The Benson Hotel

4.0 star property

Photo gallery for The Benson Hotel

Suite
Terrace/patio
Outdoor pool, open 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, pool loungers
Reception
1 bedroom, premium bedding, pillow-top beds, laptop workspace

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Bar
  • Housekeeping

Explore the area

View map
44-56 Grafton Street, Cairns, QLD, 4870
  • Cairns Esplanade
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Reef Fleet Terminal
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Cairns, QLD (CNS-Cairns Intl.)
    ‪9 min drive‬

Room options

Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, Terrace

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(6 reviews)
  • 22 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Superior Room, 2 Queen Beds

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(5 reviews)
  • City view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Suite

  • 40 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(7 reviews)
  • 22 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible

  • 22 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Superior Room, 1 King Bed

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(17 reviews)
  • 22 sq m
  • River view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

Similar properties

About the area

Cairns

A stay at The Benson Hotel places you in the heart of Cairns, within a 10-minute walk of Cairns Esplanade and Cairns Central Shopping Centre. .This hotel is 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from Reef Fleet Terminal and 0.3 mi (0.4 km) from The Cairns Museum.

What's nearby

  • Cairns Esplanade - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Reef Fleet Terminal - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Esplanade Lagoon - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Cairns Marlin Marina - 10 min walk - 0.9 km

Getting around

  • Cairns Station - 9 min walk
  • Cairns Intl. Airport (CNS) - 13 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Annee's CaPhe - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Caffiend - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Gilligan's Travels - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪The Lillipad Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Indian brothers restaurant Cairns - ‬4 min walk

About this property

The Benson Hotel

Art Deco hotel with a 24-hour front desk and an outdoor pool
The Benson Hotel offers 101 air-conditioned accommodations with coffee/tea makers and complimentary weekday newspapers. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. 55-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels.

Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. This Cairns hotel provides complimentary wired and wireless Internet access, with a WiFi speed of 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices). Housekeeping is offered daily and change of towels can be requested.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 101 air-conditioned rooms featuring microwaves and flat-screen televisions. Your pillowtop bed comes with premium bedding. Complimentary wired and wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional features at this Art Deco hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and a banquet hall.
You can enjoy a meal at Benson Bar & Restaurant serving the guests of The Benson Hotel, or stop in at the snack bar/deli. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Buffet breakfasts are available daily from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and a 24-hour front desk. Planning an event in Cairns? This hotel has 2885 square feet (268 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and 2 meeting rooms. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 6:30 AM and 10:00 AM.
Benson Bar & Restaurant - This brasserie serves breakfast, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Happy hour is offered.

Languages

English, French, Indonesian, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired internet
  • In-room WiFi speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices)
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Height restrictions apply for on-site parking
  • Onsite parking available only on request
  • Secured, covered parking on site (AUD 25 per night)
  • Limited on-site parking (max 1 space per unit)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily buffet breakfast available 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: AUD 32 for adults and AUD 22 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Snack bar/deli

Restaurants on site

  • Benson Bar & Restaurant

Things to do

  • Bicycle storage
  • Bicycle tours
  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Fenced pool
  • In-room microwave
  • Laundry facilities
  • Mini-fridge
  • Outdoor pool
  • Pool gate
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Change of towels on request
  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Proposal/romance packages
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • 2 meeting rooms
  • 2,885 square feet of conference space
  • Business centre

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a nature reserve
  • Outdoor entertainment area
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Pool loungers
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 1 accessible parking space
  • Lift (90 centimetre wide door)
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to lift
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk (62 centimetre high)
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • 1 building
  • 10 floors
  • Art Deco architecture
  • Banquet hall
  • Built in 1984
  • Designated smoking areas (fines apply)

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 55-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels
  • Streaming services

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Microwave
  • Mini-fridge
  • Tea bags/instant coffee

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk chair
  • Free weekday newspapers
  • Laptop workspace

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Late check-out subject to availability
A late check-out fee will be charged

Special check-in instructions

The property charges 2 percent for credit card payments
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
The credit card used to book the reservation must be presented by the cardholder at check-in along with matching photo identification, and other arrangements must be coordinated with the property prior to arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for AUD 35.0 per night
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Breakage deposit: AUD 100 per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: approximately AUD 32 for adults and AUD 22 for children
  • Covered self parking fee: AUD 25 per night
  • Late check-out is available for a fee (subject to availability)
  • Rollaway bed fee: AUD 35.0 per night
  • Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge of 2 percent

