Australia's Northern Territory is set to welcome its first airport resort, the Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort, on 5 December 2023. The new resort is the result of a $30 million investment by the Airport Development Group (ADG), which owns the adjacent Darwin Airport.
Destination Highlights
With direct international flights from various Asian ports, Darwin Airport is the gateway to Australia's "Top End". The region is known for its mineral, agricultural, and tourism industries, as well as its tropical outback landscapes and 65,000-year-old Indigenous heritage and culture.
Resort Features
The Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort will position itself as a premium destination for leisure visitors, business travellers, and conference groups to the Northern Territory's Top End. The resort offers a diverse range of rooms, including family suites, freestanding bungalows, and new 5-star tropical villas with their own plunge pools.
The resort's $30 million development project has transformed the existing hotels with the refurbishment of existing rooms and the creation of new pool villas, suites, and bungalows that perfectly capture Darwin's tropical environment. The two hotels now share a combined reception area, a new 60-metre/one million litre swimming pool (one of the largest city hotel pools in Australia), poolside cabanas, children's aquatic playground, and new poolside dining.
Darwin International Airport 2023 Master Plan
ADG's Darwin International Airport 2023 Master Plan aims to support growth in passenger numbers to between 3.7 and 5.5 million annually by 2043. To achieve this goal, the Master Plan will guide the development of existing and proposed airport facilities and land use for the next 20 years. The resort is a key component of this plan and will provide world-class accommodation for visitors to the Top End.
Indigenous Engagement
The Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort is located on the lands of the Larrakia Nation, the traditional custodians of the greater Darwin area. Indigenous engagement is an integral component of the hotel's redesign. ADG has incorporated extensive Indigenous art in the design, including two massive murals on the Novotel exterior and a striking Indigenous mural on the 41-metre water tower in front of the hotels.
ADG has also established an Indigenous Training Academy to develop and mentor Aboriginal employees for the hotel, airport, and wider Northern Territory tourism and hospitality sector. The hotels are planning to introduce the Gurambai Cultural Experience to give guests an immediate appreciation of Larrakia culture. The experience will be curated by Larrakia guides who will deliver a one-hour guided walking tour that will include information about the area's cultural and historical significance.
Dining Options
The resort's poolside dining options include the laid-back Cossie's Poolside Bar & Bistro, which showcases the Territory's famous barramundi as well as grills, salads, pizzas, and burgers. The new Splash Café offers additional dining options for guests. Tropical cocktails and mocktails are created by the bar staff to complement the poolside atmosphere.
Gateway to the Top End
The Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort is an exceptional gateway experience to the Northern Territory's unique lifestyle, ancient cultures, and stunning landscapes. Visitors wanting to explore the Top End will be able to enjoy a complete resort experience, including an Olympic-plus size swimming pool and a range of dining options. The resort will also provide an ideal base for visitors travelling elsewhere in the Top End.
Tourism attractions such as Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks are just 80 minutes and two and a half hours drive respectively from the resort. Darwin Airport is a feeder airport to a number of international destinations as well as local Territory destinations such as the Tiwi Islands, Katherine and Arnhemland.
Summary
The Novotel & Mercure Darwin Airport Resort is a pioneer in Indigenous engagement and offers guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in Larrakia culture while enjoying world-class accommodation in one of Australia's most unique regions.
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(This article is sourced from internationalairportreview.com and curated by Thetransporteronline24)
