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Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort

2.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort

Room
Reception
Property amenity
View from property
Room

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

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

Explore the area

Map
57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns, QLD, 04870
  • The Cairns Museum
    3 min walk
  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre
    6 min walk
  • Cairns Night Markets
    6 min walk
  • Cairns, QLD (CNS-Cairns Intl.)
    12 min drive

Room options

View all photos for 4 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

4 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 20 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

View all photos for 8 Bed En-suite Female

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

8 Bed En-suite Female

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for 4 Bed En-suite Deluxe Mixed

4 Bed En-suite Deluxe Mixed

4 Bed En-suite Deluxe Mixed

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

View all photos for 6 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

6 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

  • 20 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Large Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for 6 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

6 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 20 sq m
  • City view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Large Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Hotel Deluxe Room

Hotel Deluxe Room

Hotel Deluxe Room

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

View all photos for 4 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

4 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

  • 20 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

View all photos for Hotel Twin Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

Hotel Twin Room

  • 20 sq m
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for 10 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

10 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

10 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 35 sq m
  • Sleeps 1
  • 5 Large Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for 8 bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

8 bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Hotel King Room

Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

Hotel King Room

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Similar properties

Pool

YHA Cairns Central

Pool
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Breakfast available
4.2 out of 5, Very good, (175)
The price is AU$126
for 1 night
includes taxes & fees
17 Dec - 18 Dec
YHA Cairns Central

About the area

Cairns

A stay at Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort places you in the heart of Cairns, within a 15-minute walk of Cairns Esplanade and Cairns Marlin Marina. .This hostel is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Reef Teach and 0.4 mi (0.7 km) from Cairns Performing Arts Centre.
View more Hostels in CairnsOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Cairns Esplanade - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Esplanade Lagoon - 9 min walk - 0.8 km
  • Cairns Convention Centre - 9 min walk - 0.8 km
  • Cairns Marlin Marina - 12 min walk - 1.0 km

Getting around

  • Cairns Station - 8 min walk
  • Cairns Intl. Airport (CNS) - 12 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Rusty's Markets - ‬2 min walk
  • Annee's CaPhe
  • ‪Caffiend - ‬6 min walk
  • Gilligan's Travels
  • ‪The Lillipad Cafe - ‬3 min walk

About this property

Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort

Hostel with a nightclub, a short walk to Cairns Esplanade
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort offers 120 air-conditioned accommodations with shared/communal kitchens. 45-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels.

Bathrooms include showers. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is offered daily and hair dryers can be requested.

Recreational amenities at the hostel 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 120 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Prepare your meals in the shared/communal kitchen. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and hair dryers.
Don't miss out on recreational opportunities including a nightclub and an outdoor pool. Additional amenities at this hostel include complimentary wireless internet access, a television in a common area, and tour/ticket assistance.
At Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort, enjoy a satisfying meal at the restaurant. Relax with a refreshing drink from the poolside bar or one of the 2 bars/lounges.
Featured amenities include a computer station, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort has a restaurant on site.

Languages

Catalan, Dutch, English, Filipino, French, German, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Covered self parking on site (AUD 12 per day)

Food and drink

  • 1 restaurant
  • 2 bars/lounges and 1 poolside bar

Things to do

  • Basketball
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Concerts/live shows
  • Evening entertainment
  • Nightclub
  • Outdoor pool
  • Volleyball

Conveniences

  • ATM/banking services
  • Lift
  • Front-desk safe
  • Lockers available
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour/ticket assistance

Business services

  • Computer station

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Grab bar near toilet
  • In-room accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible (may have limits)

More

  • Books
  • Designated smoking areas
  • TV in lobby

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets

Bathroom

  • Hairdryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower

Entertainment

  • 45-inch flat-screen TV
  • Digital channels

Food and drink

  • Shared kitchen access

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

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

Children and extra beds

Children 18 and younger are not allowed at this property; All guests older than 18 are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Covered self parking fee: AUD 12 per day
  • Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge

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 credit card, debit card, or cash deposit 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
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit

We should mention

Children 18 years old and younger are not permitted at this property

Property is also known as

Gilligan's Backpackers
Gilligan's Backpackers Cairns
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort Cairns
Gilligans Backpackers Hotel And Resort
Gilligans Backpackers Hotel Cairns
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel Resort Cairns
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel Resort
Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort Cairns

Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 122 out of 394 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 178 out of 394 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 51 out of 394 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 26 out of 394 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 17 out of 394 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

7.8/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jessica

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yvonne

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Great!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Owen

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

4/10 Poor

David

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The accommodation mux of people. Welcoming reception staff. Had no hot water in room 402 shower or hand basin. Fire alarm was set off unable to get through exited door on ground floor and the floor area at bottom of stair well smelt like a sewer
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

4/10 Poor

Rob

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Convenient location for drinks but its in awful condition. We had 2 private rooms. My pillow smelt like someone pissed on it, the room stank of mould, the wifi doesn't work on the top floor and the air conditioning was stuck on a very low temperature. You'll get a nice hotel for the same price elsewhere.
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

