Pacific International Hotel, Cairns, Australia

The Pacific International Hotel (43 Esplanade, Cairns, Queensland, Australia; phone +61 7 4051 7888, fax 4031 1445, www.pacifichotelcairns.com) was recommended by a fellow traveler who visits Cairns each year for diving and stays at this hotel. It’s within walking distance of the Esplanade, the night market, the harbor and the shopping and tourist areas.

The Standard and Executive rooms are just fine (I think “executive” is the same size as “standard” but on a higher floor), but the true value are the Deluxe rooms — large corner rooms with wraparound balconies and great views of the harbor and esplanade. There are two per floor (the hotel has 11 floors); their room numbers end in 01 and 02.

I stayed five nights over three separate visits and decided I prefer the 02 side, as it received more of the morning sun and seemed cooler in the afternoons, but the 01 side had the same furnishings and was the same size.

All rooms have balconies; the even-numbered rooms have a harbor view. It is well priced: Standard room, AU$185 (near US$117); Executive, AU$215 (US$136), and Deluxe, AU$255 (US$161).

When I booked three consecutive nights’ stay via their website, they gave me a free Continental buffet breakfast (AU$18); the full buffet breakfast cost AU$25 (US$16).

The hotel also has a Brazilian churrasco-style restaurant, the Bushfire Flame Grill (prix fixe about $50), but I didn’t try it since I was never that hungry. There were lots of good seafood and steak restaurants nearby on the Esplanade.

The only tour groups I noticed at the hotel were Japanese. This hotel was a great find, and I’d love to stay there again.

ESTHER PERICA

Arlington Heights, IL