Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort

All the staff we encountered from front desk to pool bar were excellent. They were friendly and helpful with every request. The pool view rooms are great and with the door closed you don't hear the noise. I found it a little annoying that they no longer put the toiletries like shower caps etc in the room with you and you have to call reception if you need anything but I understand from an environmental point of view. We spent a lot of time in the pool and it was great, although it isn't heated which perhaps is ok in summer but it would have been nicer if the pool was a couple of degrees warmer. Alex who seemed to work mostly in the pool bar or the upper outdoor bar was especially great.

This is a great family hotel. The pool is great for small children. They have a small fitness room. The rooms are cleaned daily and housekeeping is very good. We highly recommend you add the breakfast to your stay. It was huge! They offer fresh fruit, warm freshly cooked eggs, bacon, vegetables, etc. Melanie greeted us with a big smile every morning when we entered the restaurant. This hotel is also within walking distance to all pier, lagoon, and shops.

The hotel was in a great location, perfect for exploring Cairns. The pool was excellent and our kids loved it. The chairs could do with some upgrading as most of them are torn and dirty. Food was a bit hit and miss and the staff were consistently disinterested and didn’t care, I wouldn’t call any of them particularly welcoming or hospitable. The room was basic and we had an ant and cockroach problem in our bathroom. Cleaners did not clean the rooms until 4pm (or later) each day which was a very inconvenient time when you have small children like we do.

I like so much about this hotel I stayed at for 5 nights during 2 snorkel dives at the GBR and a day trip to Kuranda.||This hotel was booked by my tour group so we took over about 40 rooms.||You are going to have a hard time finding a better breakfast buffet. I put up some photos of just some of the items.||The beach like large sand pool is a cool scene, and you can drink and dine there too.||Walking distance to the GBR boats and tons of restaurants. The GBR boat docks are a 15 minute walk away--easy. The Train Station mall is also a 15 minute walk in another direction.||It's a great staging location for your Cairns Trip.||My room was modern contemporary and looked like it was recently refurbished with a cool walk in shower. Bed was very comfortable and room was quiet. No bar soap--only pumps. I brought my own bars.||The neighborhood is relatively safe but don't be surprised if you see homeless and mentally ill wandering around Cairns--not as bad as Santa Monica but more than you would expect.||Hotel staff was mainly nice.||Airport was $12.00 USA Dollar by Uber--about a 15 min ride--easy.||Here are the things I did not like at this hotel:||1) They are stingy on towels. They do not like to give you extra towels. One clerk quizzed me on how many people I need in the room to require an extra towel? And when they did deliver extra towels and I put them up in the closet for the next day. Housekeeping went into the closed closet and took them away before I got back and I had to call for more towels again.|2) Clean rooms, but not super clean. There were errant long hairs on the floor and bedding. Not a crisis--but this is not the Hilton--it's the Novotel--and I am Novotelling you what it was like.

I’d probably say this is more of a 3 star hotel based on our room. We were in D block, with a view of an unkempt garden and wall. Bed was good/clean. Very basic in room facilities but the let down was the cleanliness or lack of in the bathroom. Apart from being very dated… Hairs on the ground. Dirty tiles and Filthy hairdryer and mould all over the ceiling. The shower dribbled out.. the good bits.. most of the staff were friendly and welcoming. The pool was good and played decent music.. very kid friendly. The breakfast buffet was fantastic and the best part of our stay.. make sure you choose your room carefully

I was very impressed with the recognition of my Accor Platinum status as I was using a redemption night, yet I still received an upgrade, fruit welcome gift and the offer of a bottle of wine. This was very much appreciated, and it is so nice to see a hotel that provides all of the Accor benefits, even when using a redemption night. The hotel looked to have fantastic family entertainment, great pool area, plenty of places to get drinks and snacks or meals. Catering to smokers with designated smoking areas was also very much appreciated. The hotel looks very clean and relaxed. Very nice customer service also received at check in. Cannot think of one thing I was not happy with.

Had a very nice week with my wife and son at the Oasis in mid August. A great base to explore everything the region has to offer and we also had a couple of pool days that were very relaxing. Good breakfast, nice rooms and friendly helpful staff, a big thumbs up from us.

This is our second time staying here. It’s in a convenient location - everything was within a 10 minute walk. Room was clean and tidy. The pool is great with a swim up bar but you need to get there early as the lounge chairs and bean bags are taken fast so you’ll end up sitting on the ground. Food was good, they have a different special on every night. My biggest complaint and disappointment is the rooms are not soundproof. We got stuck next door to a baby who screamed all hours of the night. You could also hear anyone in the hallway as clear as day or when people were on the balcony. You could even hear when the neighbours talked to loud or laughed. Not great when you’re trying to sleep after a long day or wanting a sleep in. We stayed in a room that had an adjoining door, maybe an apartment would be best to keep noise at bay. For the price you pay to stay here, this was a disappointment so keep that in mind.

