Mercure Cairns

The Mercure in Cairns is not a hotel worthy of All Accor. In everything, the Mercure is dated and behind the times.

During our trip through Australia, we want to dive at the Great Barrier Reef. We will therefore fly from Melbourne to Cairns and find and book the Mercure Cairns there. The choice of Mercure has to do with its All Accor membership, and the price. There are three of us so we compare different options. Here we look at two single rooms or a family room. Mercure comes out on top here.

Mercure Cairns Review

Thanks to an early flight, we also arrive at the hotel early. Unfortunately, check-in is not yet possible, but we can drop our luggage. Ideal for not carrying too much luggage to explore Cairns.

Hotel Great Barrier Reef

The hotel feels dated on arrival and unfortunately this first impression is confirmed during our stay. In my experience, the hotel does few things right.

Mercure Cairns Family room

Once checked in, we see that the room consists of two separate parts. A room with a queen-size bed (1.50 metres wide) and a room with two twin beds. The twin room has a small kitchenette with fridge, sink and microwave.

The room is similarly dated, despite a half-hearted attempt at renovation. Much brown wood has been painted a dark blue, but the old wood still comes through.

There are pipes running through the wardrobe that you hear as soon as someone showers or flushes. The pipes squeak when you turn on the tap. On the other side of the room – there is a partition with a door – there is a queen-size bed and access to the bathroom.

The beds

What is noticeable is that the beds are not only narrow but also rickety. As soon as you lie in bed, they roll off the wall and the topper (almost) slides off the bed. There are also only sheets (with no duvet) and the pillows are quite flat.

The Mercure does not have a pillow menu. The blankets in the wardrobe feel like you’re sleeping at your grandmother’s, all in all not a hotel experience. Both bedrooms have a Smart TV with Chromecast, though we can’t use it as the room has no WiFi connection.

The bathroom

The bathroom is one of the hotel’s few bright spots. The shower is nice and the bathroom seems renovated. It looks more modern, but therefore stands out from the rest of the room.

The bathroom has an enclosed shower, toilet and sink. The single sink feels a bit silly in a family room, but at no point is it a

Breakfast Mercure Cairns

As we leave early both days to the Great Barrier Reef, we choose not to book breakfast with our stay. What I can tell you is that it is not a buffet, but an à la carte breakfast.

Location Mercure Cairns

The location of our hotel is good. We are a 5-minute walk from the promenade and a 20-minute walk from the port. In between, you’ll find streets with restaurants, supermarkets, massage and ice cream parlours.

You can also rent Beam scooters at the hotel. Handy if you don’t want to walk too far in the summer heat.

Mercure Great Barrier Reef

Usually when you book with All Accor or another chain, you know your hotel is up to scratch. Unfortunately, in this case it is not. The Mercure is one of the worse experiences at an All Accor hotel.

The hotel is dated and there is a pungent smell upon entering. The Wi-Fi is poor – even when you do have connection. During our stay, we were more often not connected than connected.

The squeaky jugs, peeling paint on the ceiling and dated rooms add to that bad experience. When we then want to have a conversation about this, it turns out that only the manager can have those conversations. Throughout our stay, however, the manager is not present.

Our experience is complete when, during one night, we are woken up by singing tramps around the hotel. The windows of the Mercure do not close and therefore do not insulate, resulting in us enjoying a street concert at 2.30 am.

ALL Member Programme

Usually, a hotel programme like Hilton or All Accor offers the advantage that you have a lower limit in the quality of a hotel and the brand that goes with it. The Mercure is not among the upper end of the market, but that this hotel belongs inside at ALL program, is very strang in my opinion.

The hotel is dated/old and offers virtually no service. Despite the benefits that the All Accor membership programme can offer, in this case it did not. Nor when we visited the Mercure in Sydney, after our bad experience in Cairns.

Conclusion Mercure Cairns

If you’re looking for a hotel in Cairns, look no further. Better pay a little more for your room and stay at the Double Tree, Hilton or Flynn hotel. If you insist on staying in an All Accor hotel, then the Novotel across the street might be an option.