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7.5

2,075 reviews

Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

57-89 Grafton Street, Cairns, 4870, Australia

Reservations:

+1-833-728-2041

Choose dates to view prices

Outdoor swimming pool

Adults only

Free wifi

Fitness center

Air conditioning

Bar

24-hour front desk

Non-smoking rooms

Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Welcome to Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns, where the laid-back vibes of Queensland meet comfy accommodations and a fun-loving atmosphere! Located just 0.6mi from the hustle and bustle of the Cairns city center, you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore local attractions while having a delightful retreat to come back to. With prices starting at an affordable $116, your perfect getaway is just a booking away!

Dive right into relaxation with our fantastic outdoor swimming pool, where lounging in the sun is a must! For those seeking a bit of adventure, our hotel is known for its live music performances, creating a lively evening scene that’s sure to make your stay memorable. Plus, with amenities like free WiFi, a fitness center, and even a bar to unwind at, we’ve got everything you need for a perfect balance of excitement and chill. Don’t worry about accidentally waking the kids; we’re an adults-only haven, ensuring you can soak up the sun and enjoy your evenings in peace.

Rated by our guests with an impressive 2075 reviews, our friendly 24-hour front desk is always ready to assist you in making the most of your Cairns experience. Whether you're chilling on the balcony, mingling in the lush garden, or catching some rays on our patio with beach chairs at the ready, Gilligan's is designed with both privacy and social vibes in mind—so get ready for a stay that’s as delightful as it is comfortable!

At Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns, your adventure extends beyond our cozy accommodations! Grab your swimming gear and take a dip in our inviting outdoor pool where sun-kissed relaxation meets the thrill of splashing fun. Whether you're planning to engage in some serious sunbathing or prefer to float around with a drink in hand, the pool area is just the place for you. And if you're up for more excitement, the live music scene will have you tapping your toes and dancing the night away—perfect for making memories that you can reminisce about for years!

Gather your crew and celebrate the spirit of camaraderie in our lush garden or on our sunny patio, where beach chairs await your every lazy desire. Lively conversations and laughter are the soundtrack here, and who knows? You might just meet your next travel buddy or share stories with fellow adventurers. The fun continues with the option to unwind at our bar, where refreshing drinks and good company are always on the menu. Every evening brings a new wave of possibilities—get ready to sip your favorite cocktails or enjoy a local brew while soaking up the unique atmosphere!

And when it’s time to recharge, head back to your delightful dormitory or suite. Choose from a variety of room types to suit your social style, whether a cozy bunk bed or a private ensuite—perfect for the ultimate comfort after a day of adventure. Each space is designed for relaxation, allowing you to drift off to sleep dreaming of your next exciting day in Cairns. At Gilligan's, we don’t just provide a place to stay; we offer a vibrant community experience that makes traveling even more thrilling! So pack your bags, bring your sense of adventure, and we can’t wait to welcome you to your new favorite hangout!

Closest airports

Cairns International Airport

3mi

Most popular amenities

Outdoor swimming pool

Adults only

Free wifi

Fitness center

Air conditioning

Bar

24-hour front desk

Non-smoking rooms

Live music/Performance

Wheelchair accessible

Beach chairs/Loungers

Patio

Elevator

Garden

Upper floors accessible by elevator

Balcony

Rooms

Single Bed in 4-Bed Female Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 12 photos

Dormitory, Single, Private Bathroom, Female Only

1 Twin Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

More details

Rest, relax, and recharge in a cozy single bed within a female-only 4-bed dorm with a private bathroom. Enjoy air conditioning, balcony access, and elevator convenience in a space perfect for solo travelers.

Single Bed in 8 Bed Female Ensuite Dormitory in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 11 photos

Ensuite Dormitory, 8 Bed, Female Only

1 Bunk Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

More details

Stay in a cozy single bed in our spacious 8-bed female dormitory with a private bathroom and balcony. Enjoy amenities like air conditioning and easy access to upper floors.

Single Bed in 6-Bed Female Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom  in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 11 photos

Dormitory, 6 Bed, Private Bathroom, Female Only

1 Bunk Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

+

More details

Relax in a cozy single bed in a spacious 6-bed female dorm with a private bathroom, air conditioning, and a balcony. Feel safe on upper floors accessible by elevator.

Single Bed in 4 Bed Deluxe Ensuite Mixed Dormitory in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 14 photos

Deluxe Ensuite Dormitory, Single

1 Twin Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Flat-screen TV

Air conditioning

More details

Sleep in a cozy single bed in a modern deluxe dorm with a private bathroom, air conditioning, and a balcony. Easy access by elevator to upper floors.

