--- title: "Drift Palm Cove vs Elysium Apartments: which hotel is better?" description: "Drift Palm Cove or Elysium Apartments in Cairns? Compare guest ratings, location, amenities, rooms and prices side by side." url: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/drift-palm-cove-cairns-vs-elysium-apartments-cairns/ language: en source: StayVersus (https://stayversus.com) retrieved: 2026-10-26 --- # Drift Palm Cove vs Elysium Apartments Both are in Cairns, 210 m apart. Here is where each one is stronger. Apartment ## [Drift Palm Cove](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/drift-palm-cove-cairns/) - **Guest rating:** 8.7 · Very good - **Location score:** 6.6 - **Score by category:** 2 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/1368069/agoda/?lang=en) Apartment ## [Elysium Apartments](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/elysium-apartments-cairns/) - **Guest rating:** 8.8 · Excellent - **Location score:** 5.9 - **Score by category:** 0 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/1385127/agoda/?lang=en) The short answer ## Pick Drift Palm Cove It leads in 2 of 3 categories. 210 m apart. ### Choose Drift Palm Cove if you want - the more consistently praised stay (8.7 / 8.8) - to be closer to the beach (60 m / 270 m) - a big hotel with more facilities (Rooms: 58 / 19) ### Choose Elysium Apartments if you want - a smaller, quieter hotel (Rooms: 19 / 58) ### Why is Drift Palm Cove better than Elysium Apartments? 1. 210 m closer to the beach (60 m vs 270 m) (−210 m) 2. More guest reviews (550 vs 26), so the rating is more reliable (×21) ### Why is Elysium Apartments better than Drift Palm Cove? No clear advantages in our data. ## All compared facts Every category is scored from 0 to 10 with the same formula for every hotel. | | Drift Palm Cove | Elysium Apartments | | --- | --- | --- | | Score by category | | Guest rating | 8.7 | 8.8 | | Location | 6.6 (+0.7) | 5.9 | | Facilities | – | 5.0 | | Spa & wellness | – | 2.5 | | Beach access | 10.0 (+0.6) | 9.4 | | Ratings & reviews | | StayVersus score | 8.7 (+0.2) | 8.5 | | Guest rating | 8.7 | 8.8 (+0.1) | | Number of reviews | 550 (+524) | 26 | | Rank in Cairns | top 24% (+13%) | top 37% | | Location | | Location score | 6.6 (+0.7) | 5.9 | | Distance to the centre | 21 km | 21 km | | To the beach | 60 m (−210 m) | 270 m | | To the airport | 17 km | 17 km | | Restaurants within 500 m | 17 | 15 | | To the nearest food shop | 120 m | 140 m | | Shops within 500 m | 1 | 1 | | Sights within 1 km | 0 | 0 | | Rooms & building | | Rooms | 58 | 19 | | Floors | 4 | – | | Newest building or renovation | – | 2006 | | Listed amenities | 11 | 16 (+5) | | Policies | | Check-in from | 14:00 | 14:00 | | Check-out until | 10:00 | 10:00 | | Amenities | | Free parking | ✓ | ✓ | | Swimming pool | ✓ | ✓ | | Hot tub | ✓ | – | | Terrace | ✓ | ✓ | | Smoke-free | ✓ | – | | Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | | Balcony | ✓ | ✓ | | Coffee or tea maker | ✓ | ✓ | | Blackout curtains | ✓ | ✓ | | Free Wi-Fi | – | ✓ | | Airport transfer | – | ✓ | | Shuttle | – | ✓ | | Car hire | – | ✓ | | Laundry | – | ✓ | | Luggage storage | – | ✓ | | Massage | – | ✓ | | Which hotel suits you | | Couples | – | ✓ | | Beach holidays | ✓ | – | | Business trips | – | ✓ | | Spa & relaxation | – | ✓ | ## Live prices around both hotels Real nightly rates from booking partners for the dates you picked above. Tap a price for the offer. ## Location 210 m apart Drift Palm Cove: city centre: 21 km, Cairns International Airport (CNS): 17 km, beach: 60 m, 17 places to eat within 500 m. Elysium Apartments: city centre: 21 km, Cairns International Airport (CNS): 17 km, beach: 270 m, 15 places to eat within 500 m. ## Weather in Cairns [Cairns weather: 15-day forecast](https://atlasofseasons.com/en/australia/queensland/cairns/weather) ## Drift Palm Cove or Elysium Apartments: common questions ### Which is better, Drift Palm Cove or Elysium Apartments? Drift Palm Cove leads in 2 of 3 categories, including location, beach access. ### Which is cheaper, Drift Palm Cove or Elysium Apartments? Prices change by date. Pick your dates above to see both nightly prices side by side. ### Which hotel is closer to the beach? Drift Palm Cove is 60 m from the nearest beach; Elysium Apartments is 270 m. ### How far apart are Drift Palm Cove and Elysium Apartments? The two hotels are 210 m apart in a straight line. ## More match-ups - [Drift Palm Cove vs Palm Cove Tropic Apartments](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/drift-palm-cove-cairns-vs-palm-cove-tropic-apartments-cairns/) - [Drift Palm Cove vs Oasis At Palm Cove Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/drift-palm-cove-cairns-vs-oasis-at-palm-cove-hotel-cairns/) - [Drift Palm Cove vs Paradise on the Beach Resort](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/drift-palm-cove-cairns-vs-paradise-on-the-beach-resort-cairns/) - [Elysium Apartments vs Oasis At Palm Cove Hotel](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/elysium-apartments-cairns-vs-oasis-at-palm-cove-hotel-cairns/) - [Elysium Apartments vs The Palms at Palm Cove](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/elysium-apartments-cairns-vs-the-palms-at-palm-cove-cairns/) - [Elysium Apartments vs Palm Cove Tropic Apartments](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/elysium-apartments-cairns-vs-palm-cove-tropic-apartments-cairns/) ## Compare now Updated 6 Oct 2026. Data: Agoda, Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports and hotels' own websites. We may earn a commission from partner links; it never changes the comparison. [How we score](https://stayversus.com/en/about/) --- Source: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/drift-palm-cove-cairns-vs-elysium-apartments-cairns/. Facts are compiled by StayVersus from partner data (Agoda), Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports, public Google Maps listings and hotels' own websites. Scores use one formula for every hotel. Methodology: https://stayversus.com/en/about/