When we were checking in, we arrived a little early and were told the room was not yet available, but they guarantee check in from 2. This was fine, except our room was then not ready until 2.30pm, with no apology. As we were handed our room keys we were basically shooed away, and I had to interrupt to ask where to go for our room. Rooms themselves are nice enough, though not as high end as I’d expect. Beds are quite firm, and the pillows are terrible! I didn’t get a decent nights sleep our entire stay, despite going through the pillow menu to try and find a better option. I’m not particularly pillow sensitive either, so I’d suggest bringing your own. The 55 inch tv is good, and the free movies are a wonderful bonus. Sound proofing in the room is woeful, despite being on the 7th floor I could clearly hear kids playing in the pool as well as hearing corridor noise. I liked the toiletry products though my husband was not a fan. The rainfall shower head was wonderful, in a large oversize shower. There is no serviced mini bar, so we purchased snacks from the supermarket and used the small in room fridge (no freezer). We had room service once (order through the iPad, it took me a day or so to realise room service even existed!), it was ok but nothing special. Service finishes at 8pm, so plan accordingly if you are getting in in the evening. Breakfast was also ok, we had it included in our rate but I’m not sure I’d pay for it otherwise. It was a selection of hot (bacon, sausages, variety of eggs, hash browns etc) and cold (yoghurts, fruit, cereal and hot cross buns/muffins/pastries). We did have a couple of issues, namely going out one day to return at 3.30pm and the room still not having been made up - this was quickly rectified with a call to reception. The next day I lodged a request for housekeeping around 8am and when we returned after noon the room still wasn’t made up- when we asked at reception for this to be rectified they said check out rooms are cleaned first with continuing rooms cleaned afterwards from about 2.30 and that putting in a request for housekeeping in the morning is basically pointless. More worryingly, an employee let themselves in to our room without knocking or announcing themselves. He was most apologetic when he realised we were there, but it was still not an ok thing to do. We also had a receipt on the floor under the luggage bench from 26 March, despite us not checking in til 4 April (where it remained til we checked out on 12 April) so I question how well the rooms are cleaned. We did receive a bottle of wine for our anniversary, which was a lovely gesture. We didn’t receive any water in our room til our last night. Location was also great, I’d also recommend booking at least a resort view room. All in all, if we return to Cairns I will probably look for somewhere else to stay. The Riley was fine, but nothing to write home about. …
What a wonderful stay! We made a very last minute change of holiday destination thanks to covid restrictions preventing us going to Adelaide and lucky for us we ended up here. This is a fabulous hotel, there is so much we loved about it, from the minute we arrived weary, late at night and were greeted by two friendly and super helpful ladies, we were happy. The hotel is luxurious and elegant but with a relaxed coastal vibe throughout. Lots of beautiful spaces inside the foyer and other indoor and outdoor spaces to lounge around very comfortably. The pool area is fabulous and usually has poolside service. Meals and drinks were reasonably priced, so we often ate right there on a sun lounge, instead of venturing out. We used the complimentary bikes to ride to the Botanical Gardens Cafe for breakfast (that's another story, coffees were good but breakfast was terrible), nonetheless it was a really fun outting and great that they don't charge for things like this. Free Sat am yoga, free water daily, too. Highly recommend the Rocco Bar on the 12th floor, it was fabulous, wonderful views, extensive drinks list and great prices at happy hour. ($12 cocktails, choice of 3). Great location on The Esplanade, great for walking to everything and close to playgrounds and the lagoon. We have loved everything about our stay and will definitely be back.…
Stayed here for 7 nights and the property was just lovely. Great location, walking distance to everything. Beautiful pool and facilities with the rooms being clean, modern and very comfortable. Slippers, robe, free movies, all the things you’d expect from a 5 star property. Down side by far was the service, particularly by the poolside & restaurant staff, were not to the level it should be. Annoyingly I had multiple orders that were forgotten or very slow, requiring follow up or incorrect. The staff just had no sense of urgency or care for the fact guests are paying & waiting. As a result, I went out of the property more to get better service elsewhere. A shame as this is a big loss in potential revenue for the hotel and impacts that poolside holiday experience. Other noteworthy comment is the pool chairs, they are hard to get so you need to get out early if you want one. They should put out more as there is room for it but perhaps due to Covid it’s restricted. Housekeeping also ran out of water which is not ideal for a hot climate location like Cairns and even the gym had no water. Overall, a good property that I’d return to but a few things that need some review to meet the standard they are trying to set. …
Really enjoyed our stay at Riley Crystalbrook. Great pool. Really friendly staff who go the extra mile for you. Flexible check-in and check-out. Nice modern and clean rooms with a view. Good location. Buffet breakfast was a tad expensive to not include barista coffee, but oh well, still five stars from me.
Stayed 2 nights with friends in family urban rooms. No assistance with luggage upon arrival. Check in was reasonably efficient. Rooms clean and tidy. Comfortable beds. Food and beverage service around the pool was poor. Very slow service, expensive drinks and very understaffed. Breakfast expensive and poor quality. Best eating at a local cafe. Had dinner at Paper Crane. Very slow service and obviously understaffed. Two hours to receive main course. Again, better off eating at a local restaurant. Half a room service. Dirty cups left in room. Room top bar was very good. Excellent service and atmosphere. Full interrogation by staff every time a pool towel was requested. It was like they didn’t believe we were staying at the hotel. Limited chairs, sun lounges and shade facilities around the pool. Main pool was nearly as warm as the spa. No assistance with luggage upon checkout. Do yourself a favour and stay somewhere else. We certainly won’t be staying here again. It was an expensive and disappointing 2 night stay. …
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