This was a super nice & fun hotel to stay at! My kids loved the pool! We also loved the Moku food & drinks. Staff is super friendly as well!

Perhaps it was the time of year, the Novotel Oasis Resort has definitely room for improvement. From previous reviews, the Novotel Oasis Resort was - and seems to remain- in a constant state of repair. Beyond the beautiful exteriors including the lobby area and the pool, cracks in the form of repairs and staffing are readily apparent. For example, as we entered, the whole front area was under construction for the whole duration of our trip. This made it difficult for the constant flow of tour buses to come in and out which added undue stress on the trip. The first room that our receptionist sent us to had people doing construction in the room above. The noise was so loud that even the receptionist was saying that they couldn't even hear me. What was odd was that they preferred we stay in our room and wait it out rather than switch us out. On that note, the receptionist area is weirdly staffed. There would be a short line of people but it always felt the receptionists were overwhelmed with the work. Perhaps because they are responsible for everything from the guests who are checking in and those who have problems. While the Novotel Oasis Resort is a pretty reasonably priced place in Cairns, it definitely has many issues that need to be fixed in order to provide the resort like feel that it tries to portray.

We stayed at this hotel for three nights recently, and overall we were pleased with our stay. The previous reviewer (from March) indicated that there was a lot of construction during his stay, and our Uber driver did mention that the hotel had recent undergone extensive renovation. I'm happy to report that major construction seems to be completed now, just in time for the school holidays and the high travel season for this area. The hotel is very conveniently located close to shops, restaurants, waterfront, and the Reef Fleet Terminal, which is where all the trips to the Great Barrier Reef start off. The relatively new Cairns Aquarium (definitely worth a visit) is right next door. The lobby is bright and airy, with a bar at the back that serves coffee in the morning and drinks in the afternoon and evening. There is a nice pool set among greenery and trees at the heart of the hotel complex, which was attractive though we did not use it during our stay. Check-in was a breeze, and the front-desk staff was very helpful. However, calling the desk was a problem as the we had to let the phone ring for several minutes before we could get through - it would have been faster to walk to the lobby. Our requested wake-up call was never received. We booked a so-called superior room, which was advertised as being quieter room overlooking the pool, and that's exactly what we got. However, with a "superior" moniker I also expected it to be a little larger, but in fact it was a standard-sized room. There was a small balcony that didn't really have any place to sit, but it was quite useful for drying out our wet swimwear. The bathroom appeared to have been recently updated as well. Our hotel booking included breakfast, and this was very good, with a variety of hot and cold options. It also had offerings that would appeal to the sizable Asian tourist crowds, with fried rice or noodles every morning, miso soup, and congee (rice porridge). They also had a nifty pancake machine that we enjoyed. The restaurant staff was friendly and my custom-ordered omelets were delicious. Overall, we had a very nice stay at the Novotel Cairns Oasis. The price we paid was quite good (helped by a very favorable exchange rate as well). I did have a problem with online booking, however, which is more a function of Accor's (Novotel's parent) subpar system. I had made a reservation but then had to modify it due to a change in the number of travelers, but the website does not make it easy to do this, and it took a lot of sleuthing to find the right link. This desperately needs to be fixed.

Do you ever find a setting, an untouched piece of earth, a patch of green so special you don't want to share it with anyone. Well as Hotel's go, you just found it in your next visit to the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort. After a few wonderful stays over the years, I feel it's time to let the Novotel Cat our of the Cairns Bag, even though I am sure this will drive up demand. With a family of two young kids, I truly love the Novotel and always stay here with my family when in Cairns. Though there are more prestigious hotels which are probably nicer in terms of rooms and restaurants, for us it's all about the kids. There really is no better place in Cairns to for the kids, if it's the School Holidays this is the place to come, run by the institution that is Debbie, she'll keep your kids entertained in a safe and awesome environment (no extra cost). During the hols there are activities everyday around 10:30, 2:30, 4:30 and 6pm. Some of the activities allow for adult participation and is encouraged, or you can keep a close eye on them as you sip a Pina Colada or your favourite cocktail which the Novotel team always make to perfection from the pool bar or get it delivered to your deck chair. Focusing on the pool area, one end has a beach so the little ones have a nice incline before reaching the 1.2m limit. If your kids aren't strong swimmers they can be kept nice and close and safe. Especially the toddlers with the sand nice and soft. All whilst you can lounge back in the numerous deck chairs and table sitting area nearby, or jump in and have a swim with them as you order another cocktail from the pool bar including pool seating. Definitely do the Kuranda Rail, Aquarium next door, but the great thing about the Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort you will be more than happy to spend lazy days near the pool and really unwind. Rooms are clean and well kept, I would suggest they are on the smallish side but your not going to be spending much time in them given the Hotel and Cairns has so much to offer. Other complaint was the water pressure in the shower was rather weak. Staff from reception, dining and throughout the hotel are warm and friendly. With Max at reception an absolute standout, Max was as happy as I felt every morning and every day of our stay, it's nice to be able to build a repour with a staff member when you are one of hundreds of guests and only staying a week. I highly recommend the Hotel for lunch or Diner with all the dishes having a very tropical and unique Cairns flavour to them. We had 2 lunches and 2 diners at the hotel over the week we stayed and we never disappointed. But given the great location, you will want to go for a leisurely stroll and try the many restaurants nearby. The 10-15min walk to the Marina is well worth it for the delicious and affordable seafood. On the topic of location, the Novotel is literally next door to the Aquarium and 3mins walk to the main bus interchange. Breakfast can get really busy and depending on times of the morning you may have to wait to be seated, or to use the toaster, but nothing that's out of the ordinary. Great selection and variety of food, though I do feel the bacon spoils it (yuck and I love Bacon). You often you have to wait for the fruit to be filled up, but this is more of a testament to how good the fruit is, rather than then anything else. Sadly the only thing I would not recommend is making a tour booking through the tour desk found in the lobby, absolute nightmare and just went from bad to worse. Do it online yourself, which is easy given the decent wifi in the Hotel, but the tour desk is separate and you can't charge the room anyway. I probably wouldn't stay here as a couple or business traveller. But with a family with young kids, it's really the only place to stay in Cairns.

