Lakes Resort & Spa

Apartment was tired and no power in any outlets as system kept tripping. At first manager very unhelpful when I said I needed wifi for work , charging and cooking. A tense discussion resulted in being moved to new apartment now on first floor ( no lift) and a smarter room. He helped me relocated and on departure get heavy bags down stairs. Pools were warm but need resurfacing. You need a car as long walk from entry gates to my apartment at far end in dark. No after hours info was provided requiring many phone calls to get help to get entry.

we stayed at the lakes, unit #710 for 8 nights in late July. The Lakes Cairns Resort is a multi-building property where each unit is owned by an individual and some owners agree to place their units in a rental pool which is managed by the overall resort management company. The resort was built beginning in 2000., and we have been staying there off an on for 26 years. The resort was much more vacation-units early on, and currently appears to be mostly long-term renters. The unit we stayed in this trip was unit #710 (Tinaroo building). The unit was in excellent condition and has been fully stocked. We did have one problem with a leaking sink, but the management team addressed right away. The complex is older now, and some of the general site maintenance has been neglected/overdue, and this is mostly noted in the nooks and corners of the property. (former Rambutan restaurant space closed and used for storage, the perimeter fence along the saltwater creek, the former library/gym, oddly, the door to the mechanical room for the lagoon pool are in need of attention. the BBQ's and pools are in good shape, and the decking around the lagoon pool has been re-done. The main pools and common areas are adequately maintained. It should be noted that given Cairns tropical weather, long term care and maintenance can be challenging. The Lakes location is spectacular, and surrounded by lakes, creeks and community parks and trails. Also easy walk to the Esplanade, and easy access to the highway, airport and local shopping/attractions.

I recently stayed here with my partner and my 8-year-old son in Room 1320. Overall, we enjoyed our stay. The room was lovely, clean, tidy and modern, and the complex is in a great location, only around 10 minutes from the city. Considering the size of the complex and the number of swimming pools, tennis court and playground, we were pleasantly surprised by how quiet it was. There are a few areas where I think the complex could be improved. Some general maintenance around the property would be beneficial, and I felt the reception staff could have been a little more welcoming on arrival and when we raised some queries with them. I felt the charge to use the pool towels was excessive. I can understand charging a refundable deposit or loan fee, however charging guests to use pool towels seems excessive. Clearer communication around this would also be helpful. Prior to our arrival, I emailed the resort to ask whether we needed to bring our own linen or towels but unfortunately never received a response. During our stay there were a few maintenance issues, including a garage alarm sounding at various times throughout the night, a smoke alarm in the garage that continually beeped, and a broken toilet door handle which resulted in my son becoming locked in the toilet. Thankfully these issues didn't significantly impact our stay, and we were able to work around them. Overall, we had a lovely stay and would certainly consider returning. With a little more attention to maintenance, communication and customer service, I think the guest experience could be even better.