Tyler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
My room was a 4 person room which was decent overall. The pillows were small and not sufficient. The rooms a/c barely worked and the room had a damp / wet smell and feel the whole time. This is the perfect location in town if you want a party as they have stuff going on every night. The location is perfect for anything you would wanna do in town and the price was right for sure.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Eryn

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
limited facilities, power off in kitchen at 10, broken toilet
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Molly

Liked: Cleanliness

10/10 Excellent

Lucy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

gary

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great budget option with activities on site
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Okay visit
The place is okay, it’s a party hostel after all. The noise from the club wasn’t heard from our room but the party bus was so loud it was as though they were parked at the end of the bed 😂. Staff were pretty unhelpful, we were travelling as a couple. It could be that they are used to dealing with idiots/drunks all day so by the time you get there they aren’t very welcoming.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Utkarsh

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kurtis

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Bruno

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
If you have shared room, you will have a small locker to store your valuables, but you MUST have your own lock (thankfully I did).
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The waterfall pool is brilliant The bar and the girls are awesome
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hostel is large, loud and out of date.
This hostel has potential both on the accommodation side and the nightclub side. The events they put on in the nightclub are about 15 years out of date, wet t shirt contest, jelly wrestling competition, pole dancing competition, it reminded me of Christina Agueleria vs Britney Spears, and predictably the nightclub was full of almost exclusively men, it's not the sort of events that attract any women at all. The hostel had good kitchen areas, and a TV area on every floor, it would be good if the hostel/nightclub put on some more relaxed social events, because the hostel didn't end up being very social, people were a bit overwhelmed by the sexual nature of all of the social activities. Some more neutral activities like drunk bingo or pub quiz, earlier in the evening would have helped the hostel to be more social. Every room had a balcony and an ensuite bathroom which was nice, but in the room there was no control for the air conditioning which was always far too cold, and so the sliding doors onto the balconies was left open to warm up the room, and that meant the air conditioning was often broken. There are no lockers in the rooms either which is not ideal for a party hostel. Bed linen was provided and the beds were comfortable. But they didn't have privacy curtains, or a personal light, which again is the norm nowadays. They did have a plug next to every bed though. Room cleaning starts before check out at 9am. This hostel has potential but it is just out of date.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Greta

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Amber

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Enjoyed a 1 night stay at Gilligans in the Deluxe Room. It was spacious, quite and had a balcony and own bathroom. Fridge with kettle and tea etc. Room service available and you can make use of the communial kitchen and lounge area and pool. Great bar downstairs, which you couldn't hear from upstairs. Overall was a really nice place to stay and I would definitely stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Pamela

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Narayan, Princeton

Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Party hostel for teenagers
It's a party hostel... Get onboard with it! But apart from that the private rooms are way overpriced for what they offer and you will be constantly treated like an 18 year old, regardless of age. Very annoying. Go somewhere else and head to Gilligan's for the party...you will be better off.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very lively party spot! Always activities happening at night, food from the kitchen was excellent, facilities kept reasonably clean, happy hours were a bonus, staff were friendly & helpful. I'd recommend trying to check into your room early since the process was a bit slow around 2pm.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Natasha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wow
WOW! First impressions count and they really hit the nail on the head at gilligans, not only is it way bigger than i expected but it also comes with some incredible on site facilities! Met by friendly and professional staff at check in which made me feel very settled. Once i got to my room not only is it the biggest hostel room ive ever stayed in but also the best layed out, looked fresh and tidy and everything was clean! I was staying in a 4 bed female dorm, all single beds so no having to go up and down bunk beds cause lets face it theyre fun as kids but not great as adults. The room came with a good sized balcony with seating, a good sized wardrobe, enough room to store a big suitcase under the bed aswell as room around the bed, mini lockers and separate shower, sink and toilet so no having to wait to go to the toilet if someone is in the shower! Great A/C that keeps the room nice and cool! All the beds come with a light and 2 plugs as well as 2 usb sockets incase you forget your adapter. Ontop of all this each level has its own common area with comfortable seating and very spacious and then its own kitchen, also spacious and you actually have room to cook stuff unlike other hostels i have stayed in where you are having to share the same space. Just need to fix a few of the lights on the level as it made it a tad dark. Finally as i was only staying here for 5 days i spoke to the very friendly on site travel team who got me some great deals on my activities. On the whole i
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Jenna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very lively spot! If you’re a backpacker in Cairns you have to stay here, it’s part of the experience! Everything is also super well run, easy check in, getting to the rooms, feels safe and clean! Personally stayed in a room for 4 people and it was nice that it wasn’t bunk beds, also the beds were very comfortable and larger then most other beds at hostels! I would definitely recommend staying here as it’s so convenient! Just be aware there’s lots going on and it will probably be a bit loud at night so we at plugs will help!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023