I'm hard pressed to recommend this place. Upon arrival, there was nobody to help us with our bags. We had to find a cart and move things ourselves. It wasn't a strong first impression. The receptionist was friendly and accommodating, but the staff could use some training in professionalism. While I was at the counter, another receptionist got off the phone and started talking about how she was surprised that a guest was willing to pay a very large sum to get a room. You don't say things like that in front of other guests. The rooms themselves were a decent size, but felt icky. The carpet had stains and felt sticky in a few places. The bed was lumpy, although clean. The air conditioner would work fine for a few minutes, then go into power saver mode, and thus, it was hard to feel comfortable for very long. Other issues included a tiny gym with some equipment not working, an odd phone that required you to dial "9" to get to the front desk (dialing "0" got nowhere). The restaurant was schizophrenic. If you prepay, the breakfast buffet is $20 for an adult and free for a child. The first time we did this, they somehow lost our payment. There was a decent assortment of food, including bacon and eggs, congee, fried rice, pancakes, and fruit. None of it was very good and they would do annoying things like add salt to the scrambled eggs. Dinner there, however, was surprisingly good. The kangaroo was quite tasty, as was the hamburger. The hotel is home to about 3,500 bats that hang from the trees surrounding the hotel. This might be a pro or con depending on how you feel about them.

One of the reasons you select a chain is that you probably know what to expect when you arrive. You sacrifice uniqueness for familiarity. The Novotel could fit in that category but it has shimmers of its own identity. One of the great features of the Novotel is its Mizuna restaurant. We weren't really expecting anything special when we sat down for dinner there but we had a great meal. In the middle of humid Queensland you aren't expecting a meal you'd find in a metropolitan locale: excellent beef carpaccio plus gnocchi with wild mushrooms seasoned with rosemary plus crisp, coconut crusted prawns, plus a trio of ice creams like lychee, mint chocolate chip, and mango. We really appreciated a restaurant that wasn't completely catering to parents and kids although a burger is always available. The staff does their best to keep the place clean; there is a somewhat damp smell throughout the hallways---I know carpet is a safe choice for most hotels that worry about people slipping but this location might benefit from another floor surface that dries quickly and has some slip resistance. Then there are the bats that ring the trees on the surface streets around the perimeter of the hotel. There is a underlying hum of their presence that you hear when you're at the pool but you quickly realize that it's kind of a they won't bother you if you don't bother them relationship. When you walk to the esplanade you will have to walk under these trees which is a surreal experience. The lobby sports two imacs for internet use. The internet times out after twenty minutes and you have to reboot. Usually there is some unparented child playing games on the monitor and you have to gently redirect them. Wi-fi is strongest in the lobby which is why you'll find most people hanging there staring at their phones when you first arrive. We spoke with the front desk in the mornings and in the evenings. The staff in the evening: not nice. Staff in the mornings: nice. Plan your interractions accordingly. Oh and the pool---sandy on one end...warm and relaxing.

We had a terrible experience during our stay. We reserved two rooms and both were treated terribly. We stayed here for two nights and after the first room cleanup, our towels were not replaced despite leaving them on the floor, our toiletries were not replaced, and our trashcans were not emptied. They did not pick up pillows that we put on the floor. When we tried to call the front desk for new towels, we were on hold for 20 minutes with no response. Very disappointed in our stay.

Good location. Room spacious enough. Lack of amenities in bathroom. Gym ok but a bit small. Concierge was nice and helpful. Check in was not as good. As ACCOR club member I generally arrive and key, welcome pack are ready. Here it wasn't the case plus lacking of a water bottle in the room. Average for a Novotel.