Cairns City Sheridan

The room itself was clean and tidy, but we had no hand towel or washer, the coffee had gone solid in its packet, and there was no sink plug. It was room 206, up two flights of stairs with no lift, and we had no warning. We were lucky not to be on the next floor with all our luggage. The people above partied most of the night, with loud music and stomping still going at 3:30 am.

The room was tiny and the air conditioner didn’t work. When we called for maintenance, we were told there was no on-site staff on Christmas Day and everyone was working remotely, so we’d have to wait until morning. With no ventilation and Cairns at 32°C, sleeping there wasn’t possible. We tried Agoda, but they couldn’t help either. Neither Agoda nor the on-call staff could approve a refund while management was on holiday, and we were told to keep waiting without knowing if anyone would respond. We had to leave that night and find somewhere else. We’ve stayed at hotels all over Australia, but this was easily our worst experience, and we wouldn’t recommend it. The facilities are poor, aircraft noise is really loud, and the walkways were dirty and littered.

The place was filthy, with bugs throughout the rooms and in the beds, and the beds themselves were dirty. They’d provided only a sheet and a fluffy, unhygienic blanket. The main bed had stains that looked like some sort of body secretion, and there was rubbish left behind plus a bra insert on top of the cupboard. Photos on the website have been edited to make the property look nice, and the smoke alarms had been removed. One of the worst motels I’ve stayed in. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Fleabag motel, only with ants and cockroaches. At the bottom of the littered, graffitied stairs, a full dumpster greeted us with its sight and smell. The room had a mouldy ceiling and graffiti on the table, benches, air con remote, and even the TV. There was urine buildup on the floor beside the toilet. After a while, ants and cockroaches came out on the benches and bedside tables, though they were shy at first. The bed was average at best and noisy, with greyish sheets that had faint stains. Down at the stairs was a used party bong too, which we’d missed on the way in among all the other highlights. The fleas are the only thing missing so far, unless they just haven’t started biting. They should pay people to stay.