Riley Cairns: What makes this Crystalbrook Hotel different?

The Crystalbrook Riley Cairns is one of Cairns’ top five star hotels – and the highlight is the 1,000 square metre lagoon pool.

Riley Cairns is one of the newest five star hotels in the tourism capital of far north Queensland. Riley Cairns was previously the Rydges Traders Motel, but it has undergone a $170 million total remake. This makeover has included the construction of a 12 story, Olympic Torch-esque tower, where some of the rooms are housed.

Trip-booster! 8 great day trips from Cairns to power-up your holiday

Kuranda combo package – take the Kuranda Scenic Railway up and the Skyrail cable car down.
Green Island tours with beach time, glass bottom boat and snorkelling. (Or pick a Fitzroy Island trip instead).
Moore Reef day tour – with underwater observatory, snorkelling gear, glass bottom boat & semi-submersible cruises.
Great Barrier Reef snorkelling cruise – with snorkelling stops at two excellent spots on the Reef.
Cape Tribulation rainforest day tour – with Mossman Gorge Aboriginal cultural experience and Daintree River crocodile-watching cruise.
Atherton Tableland waterfalls and rainforest tour – including wildlife-spotting and a swim in a volcanic lake.
Outback 4WD tour – visiting Chillagoe Caves, Aboriginal rock art and Granite Gorge.

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Crystalbrook Riley in Cairns. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

Riley Cairns and the Crystalbrook Collection

Riley Cairns is part of the Crystalbrook Collection, a small chain of hotels across Australia that gives each hotel its own distinct personality. Others include the Crystalbrook Kingsley in Newcastle, the Crystalbrook Vincent in Brisbane and the Crystalbrook Albion in Sydney.

Rooms at the Crystalbrook Riley are reasonably sized if not huge. The sea view rooms cover 32 square metres of floorspace. Decór strikes that fine line between rich and restrained. They come with balconies, iPad control centres, rainforest showers and 55 inch HD smart TVs.

Save time queuing – Book these Cairns attractions in advance

From the air: Outer Reef helicopter flight | Sunrise hot air balloon ride | Skyrail Rainforest Cableway.
At night: Sunset dinner cruise | Pub and club tour | Aquarium by Twilight experience.
For wildlife: Birdworld Kuranda | Kuranda Koala Gardens | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | Cairns Aquarium | Rainforestation Nature Park
For culture: Cairns Museum tickets | Street art walking tour | City and surrounds highlights bus tour.
For thrills: AJ Hackett giant jungle swing | High speed jet boat tour | Barron Gorge white water rafting | Mulgrave River tubing.

Riley Cairns pool

You’re likely to be spending plenty of time outside your room, however. One of Riley Cairns’ drawcards is the pool. This 1,000 square metre lagoon, fringed by small sand beaches, is one of the biggest hotel pools in Cairns. You can shell out for a cabana next to the pool if you really want to make a day of it.

Also of interest is the Eleme day spa. Options on the spa menu include facials, massages and couples’ treatments. There are two restaurants, as well. Paper Crane goes for the bustling Asian vibe, while Rocco on the top floor of the tower offers Mediterranean food and marvellous views of the city.

Riley Cairns is not cheap, however – expect to pay around $420 a night. Other quality accommodation options in Cairns include the Kewarra Beach Resort.

Things to do in Cairns, Queensland, include swimming at the Esplanade Lagoon, exploring the Cairns Botanic Gardens, grazing at the Cairns Night Markets and saying hi to the fish at the Cairns Aquarium.