Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort

2.0 star property

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your current months are January, 2025 and February, 2025.
January 2025
February 2025

Photo gallery for Gilligan's Backpackers Hotel & Resort

Outdoor pool
Terrace/patio
Free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access
Lobby sitting area
Front of property

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Pool
  • Parking available
  • Housekeeping
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns, QLD, 04870
  • The Cairns Museum
    3 min walk
  • Siam D'lish
    1 min walk
  • Cairns Station
    8 min walk
  • Cairns, QLD (CNS-Cairns Intl.)
    12 min drive

Room options

4 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 215 sq ft
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

8 Bed En-suite Female

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Bunk Beds

4 Bed En-suite Deluxe Mixed

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

6 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

  • 215 sq ft
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Large Twin Bunk Beds

6 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 215 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 3 Large Twin Bunk Beds

Hotel Deluxe Room

  • 215 sq ft
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

4 Bed Female Dorm With En-Suite

  • 215 sq ft
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Beds

Hotel Twin Room

  • 215 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

10 Bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • 377 sq ft
  • Sleeps 1
  • 5 Large Twin Bunk Beds

8 bed Mixed Dorm With En-Suite

  • Sleeps 1
  • 4 Large Twin Bunk Beds

Hotel King Room

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

Bed In 4 Beds Female Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

King Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Bed In 8 Beds Mixed Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Bed In 4 Beds Mixed Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Bed In 8 Beds Deluxe Mixed Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Bed In 4 Beds Deluxe Mixed Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

Bed In 6 Beds Mixed Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Deluxe Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Bed In 6 Beds Female Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Twin Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

Bed In 10 Beds Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Bed In 8 Beds Female Dormitory

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

Similar properties

About the neighborhood

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.

What's nearby

  • Cairns Central Shopping Centre - 6 min walk
  • Cairns Esplanade - 8 min walk
  • Reef Fleet Terminal - 9 min walk
  • Esplanade Lagoon - 9 min walk
  • Cairns Marlin Marina - 12 min walk

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 transportation

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

Food and drink

  • 2 bars/lounges
  • A poolside bar
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Basketball
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Books
  • Concerts/live shows
  • Evening entertainment
  • Nightclub
  • Outdoor pool
  • TV in common areas
  • Volleyball

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Laundry facilities
  • Lockers
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Computer station

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Terrace

Accessibility

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

More

  • 4 floors
  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower

Entertainment

  • 45-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

Food and drink

  • Shared kitchen access

More

  • Air conditioning

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

Property 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. 123 out of 396 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 179 out of 396 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 51 out of 396 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 26 out of 396 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 17 out of 396 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

Claudia, wheelersburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Perfect for the traveller who wants it all within your fingertips. It is a 10min walk to the fleet terminal. If you are a light sleeper, do not book this place because there is a nightclub beneath the hotel that is active. Perfect for the party goer and it is central in town.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yvonne

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

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

Traveled 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

Traveled 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 traveler

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

Traveled 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 traveler

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

Traveled 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 traveler

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