The rooms were a good size and the bathroom was very clean. They even changed the bed linen after two days, including for guests who were only staying one more night, which I really appreciated. I loved the evening activities – on Sunday they had a BBQ, which honestly saved me as I was way too tired to cook that night haha. It’s a great hostel for socialising, and the staff were super friendly and helpful, especially the woman working the afternoon/evening shift – I don’t remember her name, but she was incredibly kind and informative. I didn’t use the kitchen much, but it seemed decent. I did use the fridge to store some food and had no issues at all. I also used the storage room both on arrival and before leaving – it was very easy and convenient. The app to open the doors made everything even smoother! On top of everything, the location is super convenient – walking distance to restaurants, very close to where the boat tours depart, and only about 15 minutes from the airport.

If you are looking for a quiet place to stay near by everything you need, I hardly recommend Mad Monkey Waterfront. A very nice staff, quiet rooms, lovely people. I’ve been staying there for 4 months now and I won’t change hostel for any reason. The hostel is not a party hostel which makes it quiet especially if you need to rest or if you are working, the staff is here to help you with anything, the other people are lovely, met a lot of very good friends, plus the hostel is close to everything you need right on the esplanade. I hardly recommend it !

Nothing, everything was very good

Highly recommend! The staff at the hostel are incredibly friendly and always ready to help with anything you need. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the common areas offer plenty of room to relax or socialize. I was especially impressed by how clean the in-room bathrooms were—everything felt fresh and well looked after. Overall, the facilities are very well-maintained, making for a smooth and enjoyable stay.

I can’t think of anything negative to say; the experience was smooth from start to finish.

Great hostel, quiet, super clean and tidy, and so well looked after by staff. Dorms and beds are very comfy, air cond works perfectly, plenty of space for storage and en suite bathroom in the room is perfect. Kitchen is so well equipped, can cook anything you want at any time. Loved the couch with Netflix on all the time. No noise and no parties going on, but staff do organize social events every day which are great if you'd like to socialise. One of the best hostels I've stayed and would 100% recommend to whoever wants to relax or hang out but in a quiet atmosphere. Great location also as right on the esplanade. More than anything, love the efforts that staff put into looking after the place. Well done!

Maybe in the big dorms, one bathroom is sometimes not enough, but there's other bathrooms around so they can always be accessible.

Very good location near the esplanade and in walking distance to the Terminal for the Boats to the Great Barrier Reef. Enduite Bathrooms in the shared dorms modern and pretty clean.

Airconditioning was a cold, so bring warm/longsleeve PJs! Staff was mostly friendly but some were a bit rude sometimes. Many long-term guests that leave the rooms in a mess. Not very social at all, lots of groups and barely any mingling between groups.

Great single room, very convenient right on the Esplanade, there is the happy tours tour booking right outside and literally dozens of restaurants right outside. Breakfast was very convenient and a comforting touch, pancakes were great and staff were very friendly and helpful even when I had silly questions.

Cairns is a rainforest, so it's constantly raining and almost always hot and humid. The Air conditioner is set to 23C/74F with instructions not to lower it due to condensation forming on the unit. As a result, even the rooms can get quite hot. Most of the building is outdoors, so it does feel very hot once you step out of the ACed areas.

The location is why I first picked Mad Monkey Waterfront. It is right on the Esplanade, so you can easily walk to everything like bars, restaurants, activities, the lagoon and more. The prices are great and the staff are super friendly and helpful. They have weekly events that are a fun way to meet people. The rooms are super clean, have ensuites and the beds are really comfortable. The kitchen is nice with air conditioning and a big tv and a hang out area. Highly recommend.

I liked the friendly and helpfull staff members and so far I enjoyed the facility given by the hostel , I would definitely recommend to everyone coming to cairns. And I liked the location which is in the centre of the city facing the espalanade

I liked the fact that the bathroom is inside of the room unlike other hotels I’ve been to and tidiness of the rooms

I really enjoyed my stay at this hostel — it had a welcoming atmosphere and a great social vibe. The staff were friendly and always ready to help. It felt like a perfect place to relax and meet new people!

It would be great to have a curtains for the beds for more privacy. Also, adding a bit more storage space or hooks could make things easier for guests. Overall, just small touches that could make an already nice stay even better!

I had an amazing stay here! The hostel has a great atmosphere, and the social events they organize make it so easy to meet other travelers. There was always something fun going on. The staff are super friendly and really make you feel at home. Plus, everything was always very clean and well-maintained, which made the stay even more comfortable. Perfect place if you're traveling solo or just want to make new friends. Highly recommend!