So you’re planning a few days in Darwin as part of a Northern Territory adventure – why not!? Darwin is the gateway to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks and has much of interest in its own right too. Let’s get started with finding the best family accommodation Darwin has to offer.
NB Darwin with kids post coming next.
Now I’ve stayed in both the top and the bottom end of the Darwin hotel market, from backpacker hostels to the gorgeous Mindil Beach Casino Resort. What I am going to do in this article is list the places I can recommend for families, with the best locations coming up top.
Darwin Waterfront Hotels
I believe that Darwin waterfront is the ideal place to stay if you have children with you and you want to enjoy some outdoors funw ith them. The excellent Darwin Wave Pool is right at the waterfront precinct as are good cafes and restaurants and places to walk and play.
The Adina Vibe Hotel down here is really one hotel but markets itself as two with separate identities for sales. Here they are, but really it is just one place.
Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront
Address: 7 Kitchener Drive, Darwin
The Adina has studio rooms and one and two bedroom apartments. They one bedroom apartments can sleep three and the two bedroom apartments can sleep five.
The Adina has 24-hour reception, airport shuttle service, its own swimming pool and sauna, a beauty salon, Sauna, concierge, laundry service and 24 hour room service.
Check dates and prices for the Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront here!
Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront
Address: 7 Kitchener Drive, Darwin
Right beside the Adina, the trendy Vibe Hotel doesn’t have any apartments however you can ask for adjoining rooms. Like the Adina it is just in a fantastic and very family-friendly location.
Check prices and dates at the Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront here.
Darwin City Centre Hotels
Darwin YHA – Melaleuca on Mitchell
Address: 52 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Phone: 1300 723 437
If you are looking for bargain-priced and very central Darwin accommodation then have a look at the private rooms at the Darwin YHA. The location is terrific, the pool looks good and the prices are much lower than any of the hotel or apartment options. This is our latest booking as we’re on a budget for this coming holiday.
Book direct at the Darwin YHA website here.
Novotel Darwin CBD
Address: 100 The Esplanade, Darwin
There are many options for mid-range hotels in Darwin city centre, but I think that Novotels always work really well for families. There’s always a games and play area for the kids, and this Novotel also has an outdoor pool, 24 hour rooms service and wifi in public areas. There’s an in house restaurants too for when the thought of going out AGAIN is just too much for the kids.
There are several types of rooms, plus a few two bedroom apartments too.
The Novotel is situated on the Esplanade, looking over Darwin Harbour, it’s very central and easy to walk to all the major Darwin attractions.
Check dates and cost of the Novotel Darwin here.
Luxury Accommodation Darwin
Mindil Beach Casino Resort
Address: Gilruth Ave, The Gardens, Mindil Beach, Darwin
This 5 star resort is just a 10 – 15 minute drive from Darwin city centre, yet feels a million miles away. The views over the beach and the ocean are beautiful as are the resort facilities. There’s a huge outdoor pool, private beach, a day spa, gym, jacuzzi, tennis courts and there’s a complimentary shuttle service too. There are bars and restaurants at the resort… and spectacular sunsets too. You can totally ignore the casino which is alongside, if you like, we didn’t even go there.
For my money, you cannot beat the Mindil Beach Casino Resort… and I have put my money where my mouth is and stayed there for a couple of glorious and very luxurious nights. We stayed at Mindil after a very basic backpacker trip into Kakadu, it was glorious to go very glam after the basic camp site we’d stayed in during our Kakadu adventures. I only had one of my kids with me on that trip so we only needed one room – whew!
Check out Mindil Beach Casino Resort dates and prices here.
Darwin Airport Accommodation
We almost chose to stay at the airport for this upcoming trip as we are stopping in Darwin as we come and go from a trip to East Timor. If we’d chosen the very early flight to Dili then it would have been the airport for us!
There are several good hotels in and around the airport, check out the current Darwin Airport prices with your dates here.
My preference would always be either the Novotel or the Mercure at Darwin Airport, I think. You know what you’re getting with these brands!
Darwin Holiday Parks
Holiday parks can make excellent places to stay at they generally have a wide range of accommodation styles and excellent facilities for kids. Both of these holiday parks are a wee drive out of the city centre, but definitely worth a look. I haven’t stayed at either of these places myself but would happily give them a whirl. Check out:
Discovery Parks Darwin
Darwin Free Spirit Resort
You might also be interested in reading this story: Heron Island Resort With Kids
PS This post contains some affiliate links meaning that, if you buy an item using the link, a small commission is paid to support Hello Sydney Kids, at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.
