Great location, but a few areas could be improved
The location of Mantra Esplanade is excellent, right on the Cairns Esplanade, and the property was clean on arrival. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and happy to assist with anything we needed.
Unfortunately, our check in was delayed by around two hours due to cleaning. We had been up since 4am for our flight, so the wait felt very long. While the delay itself would have been understandable, we were repeatedly told it “wouldn’t be long.” A more accurate estimate would have been helpful, as we would have been happy to leave our bags and return once the room was ready.
The property also felt quite dated. There was visible water damage in the hallway where a pipe had recently been repaired, and our room looked older and different from the photos shown at booking. That said, the room itself was very clean, which we appreciated.
We also found the room lacked some basic amenities we would expect at this price point. There were no bedside lamps and no convenient area to make tea or coffee, so everything had to be prepared in the bathroom. Given the cost of the stay, this was surprising.
Overall, the location is fantastic and the staff were lovely, but the dated rooms, check in experience, and lack of some basic amenities did affect our stay. I’m glad we experienced it, but based on this visit, I’m not sure we would choose to stay again.
