Hilton Cairns {AUS}
Jun 15, 2004, 6:33 am
#76
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chapel Hill, NC - UA Nobody (sigh)/0.925MM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 3,510
Originally Posted by elbidercni
I hear you on the cost of flights! Not sure how far off your trip is... but to overcome the high cost I used QF as my HHonors designate airline whenever I stay at Hiltons and rent cars. The great thing is with QF you get 1000 points a stay and I get 700 points for each Hertz rental (more than most other airlines), so it adds up rather quickly. Using points made the most sense to me to get from Syd.
Good luck, it is worth the trek to get there!
Good luck, it is worth the trek to get there!
But I had not thought of using miles. I guess I could try to get a *A award on Jet Blue for 20K miles round trip; not sure if they fly to HIT or PPP. That's another option. Thanks!
Jun 15, 2004, 9:15 am
#77
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
LOL! 
SPoken like a true Queenslander! 
I do have to say - Moreton Bay Bugs are the best saltwater crustaceans in the area (Marron are confined to SA and WA, so I am safe saying that,) and frankly, I prefer Brissie to Sydney... Many cities could take a good lesson from Brisbane on what to do with their riverine resources (including a few excellent places to sample those bugs!)
Next time we're around, I'll have to shout you a brew. Cheers!
SPoken like a true Queenslander! I do have to say - Moreton Bay Bugs are the best saltwater crustaceans in the area (Marron are confined to SA and WA, so I am safe saying that,) and frankly, I prefer Brissie to Sydney... Many cities could take a good lesson from Brisbane on what to do with their riverine resources (including a few excellent places to sample those bugs!)
Next time we're around, I'll have to shout you a brew. Cheers!
Originally Posted by QF WP
Alas, JDiver, we are considered merely a backwater regional town next to Sydney and Melbourne, let alone Cairns... 
Is there a difference, Canarsie, between a Moreton Bay Bug and a Balmain Bug. Being a somewhat parochial BNE born-and-bred lad, I'd have to answer vehmently "Yes, ours are BIGGER and taste BETTER!!"...
Is there a difference, Canarsie, between a Moreton Bay Bug and a Balmain Bug. Being a somewhat parochial BNE born-and-bred lad, I'd have to answer vehmently "Yes, ours are BIGGER and taste BETTER!!"...
Jun 17, 2004, 7:58 pm
#78
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Somewhere in picturesque New England
Programs: WN Rapid Rewards, DL SkyMiles, UA MileagePlus, HiltonHonors
Posts: 765
Cairns Hilton report/news
Just returned from a very nice stay at the Cairns (Australia) Hilton and there's news from this hotel to report. FWIW, this hotel has been discussed in other threads; see
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ghlight=cairns
The hotel has just begun to renovate all of its rooms. Per Herman Ehrlich, the hotel's GM, this project will run from June-September 2004. While we were there in June 2004, they had just begun work on the top (7th) floor and would (per their staff) be working their way down.
The staff at this hotel is very helpful. As an HHonors Gold, we were given club room access and were greeted in our room with a bottle of wine, fruit plate, and welcome letter. The executive room is very nice, and the breakfast was great - not just a continental, but the full deal: scrambled eggs, bacon/sausages, fruit, yogurt, breads, cereals, juices (incl. fresh squeezed orange). Evening includes very nice hors d'oeuvres and free booze. Only complaints: limited club room hours and no removal of soft drinks. The lounge is only open from 6:30-10 am and 5-8 pm. More hours would have been nice, as would the ability to grab a soda or bottle of water.
FWIW, our room with a great view was in real need of sprucing up - not terrible, but not up to Hilton standards. The remodel is thus welcome news. The hotel still caters to lots of Japanese tourists. Cairns is a farly large tourist town, but with no beach. Those looking for a smaller, more relaxed (albeit probably pricier) beach resort town are probably best advised to stay up the road in Port Douglas.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ghlight=cairns
The hotel has just begun to renovate all of its rooms. Per Herman Ehrlich, the hotel's GM, this project will run from June-September 2004. While we were there in June 2004, they had just begun work on the top (7th) floor and would (per their staff) be working their way down.
The staff at this hotel is very helpful. As an HHonors Gold, we were given club room access and were greeted in our room with a bottle of wine, fruit plate, and welcome letter. The executive room is very nice, and the breakfast was great - not just a continental, but the full deal: scrambled eggs, bacon/sausages, fruit, yogurt, breads, cereals, juices (incl. fresh squeezed orange). Evening includes very nice hors d'oeuvres and free booze. Only complaints: limited club room hours and no removal of soft drinks. The lounge is only open from 6:30-10 am and 5-8 pm. More hours would have been nice, as would the ability to grab a soda or bottle of water.
