The Balinese

We stayed three nights in one room and two in another, and loved it. Both rooms were very clean, with lovely sheets and good air conditioning. Breakfast was continental, with fruit, muesli and raisin toast, my favourites. The place was quiet, and there’s a pool. Great value, and the staff were very helpful.

The included breakfast was very small, and not really a traditional continental one. The other downside is how much noise carries: you can hear nearly everything, from footsteps on the stairs to sounds from the dining area. Still, it’s an inexpensive motel in a nice spot near Cairns Esplanade. The room was spacious and well equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and refrigerator, and the bathroom was quite big.

We wouldn’t go back. We stayed five days, asked for the room to be tidied, and the bed still wasn’t made. We only got clean towels, and the room was tidied with fresh towels on the last night. Breakfast was three cereals, toast, tea and coffee, with fruit only if you were lucky. You also have to wash your dishes and put them in the dishwasher, something I’ve never come across outside backpacker places, even at a lower-class hotel. The hotel felt very basic and old, and I only learned later it was a two-star place. The pool is tiny, though cute, and the online photos really don’t match the hotel. It needs a good clean-up, and a bit more friendliness from the staff would help.

The room was spacious, clean and beautifully decorated, with rich deep browns and red and lovely rose crown moulding. Rooms are serviced daily. There’s a small, clean, well-equipped kitchen and laundry by the pool, plus a little computer area for guests. Continental breakfast is served poolside. It’s a five-minute walk to the north end of the esplanade, and there are lots of places to eat nearby, including Bayview and Rydges just minutes away. I appreciated the decor and attention to detail, and would definitely stay again.