Single Bed in Standard 8 Bed Mixed Ensuite Dormitory in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 11 photos

Standard Ensuite Dormitory, 8 Bed

1 Bunk Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

+

More details

Sleep comfortably in our cozy single bed bunk in a spacious 215 sqft dormitory with an ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, and a balcony. Relax in a smoke-free environment on upper floors accessible by elevator.

Single Bed in 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 11 photos

Dormitory, 6 Bed, Private Bathroom

1 Bunk Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

+

More details

Experience comfort in our Single Bed in a 6-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom. Enjoy air conditioning, a balcony, and easy elevator access in this shared space for 1 adult.

Hotel King Room with Balcony in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 23 photos

Standard, King, Balcony

1 Double Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Flat-screen TV

Patio

+

More details

Indulge in a spacious Hotel King Room with Balcony, perfect for 2 adults with a double bed and private bathroom. Enjoy the luxury of a private patio and balcony in this cozy 215 sqft space with air conditioning.

Single Bed in 4-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 12 photos

Dormitory, Single, Private Bathroom

1 Twin Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

More details

Relax in a cozy dorm with a twin bed and private bathroom. Enjoy amenities like air conditioning and a balcony in this modern, elevator-accessible room.

Standard Twin Room with Private Bathroom in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 15 photos

Standard, 2 Twin, Private Bathroom

2 Twin Beds

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Flat-screen TV

Refrigerator

Air conditioning

+

More details

Experience the comfort of a Standard Twin Room with two twin beds, private bathroom, and air conditioning. Elevator access to the upper floors adds convenience to your stay.

Single Bed in 10-Bed Mixed Dormitory Room with Private Bathroom  in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 12 photos

Dormitory, 10 Bed, Private Bathroom

1 Bunk Bed

235 sqft

Private Bathroom

Air conditioning

Shower

Upper floors accessible by elevator

+

More details

Stay in a cozy single bed within a spacious 10-bed dorm room with a private bathroom. Enjoy air conditioning and easy access to upper floors via elevator.

Standard King Room with Private Bathroom in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 11 photos

Standard, King, Private Bathroom

1 Queen Size Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Flat-screen TV

Refrigerator

Air conditioning

+

More details

Indulge in comfort in our spacious Standard King Room with a private bathroom, featuring a Queen size bed, air conditioning, and accessible upper floors by elevator. Ideal for 2 adults seeking a relaxing stay.

Single Bed in 8 Bed Ensuite Mixed Dormitory in Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Show 13 photos

Ensuite Dormitory, 8 Bed

1 Bunk Bed

215 sqft

Private Bathroom

Balcony

Air conditioning

Shower

+

More details

Sleep comfortably in a cozy single bunk bed in our 8-bed dorm with a private bathroom. Enjoy modern amenities like air conditioning and a balcony in this spacious room.

Guest reviews

7.5

2,075 reviews

Categories of assessments

Cleanliness

Comfort

Location

Facilities

Staff

Value for money

WiFi quality

Featured reviews:

🇹🇼

Shine

8.2

July 2023

The room was large and clean The location was excellent, within walking distance of everything- Woolsworth, the reef feet terminal, city centre...etc Staff was very friendly and since we landed in Cairns in the early morning, the 24hr check in was really convenient as well

There was no remote control for the AC in our room, so it's only on or off 😂 Our room wasn't very sound proof so we could hear them start cleaning out the rooms at about 7 in the morning, and since we checked in at 4am (due to our flight), that was a bit startling. But otherwise a very nice room and great value for the price

🇩🇪

Rebecca

8.2

April 2023

really cool and large common areas, clean rooms and bathrooms, spacious balcony to the rooms. Hostel has it’s own club with different floors.

AC is put on 0degree I guess? only a thin blanket got provided, I had to ask two times for another one so with 3 of them it was okay, but I still caught a cold. I wasn’t aware of the fact that this was a party hostel so as someone who had to get up early to go on day trips it was a bit annoying staying at the room that other travelers chose to use as the ‘pre-drinking-room’. Because drinking is strictly forbidden in the hostel and outside there is no other place for them to pre drink than in the rooms. my rooms was quite noisy due to the club which played music every day until 3am, other rooms seem to be on other sides and don’t have this problem

🇮🇪

Moya

8.2

November 2023

We had a nice stay in Gilligan's in Cairns which was the first stop on our East Coast road trip. The staff were super helpful and friendly when checking in and out. The kitchen was well equipped and well laid out. Gilligan's location means that it is easy to explore the town and it's short distance to the harbour meant that we were able to walk down to the terminal where our day trip to the Great Barrier Reef departed from.

Entry to nightclub for big events should be included in price of stay and residents shouldn't have to join main queue.