FWIW, our room with a great view was in real need of sprucing up - not terrible, but not up to Hilton standards. The remodel is thus welcome news. The hotel still caters to lots of Japanese tourists. Cairns is a farly large tourist town, but with no beach. Those looking for a smaller, more relaxed (albeit probably pricier) beach resort town are probably best advised to stay up the road in Port Douglas.
Last edited by senatorgirth; Jun 17, 2004 at 8:00 pm
Oct 8, 2004, 7:41 pm
#79
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Valley Springs, Ca USA;Proud Retired AAer SJC Ramp/ AA- 2 MM Platinum;Hilton Diamond
Posts: 851
At the end of my family's fabulous two week stay in Queensland (Hervey Bay and Port Douglas) we spent the night at the Cairns Hilton in order to make our early QF flight to LAX via BNE. The hotel was everything described and more. The staff could not have been more kind and helpful, especially the urbane and distinguished GM, Herman Ehrlich, who took time out to map out a great itinerary through downtown Cairns for us and our kids. You could not go wrong using this hotel as a base of operations for trips to the reef and the general Brisbane Area. (Our trip to the nearby Australia Zoo, for example, included a noon show put on by croc hunter Steve Irwin, his wife and daughter live) The GM's friendly and outgoing style infects his staff making this hotel one of the best Hiltons I have stayed at, especially in light of the ongoing renovations.
Oct 9, 2004, 9:17 am
#81
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Austin
Programs: Too Many
Posts: 152
Was there about 3 years ago. The services was nice, but the hotel was just okay. There really are not any 5* hotels in the area. It does have a great location to the dive boats, but so does the Radisson (where I stayed last year) and had a beatiful room over looking the ocean. The Hilton (I was gold when I stayed there) put me on the top floor, and while the louge is nice--it's certainly nothing special. The room was not great at all--ants in the bathroom. Furniture was old and nasty, and too many bugs in the room. Maybe they have completely remodeled since 3 years ago--let's hope.
Oct 9, 2004, 12:13 pm
#82
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,419
Is this the same hotel I recently stayed at?
Room okay, furniture good (not brand new but certainly not old and nasty), decor modern. Balcony with view.
No bugs.
Nice very large platter and complimentary wine (as well as all the usual amenities).
Room okay, furniture good (not brand new but certainly not old and nasty), decor modern. Balcony with view.
No bugs.
Nice very large platter and complimentary wine (as well as all the usual amenities).
Oct 9, 2004, 2:19 pm
#83
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Our stay at the Cairns Hilton was pleasant enough - given a nice room on the upper floor, amenities (red wine, chockies and fruit basekt,) good and friendly service, fairly decent lounge. We enjoyed the location - easy walking to lots of places of interest / eats. IMO Cairns is a town that gives full meaning to the phrase "tourist trap," but in a good way - the Kuranda railway makes for a nice day trip, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, aquarium, etc. etc. and it's the entryway to other locations as well.
For diving, I'd actually take a liveaboard out of Townsville - or better yet, head to Fiji. But Cairns is enjoyed by adults and children of all ages, and the Hilton is a nice place to stay - and not a gaming hotel, which we enjoy. YMMV, of course.
- the Kuranda railway makes for a nice day trip, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, aquarium, etc. etc. and it's the entryway to other locations as well. For diving, I'd actually take a liveaboard out of Townsville - or better yet, head to Fiji
. But Cairns is enjoyed by adults and children of all ages, and the Hilton is a nice place to stay - and not a gaming hotel, which we enjoy. YMMV, of course.
Last edited by JDiver; Oct 10, 2004 at 12:57 pm Reason: duh speling
Oct 10, 2004, 1:50 am
#84
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Cerritos, CA
Programs: AA Plat; HH Gold; Marriott Silver; UCLA Fan
Posts: 798
[
For diving, I'd actually take a liveaboard out of Townsville - or better yet, head to Fiji. But Cairns is enjoyed by adults and children of all ages, and the Hilton is a nice place to stay - and not a gaming hotel, which we enjoy. YMMV, of course.[/QUOTE]
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It's not a gaming hotel, but there's a large LV-type casino just across the street from the Hilton where you can bet all the Australian dollars you want.
