This is an ideal base for exploring the city and the territory beyond. It’s also a great place to recharge – there are two palm fringed swimming pools, a pool bar, a gym and great al fresco meals at Treetops Restaurant.
The resort is conveniently located on a quiet stretch of Cavenagh Street in the city centre, with shops, restaurants and the waterfront all easily walkable. Designed with frequent travellers in mind, it offers onsite parking (call ahead to reserve a spot), communal laundry and a dry cleaning service, plus free wifi across the resort. There are also plenty of leisure facilities, including two large swimming pools, a poolside bar and a guest barbecue area. If you’d rather not cook for yourself, Treetops Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner in its lively dining room, on its terrace or delivered straight to your room.
The resort’s 192 rooms are divided into Motel Room, Guest Room and Executive Room categories. Motel Rooms feature a double and single bed and are ideal for shorter stays, guest rooms are more spacious and feature two queen beds, and executive rooms feature a king bed or two twins, plus a large work desk and sofa. Each room is equipped with individually controlled air conditioning, a modern bathroom with shower, a safe and a flat screen TV showing on demand movies. There are also 32 self contained townhouses that are perfect for longer stays. They feature a queen bed and sofa bed, an open plan lounge and dining area, and a kitchenette.
From the resort, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Esplanade and leafy Bicentennial Park, where you can watch the sun set over the water while munching on takeaway from one of the city’s popular restaurants (try Mitchelli’s for gourmet pizzas or Thailicious for authentic noodles). For a hearty steakhouse feed, book a table at locals’ favourite Char, then wander to the eastern end of the Esplanade to see a film under the stars at Deckchair Cinema (open April to November). The area between the resort and the Esplanade is dotted with bars – check out Monsoons for a boisterous party or visit The Deck Bar for expertly mixed cocktails and water views. The next day, stroll from the resort to the atmospheric WWII Oil Storage Tunnels museum, where you can learn about the city’s dramatic wartime history, then cool off at the huge Wave Lagoon within the Darwin Waterfront precinct.
