Summer House Cairns

Welcoming staff, special mention to the Brazilian receptionist who was really nice and helpful!

The outdoor setting is pleasant for a stay. However, the hostel is quite far from the rest of the city. Without a car, all travel needs to be planned in advance. But that's really not the worst of it! The staff clearly don't like the French. They think they're superior to everyone else and decide to send people away based on their appearance, while showing favoritism towards certain people who, in fact, had legitimate reasons to be excluded. Housekeeping has instructions to search through our belongings and remove anything that, according to them, shouldn't be in the room. Every day, our towels and clothes, even though they're hanging on the bed, are moved and left crumpled on the floor or on the bed. When the lockers are open, they also take the liberty of looking inside. In short, it's unacceptable! As for the kitchen, it's far too small for the number of backpackers staying in the hostel. There are also numerous thefts of food, as well as plates and cutlery that are assigned to us individually (for a deposit, of course). I find all of this deplorable. Aside from the atmosphere, which is pleasant among the French, I really don't recommend this hostel.

Several things to say after spending two and a half weeks there: - The kitchen is really too small for a hostel that accommodates so many people, especially since three-quarters of the stovetop burners don't work... and indeed, there were thefts from shopping bags every day... the fridges were fairly clean when I was there, but not exceptional either. - The common areas, on the other hand, are pleasant, with plenty of space and a variety of different atmospheres (TV, pool, hammock, tables, bar, outdoor area, etc.). The smoking area isn't the most spacious, but it's acceptable. - The rooms: not huge for eight people, but you might say it's a youth hostel, fine, but the cleaning is something else entirely. From 9:30 am onwards, there's a constant stream of people coming and going in the room every five minutes: one person sweeping, one making the beds, one cleaning the lockers, one washing the windows, another mopping, one checking, one just passing by, in short, It's a parade EVERY DAY. In principle, I understand wanting to keep rooms clean is nice, but this is really excessive. Dusting and cleaning the windows every day... well, especially since they're so thorough. Everything is turned upside down, wet towels that you hang on the bed rails to dry are put back on your sheets, your belongings are shoved to the very bottom under the beds, your bags are turned inside out—in short, no respect for your things. If only there were more space in the lockers, we could avoid leaving things lying around... Anyway, I personally worked nights, I got home around 4 a.m. and couldn't sleep after 9 a.m. (I'm speaking for myself, of course, but it's really annoying that it's the same every day). - The showers: I'll talk about the women's showers since I didn't see the men's. No matter the time, they're disgusting, soaking wet everywhere, and they really deserve a renovation compared to the rest of the hotel. The hostel - Location: Personally, I had a car, so it was fine, but it is indeed quite far from the center, not convenient for shopping or getting around if you don't have a car. - Parking: This is a minor point, but when you book, they tell you that you have a parking space, but in reality, depending on the time you arrive, there's never one. If the hostel really wants to be transparent, it should specify that there is parking but that spaces aren't guaranteed. This isn't really included in the price since I had to park further away most of the time. In short, I stayed there for two and a half weeks because I was working a lot and the time I spent at the hostel was spent sleeping, so it didn't bother me much. But for people who spend entire days there, I think there are clearly much better options for roughly the same price.

Good food ! Good Bar ! Good vibes ! Best hostel in Cairns for start your trip in Australia 🇦🇺

Very social Hostel, and the people at reception are very nice and helpful

The rooms were okay, and the house itself is generally fine. However, the female toilets and bathrooms are very run-down and desperately need a renovation. Also, the kitchen is a bit small when the hostel is fully booked.

The female staff are fantastic and speak French and English! Pancakes and convenient free parking + shuttle service!