With a stay at The Espy Hostel, you'll be centrally located in Cairns, just a 3-minute walk from Cairns Esplanade and 7 minutes by foot from Cairns Marlin Marina. .This hostel is 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from Reef Fleet Terminal and 0.6 mi (1 km) from Cairns Central Shopping Centre.
Cairns Central Shopping Centre - 8 min walk - 0.5 miles
Getting around
Cairns Station - 13 min walk
Cairns Intl. Airport (CNS) - 11 min drive
Restaurants
‪McDonald's - ‬2 min walk
‪Rattle n Hum Cairns - ‬1 min walk
‪Boardwalk Social by Crystalbrook - ‬1 min walk
‪Villa Romana - ‬1 min walk
‪Splash Seafood Restaurant - ‬2 min walk
About this property
The Espy Hostel
The Espy Hostel offers 17 air-conditioned accommodations with shared/communal kitchens. Refrigerators and microwaves are provided.
Bathrooms include showers. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access (speed: 250+ Mbps (good for 3–5 people or up to 10 devices)). Housekeeping is provided once per stay.
Recreational amenities at the hostel include an outdoor pool.
Make yourself at home in one of the 17 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Prepare your meals in the shared/communal kitchen. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms with showers are provided.
Enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a terrace. Additional amenities at this hostel include complimentary wireless internet access, a communal living room, and tour/ticket assistance.
Featured amenities include multilingual staff, luggage storage, and laundry facilities.
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
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 transportation
No onsite parking available
Things to do
Books
Outdoor pool
TV in common areas
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Luggage storage
Shared microwave
Shared refrigerator
Vending machine
Guest services
Housekeeping (once per stay)
Multilingual staff
Tour and ticket assistance
Outdoors
Barbecue grill
On the beach
Outdoor entertainment area
Outdoor furniture
Terrace
Accessibility
No elevator
More
Communal living room
Designated smoking areas
Traditional architecture
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Shower
Toilet paper
Towels provided
Food and drink
Cleaning supplies
Cookware, dishware, and utensils
Kitchen island
Microwave
Refrigerator
Shared kitchen access
Stovetop
Toaster
More
Air conditioning
Policies
Check-in
Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM
Early check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 AM
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours will receive an email within 24 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and smart lock details; front desk staffed during limited hours
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
Guests are required to download the property's Goki mobile app before check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours), smart lock
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children 17 and younger are not allowed at this property; All guests older than 17 are welcome
Property payment types
Important information
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 and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Children 17 years old and younger are not permitted at this property
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)
Property is also known as
The Espy Hostel Cairns
Cairns Waterfront Haven
The Espy Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
The Espy Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation Cairns
The Espy Hostel Reviews
Reviews
7.6
Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
I loved the spacious kitchen and clean bathrooms facilities. The location was perfect! Just next to the lagoon, shopping malls, bus stop and the beach front.
THECKLA
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2025
Verified review
8/10 Good
Hans
Oct 2, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Right in the middle of town
Enough hostel eating area
Hans
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Verified traveler
Jan 16, 2025
Disliked: Cleanliness
Best location
Difficult to check in but friendly staff, not tidy rooms but best location in cairns!
I was so impressed at the quality for a low budget place. The guests were very respectful, friendly. The kitchen facilities were good. I would stay again. I did notice someone was sleeping kitchen when I woke up at 5am. Not sure if he was guest in the hotel.
The room was really big with a lot of space, the problem was humidity, there was mold in the walls and got worse during the days we stayed. The kitchen is well equipped and has also an airfryer.
The best was location really near everything supermarket , port and lagoon pool.
Laura
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2024
Verified review
4/10 Poor
Vaia
Feb 13, 2023
Disliked: Staff & service
We paid for a room to be on the Esplanade. It was a Hostel, not a Hotel so the expectation wasn’t high. The room and amenities were clean and tidy. The cleanliness m
As much as i want to keep this hostel a hidden gem, they deserve all the business possible. A simple yet welcoming environment, this place completely changed my prospective on hostels. It's not a party place and everyone respects one another, a very relaxed place. Location is centeral to everything in town on the waterfront, but the sounds of outside arent heard.
I cannot recommend this place enough and cannot wait to return.