🇦🇺

Olga

8.2

February 2023

The beds were comfortable, once again we got lucky with the people that were staying in our room and they were calm and respectable, the shower pressure was good and this time I liked how there were lockers provided as long as you had your own padlock, this room was far away from the nightclub so I wasn’t woken up by loud music in the night

The cleaners didn’t actually clean the shower, it smelt like someone had taken a poo on the floor the whole time. I had to ask twice for someone to refill the soap dispenser by the sink even after the cleaners have been in to clean the room and in the end I ended up going to reception and getting a bottle of soap from one of the staff, the wifi didn’t work in the room at all

🇨🇭

Katharina

8.2

September 2023

Lots of facilities on site for travellers and a handful of really nice coffee shops/cafes just across. Laundromat on site as well.

Aircon cannot be regulated whatsoever. I found that really hard to deal with as the unit was pushing out a strong stream of air into the room 24/7. There is no up/down and more/less. It was just a constant stream of air. If you are unlucky you could be very close to noisy communal areas. So before booking in Gilligans in general you have to be sure you can cope with backpackers day and night. My room was super smelly (damp???) :-(

🇦🇺

Florencia

8.2

December 2022

The location and the fact that It has a bar with cheap drinks, food and a Big pool, although It can be quite noisy during the weekend Its quite good to meet people and make friends They store your luggage as long as you want and I wanted to cancel some of my nights and they refund me back without any issue and quickly which is awesome :)

The kitchen is really messy everytime, It should be cleaned more frequently cause the guests dont clean anything There are no bathrooms apart from the one in each room but sometimes is hard to use It cause you share with many people at the same time so would be good to have some bathrooms on some of the levels of the building

🇦🇺

Paul

8.2

October 2023

Nice bar area and good live music. Unfortunately timing was Mad Monday (All sept/Oct?), so was 95% footy groups which was what it was.. Make sure you're tolerant to a bit of wildness or not approaching 40. King bed was super comfy (though actually two singles attached). The staff on the tour/booking desk were great. Do a booking with Divers Den if you want proper diving or snorkeling. (Fitzroy or green island more just a casual day trip to a beach at the unimpressive inner reefs)

🇨🇭

Katharina

8.2

September 2023

I think the ensuite room without the balcony was actually better than the deluxe room with balcony (I stayed in both). The room is nice and has all basic amenities one would expect in a proper hotel room. Lots of facilities on site for travellers and super nice 24/7 reception.

Aircon cannot be regulated whatsoever. I found that really hard to deal with as the unit was directly above the bed. There is no up/down and more/less. It was just a constant stream of air. You mustnt be at all sensitive to noise when staying at this property.

🇭🇰

Shing

8.2

March 2023

Gilligan's is a famouus hostel for backpackers and their parties at the club within the building. As a solo travler, I booked a single room, which was quiet and away from the club in the building. The room is big and has everything you need, from a small referigator to a lovely shower. I really enjoyed the location as it was in the center and within walking distance to the pier, which I went to board a boat to the Great Barrier Reef. Will I stay ther again? Yes I will.

Nothing really. But the only complain I had was the cleaniness. I found cockroaches behind the referigator, but the staff was really accomodating and helpful and switched me to a new room. All in all, I have no complain about this place

🇨🇦

Sarah

10

March 2024

I loved the location. I loved the common areas, it’s really nice to have so many spaces besides my room to relax in. The kitchen was really big which was nice at night when everyone’s cooking. The security to get into the building was also good

It’s definitely a party hostel, so if you’re going to bed before 3am, expect very loud music. The bar downstairs is open till then and the music plays just about till then too.

Points of Interest Around Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Attractions

Rusty's Markets

0mi

Green Island

0.4mi

Michaelmas Cay

0.4mi

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

0.4mi

Cairns Aquarium

0.4mi

Great Barrier Reef

0.4mi

Cairns Botanic Gardens

2.3mi

Centenary Lakes

2.3mi

Barron Gorge National Park

11.4mi

Kuranda

11.7mi

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary

11.9mi

Hartley's Crocodile Adventures

14.3mi

Lake Barrine

24mi

Atherton Tablelands

24mi

Granite Gorge Nature Park

29.2mi

Pools

Location

  • Outdoor

Age restrictions

  • All ages

Availability

  • All season

Amenities of Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

Outdoor swimming pool

Adults only

Free wifi

Fitness center

Air conditioning

Bar

24-hour front desk

Non-smoking rooms

Live music/Performance

Wheelchair accessible

Beach chairs/Loungers

Patio

Elevator

Garden

Upper floors accessible by elevator

Balcony

Stay rules - Gilligan's Backpacker Hotel & Resort Cairns

  • Check-in / Check-out

  • Pets

  • Internet

  • Age restrictions

  • Parking

  • Reservations

  • Children and beds

  • Cards accepted at this property