Hotels in Darwin

April through October is the peak Dry season; hotels usually drop their rates from November through March (the Wet).

More Than a Room -- If you're looking for a bit more space and privacy than a hotel room gives you, or perhaps are traveling as a family, a "home away from home" option is provided by More Than a Room Holiday Accommodation (tel. 08/8942 3012 or 0418/616 888 mobile phone; www.morethanaroom.com.au). The company has five properties. The luxurious and stylish Mandalay, built in 1988 by Lord McAlpine, is on the Esplanade, close to the city center. It has three bedrooms, free Internet, a pool, barbecue area, off-street parking, and bikes for your use. Breakfast provisions are in the fridge on your arrival, along with a bottle of wine. Next door is Villa La Vue, which is equally spacious but has a different style. There's a minimum 2-night stay and the rates are from A$395 in the Wet (Oct-Apr) for one bedroom and A$120 per night for each extra room. In the Dry (May-Sept), you must rent the whole house, for A$695 per night. For a "typical Darwin" style of accommodation, there's Coast, a 1970s elevated coastal beach house just outside the city center with four double/twin bedrooms, polished floors, TVs and DVD players in the bedrooms, bikes, a small pool in the yard, and water views. There's a minimum 5-night stay, with rates from A$295 per night in the Wet to A$395 in the Dry for up to six people (A$455 per night during school holidays). Extra person rate is A$25 per person per night. Other properties are available at Cullen Bay and on The Esplanade, near the Darwin Convention Centre.