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a debit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve onsite parking
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a smoke detector
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
This property affirms that it follows the cleaning and disinfection practices of Commitment to Clean (Choice)

We should mention

Pool access available from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Parking height restrictions apply

Property is also known as

The Benson Hotel Hotel
The Benson Hotel Cairns
The Benson Hotel Hotel Cairns

The Benson Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 224 out of 448 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 144 out of 448 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 55 out of 448 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 16 out of 448 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 9 out of 448 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

bryce

Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

6/10 Okay

Jan

Liked: Room comfort

Mixed Feelings

We stayed for 1 night, ( flight layover) the hotel is a nice boutique style hotel but it has some issues, $100 breakage deposit, a bit steep considering it may take 30 days to refund same. Only one lift was working and the keycard was iffy too. Bottle of water in room was a nice touch until I spotted the $2 charge. Breakfast was nice but could add some cheese and yoghurts. Room for improvement I feel.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tiahna

Stayed 1 night in May 2025

6/10 Okay

Megan Leonie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed here with the family . It is in a good location - central to all amenities. Accommodation itself was fine. Staff were friendly and helpful. The reason for 3 stars was for the noise. It is across the road from Gilligan's Bar which is a backpackers hostel type of bar and which closes at 3am. Unfortunately, we could not change rooms as the hotel was fully booked. If we stayed here again, I would absolutely select a room with a view of the pool. This is far enough away from Gilligans, facing the opposite directions and would be quieter. Other than the noise this was a lovely hotel.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

lidia

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Jason

Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sabine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rodney

Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful location for a Cairns stay. Have been to Cairns several times and stayed at various hotels and found The Benson to be in the best location, easy to walk to dining options and to the marina or Cairns Central etc.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kyoichi

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Loved the facility. One lift was broken while there which made it a lengthy wait to go up and down from the room. The rest of the facility was great with good dining and activities walking distance! It was beautiful
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Krzysztof

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly staff. Spacious, clean room. Breakfast was also good. Comfortable king size bed. Thank you flr an enjoyable stay.
Stayed 6 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Anthony

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean, quiet, friendly! GREAT LOCATION!!! Room was spacious.. 2 queens! Highly recommend! Great coffee.. and the breakfast looked good!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

4/10 Poor

Blagoja, Alphington

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Strange smell in the coridors, rooms not serviced daily.
Stayed 10 nights in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

maria

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Really enjoyed the proximity to restaurants and the Esplanade board walk.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Eamon, Innisfail

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The staff were friendly. The room was clean and the bed and pillow were great. However, I had a major issue with the air-conditioning, it was extremely noisy. The second point was,why dose the bean counters believe that cheap toilet paper is better when you use 10 times the amount than good quality paper? For $200.00 a night hotel I expect better
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel is well situated. They could do with more washing machines and dryers. Only one of each for the guests. Parking was also a little pricey. $25 per day when there were places near by that only charged $8 for all day parking.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Pauline

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
We booked last minute. It was beautiful- nice and clean and spacious. Only issue - small one - girl at front desk was a bit cranky. Having a bad day, I suppose. No big deal. If we weren’t leaving the next morning, it would have been a perfect location.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Kim

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We liked the location as we could walk to all of our booked tours, such as The Great Barrier Reef. There were restaurants and shopping close by. View not great from our room. There is laundry and a nice pool area on the 4th floor. No shuttle to/or from the airport.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lauren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good/clean property very closr to shopping areas. Parking at the hotel is an extra fee each day.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Natalie

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Great location and loved the roof top pool
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Angela

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Freshly renovated

An old Rydges hotel rebranded and fully renovated. Rooms clean comfortable and very modern
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Catherine

Travelled with family
Liked: Amenities
Awesome breakfast.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Lee

Benson end of March 25

Hotel well located, breakfast good, disappointing bar only open limited days- receptionist were helpful - umbrellas and tow eg is provided- can be noisy with younger travellers
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Hong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Every thing is good, I have no complaints. The only thing is that the room key card wasn’t working well for tapping at the lift so it took a bit more time than it supposed to be.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025