoughtful features.”

I had occasion to make a visit to the tropical city of Cairns during October 2025 for an important dual purpose - to attend a Mayoral Reception in the Regional Council building and present a prestigious citizenship award to a worthy year 12 student from Cairns State High School at the School’s Vale… more

I had occasion to make a visit to the tropical city of Cairns during October 2025 for an important dual purpose - to attend a Mayoral Reception in the Regional Council building and present a prestigious citizenship award to a worthy year 12 student from Cairns State High School at the School’s Valedictory and Awards Night. Cairns Queenslander Hotel and Apartments on the corner of Lake and Charles Streets, Cairns North was only a short 5 minutes walk to the State High School so it became my choice of accommodation. I was not disappointed as this place had everything I needed for a most pleasant three night stay. As well as being close to the High School, by taking a short 5 minute walk down Charles Street you reach Sheridan Street and a vibrant food precinct hits you in the eye where you can buy all your food and drink needs if you intend cooking all your meals in an apartment stay as I did . There is The Friendly Grocer; Annabelle’s Bakery; a Chinese Restaurant; a Fish and Chip Shop and a Liquorland to name a few of the shops located here. In addition the Cairns Hospital and the northern start of the picturesque Esplanade walk are also very close. So, location is excellent and as a bonus, being in Cairns North it is away from the hustle and bustle of the Cairns CBD offering a quieter, more relaxed experience. The Cairns Queenslander is quite a sizeable complex with two large three storey apartment wings – one off Lake Street (the East Wing) and sporting an attractively rock landscaped swimming pool and the Finn Finn Thai Restaurant and the West Wing behind that, separated by a grassed area and sporting a second smaller more conventional swimming pool with adjacent BBQ facility. There are also two car park areas. I certainly appreciated a dip in the rock landscaped swimming pool on one very hot evening. I was given a third storey Lake Street wing apartment with a small balcony overlooking the rock landscaped swimming pool. An added bonus, not always available in older properties like the Cairns Queenslander (built 1989) is an elevator to the upper floors – My being 76 years of age, I found that elevator was vastly superior to walking up and down a staircase. The apartment unit I was given is very roomy. It is essentially two rooms, a living room/bedroom and a bathroom. The living room/bedroom has a comfortable bed flanked by very basic bed side units. There is an adequate wardrobe and a nice sized dress mirror on the wall near the bed. The dining table and chairs are basic but purposeful – although I found at times the chairs felt a bit low for the tabletop. A most unusual feature are the slidng doors around the bed area which allows, if necessary, for separation of noise if someone is trying to sleep and another is watching the television. While I did not utilise these doors, I felt this was a thoughtful feature of the place. The lounge for watching television could have done with a bit of an upgrade but it met my needs. The kitchenette is tucked away in a corner to the right as one enters the unit and incorporates a microwave; good sized twin refrigerator/freezer (lot’s of freezer room); an easy to operate Westinghouse microwave; the all important twin hot plates (I really appreciated those for cooking proper meals rather than simply reheating meals in a microwave); cupboards with all the necessary cooking essentials including Teflon frypan and saucepan and cups, plates and cutlery; and even a washing machine for longer stays. One thing I could not find was a toaster; perhaps not included to avoid fire alarms going off – however, that did not bother me. The kitchen sink was more than adequate but it was located in an awkward spot in a corner but again I managed with that also. I was pleased that there was a plentiful supply of dishwashing liquid in a bottle instead of those awful sachets. Overall the owners have gone to great lengths to provide all that is required for those who want to cook own meals instead of eating out. I liked the bathroom with its large square rosette over the shower recess and oh so easy to use uncomplicated hot and cold water tap. I thought an excellent addition was the safety rail attached to the wall beside the shower as a highly necessary safety feature. It’s these little, sometimes forgotten features that impressed me. It was nice to experience a sink plug that worked and didn’t lose water and the bench space beside the sink was extra generous. I did not take advantage of the Finn Finn Thai Restaurant; however, I did note it was busy on the nights I was here. They also provide a breakfast service and again as I was cooking my own meals I did not try their breakfasts. The Reception area has nice comfortable chairs for guests waiting for taxis or tour busses and the reception staff are very friendly and helpful. They willingly booked a taxi for me and offered good local knowledge to any questions I put before them. I also found very handy the simple one sheet of paper they gave me on arrival with all the vital information needed for a stay. It provided information among other things such as room security, check out times, laundry facilities; WIFI requirements; fire alarms, and no smoking and vaping policy. Also the one page paper map of the complex given to me showing the location of all the hotel’s features was appreciated. Right from the start of my Cairns Queenslander experience I was fully informed – that gives you reassurance for a good experience. Overall, although the complex is looking a bit dated, notably in the corridors, it really shines as a great place for visitors, particularly families to stay, either for a short of more lengthy period. I could not have been happier staying here and would recommend it to anyone looking for peace and quiet and a relaxed experience during a visit to Cairns.

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