Desert Gardens Hotel

There are only a few hotels in the area and I did quite a bit of research before going. This looked like the best one, for both position and budget. I was not disappointed. Once in the hotel, its pretty obvious that it has the best views possible, with clear views of Uluru from the window. You do however need to get a 1st floor room in one of the blocks near the road. Its also a fantastic hotel, with clean rooms and good facilities. Breakfast was excellent with an amazing choice. They have parking infront of the hotel The location is ideal, it’s an easy walk into the little town for the shops for souvenirs, evening nibbles and drinks. The balcony gives a fantastic view over Uluru and you can spend a relaxing evening watching the stars in a really clear sky. Its perfectly located for going to the national park, probably the closest hotel. It’s also a lovely quiet hotel. I would certainly recommend staying here if you visit Uluru.

The staff was friendly and helpful. The room had more amenities than we expected (robes, facial tissues, etc.). The Gallery of Central Australia was interesting. There were many events to choose from and the logistics getting from the hotel to the events were easy. The only issue we had was the wi-fi didn't work in the room or the hotel lobby.

The rooms at Desert Garden Hotel are fabulous, and the location is truly fantastic. However, the service did not meet my expectations, especially considering this is a four-and-a-half-star hotel with premium pricing. After driving for more than four and a half hours from Alice Springs in extreme heat (around 40°C), we were asked to park our car in a designated parking area and carry all our luggage from there to our room. There were no luggage carriers, no assistance, and no parking available directly in front of the hotel. This was very unexpected and quite uncomfortable, given the price we paid. We paid a very high premium—almost double or even two-and-a-half times more than what we paid at the DoubleTree in Alice Springs—yet the service level was significantly lower. At DoubleTree, the service was far superior, despite the much lower cost. It feels like the high price here is mainly for the location rather than the quality of service. For a hotel of this standard and price, I expected better support and facilities, especially during check-in under such harsh weather conditions. If you are planning to stay here, be aware of these limitations so you can set your expectations accordingly.

From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. The staff did not advise where our room was located, how to get there, or that access involved stairs, which would have been important to know beforehand. The restaurant was equally poor. Customer service was terrible — we waited a long time to be seated with no acknowledgement from staff. When we eventually ordered, I asked to swap the vegetables for mash potatoes and was told “yep, no problem.” The food took a long time to arrive, and when it did, it was cold. The steak was extremely bland and lacked any real flavour. When the bill arrived, I noticed I had been charged an extra $5 for the mash. When I questioned this, I was told it was because it was a substitution, despite never being advised of an additional charge when I ordered. There was no apology or acknowledgment of the miscommunication. To make matters worse, we contacted reception to advise that we had a family medical emergency at home and needed to check out a day early. The response was not “I’m sorry to hear that,” but simply “no refunds.” There was no effort to check with a manager or see what could be done — it felt completely dismissive and uncaring. I work in a hotel myself, and this level of customer service was well below standard. Overall, the lack of communication, empathy, and basic service made this stay far below expectations. I would not recommend this hotel based on our experience. As requested Confirmation #: 554203421 Guest name - Tanya Ryan

Desert Gardens Hotel|We stayed in a Deluxe Rock View Room. The view was spectacular but there was nothing deluxe about the actual room. Whilst the room was spacious, the decor was dated and in need of refurbishment, The bed was uncomfortable and would benefit from a new mattress. Housekeeping standards were poor. The carpet was stained and the room looked like it needed a thorough, deep clean. There were fresh blood stains on the edge of the bed sheet, it appeared as though the bed had been made by someone with a bleeding finger. |From the moment the reservation was made, I was subjected to regular, hard sell marketing efforts from the parent company, Voyages. Unfortunately, I succumbed and booked a Field of Light Uluru Dinner and a Sunrise Journeys Breakfast. Those “experiences” are worthy of dedicated reviews that I will post under the respective locations. Having ignored the marketing emails trying to pressure me into purchasing Hop On Hop Off Bus tickets that cost $170 per person for a 2 day ticket, I then received a phone call from|Voyages. The claimed “flexibility” of these tickets was false because in addition to advance purchasing of the tickets, I was also informed that I needed to book seats on the specific buses that I wanted to travel on before I had even arrived at the Uluru. Further enquiries revealed that we were able to hire a car for a similar cost to the bus tickets for 2 adults. |Voyages appears to monopolise most of the infrastructure at Uluru and once they had my reservation, they pursued me in an attempt to ensure that our money didn’t venture beyond their network.

For a place in the middle of a desert, this hotel is actually comfortable to stay. The staff were very friendly, and the room was comfy and well equipped. Some cons: we found the air conditioner a bit weird; there was no lift so we had to carry our luggage to the stair. Breakfast was fine, not too bad…

Rooms need maintenance and update. Air conditioner 132 needed to be reset every couple of hours. Didn't last the night. Service person reset it twice, didn't matter. Restaurant food and service was 4+ and other one was closed. Activities weak. Art store tour should have someone more knowledgeable - dont tell me there are stories, tell me one. No Aboriginal representative. Digdoo guy obnoxious (told us multiple times his instrument coat $5,000.) Night tour driver (January 8th) didnt have enough viewing seats. Morning snacks person (9th) showed after walk instead of before. Guides unimpressive. Driver to airport (10th) did not wear seatbelt (putting buckle in pocket doesn't count). Captive audience for two nights - Accor has a monopoly and is working it. Sunrise and sunset experiences disappointing. Buy head nets (2 for $20 in grocery store).

Me and husband stayed here for 3 days. We had a wonderful stay here. Please keep in mind it’s the middle of now where, so the hotel or resort have done a fantastic job. The tours from the resort was good, well organised. The rooms were kept clean and organised. The town centre which is only 500mts away was handy. Overall wonderful experience. Had the breakfast buffet from Mangata which was pretty good. They had selection of Asian and Aussie food staples. Had lunch from Mangata which was good too. Had dinner from the restaurant beside Mangata, Arnguli, hands down one of the best food we have had. Did not except to have such amazing quality food and presentation in the middle of Yulara. We couldn’t meet the chef, but we did mention to the coordinator that day the food was just exceptional.

A hotel in the middle of now where!! This is one of the very few tourist class hotel nears Aras Rock, aka Uluru. Well maintained as during our stay temps were over 103 f. Air conditioning worked well, rooms was very clean and comfortable One ate in the hotel as there are few restaurants for many miles. Food was a bit pricy but good quality and service was good