For diving, I'd actually take a liveaboard out of Townsville - or better yet, head to Fiji
. But Cairns is enjoyed by adults and children of all ages, and the Hilton is a nice place to stay - and not a gaming hotel, which we enjoy. YMMV, of course.[/QUOTE]************************************************** **********
It's not a gaming hotel, but there's a large LV-type casino just across the street from the Hilton where you can bet all the Australian dollars you want.
Oct 10, 2004, 6:14 am
#85
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 516
Originally Posted by FoothillFlyer
The staff could not have been more kind and helpful, especially the urbane and distinguished GM, Herman Ehrlich, who took time out to map out a great itinerary through downtown Cairns for us and our kids. You could not go wrong using this hotel as a base of operations for trips to the reef and the general Brisbane Area. (Our trip to the nearby Australia Zoo, for example, included a noon show put on by croc hunter Steve Irwin, his wife and daughter live) .
Steve Irwin is on the Sunshine Coast about an hours DRIVE north of Brisbane, and Cairns is about a two hour FLIGHT north of Brisbane. There is a Zoo outside of Cairns that has a one very large Croc population, but it is not run by Mr Irwin.
I have just spent two nights in the Cairns Hilton, (as a Gold HH member) and I must commend all the staff for the hospitality shown to me. I was booked in for one night and was on a waitlist for the second. When I checked in I was told that the hotel was 100% full for the next two nights and it was unlikely they could get me a room. They offered to find me alternative accom, but I said I would be happy if they could keep me in the hotel, in whatever room. Well I got to my room on the 5th floor, and Angus, one of the porters knocked on my door and said their had been a mistake, and took me straight up to the top floor, and showed me the exec lounge etc etc. I went back downstairs to the main lounge to watch the NRL Rugby League Grand Final and Angus being the Champ he is, brought me a very nice cold Crownie and some nibblies.
Great service!!!
When I got back to my room, there was a bottle of red, a friut basket and some great little chocolates.
The exec lounge was great, nice staff and a good selection of breakfast foods.
This is also the first time I have ever filled in one of those customer service slips and really meant what I have said about good service.
The next morning I had to be at Cairns Base Hospital early and was still not sure if I was to be staying in the property again, or going to my second choice, the Matson Plaza Resort. (I have spent in excess of 30 weeks at this property in my previous role). I checked out and left my baggage with the porters.
Not two hours later, I got a message on my phone saying that a room had been found and I was to just go to the front desk, they had rechecked me back in and my bags were in my room, along with the fruit etc.
The Cairns Hilton has got my business from now on. At least 4-5 nights a month for the next 7 months.
Cheers
Iain
Oct 10, 2004, 10:01 pm
#87
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Valley Springs, Ca USA;Proud Retired AAer SJC Ramp/ AA- 2 MM Platinum;Hilton Diamond
Posts: 851
Originally Posted by IainF
Umm, I am thinking you may have Brisbane and Cairns somewhat mixed up.
Steve Irwin is on the Sunshine Coast about an hours DRIVE north of Brisbane, and Cairns is about a two hour FLIGHT north of Brisbane. There is a Zoo outside of Cairns that has a one very large Croc population, but it is not run by Mr Irwin.
Steve Irwin is on the Sunshine Coast about an hours DRIVE north of Brisbane, and Cairns is about a two hour FLIGHT north of Brisbane. There is a Zoo outside of Cairns that has a one very large Croc population, but it is not run by Mr Irwin.
May 20, 2005, 1:17 am
#88
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: MEL
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat. WOH Glob. SQ Gold
Posts: 1,636
Saw in today's Australian Financial Review that this property is currently up for sale. I hope any new owners stick with the Hilton brand.
Last edited by chad75; May 25, 2005 at 10:26 pm Reason: that typo had been bugging me all week
May 20, 2005, 10:50 pm
#89
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,419
What is it with the big chains in Aust/NZ? So many hotels becoming independant or changing chains. Really hope Hilton doesnt go the way of Starwood for losing hotels in this region.
PS See also news of Conrad Brisbane and Jupiter.
PS See also news of Conrad Brisbane and Jupiter.
May 20, 2005, 10:56 pm
#90
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,419
What is it with the big chains in Aust/NZ? So many hotels becoming independant or changing chains. Really hope Hilton doesnt go the way of Starwood for losing hotels in this region.
PS See also news of Conrad Brisbane and Jupiter.
PS See also news of Conrad Brisbane and Jupiter.