General News
29 July, 2026
Faulty towers dispute
CAIRNS Regional Council is investigating a city hotel after a guest complained about conditions at the property.
The guest cut short a week-long stay at The Oceanfront Cairns (former Acacia Hotel) after alleging the recently reopened hotel was “not as advertised”, prompting complaints to Booking.com and calls for a full refund.
The guest, who asked to be identified only as Amanda for privacy reasons, said she and her daughter checked into the hotel on 4 July after booking a seven-night stay in a deluxe ocean view room through Booking.com.
However, she said they checked out after one night, alleging the accommodation differed significantly from the promotional images used online and raising concerns about the condition of the property.
Amanda provided Cairns Local News (CLN) with more than 50 photographs, Booking.com correspondence and copies of complaint emails sent to both the hotel and the booking platform following her stay.
In an email sent on 5 July, Amanda requested a full refund, alleging the room was “not as advertised” and citing a range of concerns including:
A malfunctioning airconditioner
A television that did not work
A wardrobe door that would not open
Dirty furniture
A balcony door that did not close properly and signs of deterioration throughout the room.
She also alleged guests were not informed that the hotel was still undergoing renovation works before making their bookings.
“I understand under new management, however at time of booking in June reviews were nine and 10 and there is no way this hotel looked the way it did,” she wrote in her complaint to Booking.com.
Amanda said she initially requested a room change but was told the hotel was fully booked. She said staff later advised her to seek a refund through Booking.com.
The photographs supplied to CLN show worn furniture, damaged cabinetry, rusted fixtures and renovation work taking place around parts of the property.
Booking.com correspondence provided by Amanda shows the booking platform contacted the accommodation after receiving her complaint before advising it had been unable to reach an agreement regarding a refund. The platform later offered travel credits as a goodwill gesture, while Amanda’s request for a full refund was ultimately declined.
Amanda also raised concerns about other aspects of the property, including the condition of common areas, housekeeping services and what she believed were safety issues.
Those allegations have not been independently verified.
CLN also reviewed recent online guest reviews on Booking.com and Tripadvisor, where several guests have raised similar concerns about ongoing renovations, room conditions and discrepancies between promotional images and the accommodation they received.
The Oceanfront Cairns reopened earlier this year under new management after a change in ownership.
CLN contacted The Oceanfront Cairns by email and later by telephone, providing detailed questions about the allegations, including the condition of the property, renovation works, promotional images and Amanda’s refund request.
Cairns Regional Council confirmed it has recently received correspondence relating to The Oceanfront Cairns.
“As the matter is currently being assessed, council is unable to comment on the specifics of the concerns raised,” a spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said that where issues raised fell outside the council’s legislative responsibilities, the matters would, where appropriate, be referred to the relevant external agencies.
The hotel did not respond by deadline.
