Darwin’s hotels a bargain

DARWIN may well be the cheapest city in the nation to celebrate New Year’s Eve, with four- and five-star hotels in the CBD charging under $200 for a room.

Prices for some of the city’s premier hotels are starting at $166 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, with the majority of rooms in other hotels costing less than $200 for the night.

Comparatively, the same brand-name hotel rooms in Melbourne’s CBD on New Year’s Eve start at a minimum of $319, while in Sydney a room at the Novotel in Darling Harbour starts at $729.

Despite Darwin hotels offering incredibly low rates on New Year’s Eve, Hilton Darwin business development director Ryan Mikkelson said they would be full.

“Everyone comes in, we’ve got all the fireworks going on at the Waterfront and it’ll be full on New Year’s Eve,” Mr Mikkelson said. “We’ll all be full so people do need to book now if they’re considering coming into the city.”

Meanwhile, Territorians are able to pick up bargains throughout December and January, with prices at top-tier hotels as low as $89 per night.

Mr Mikkelson said Darwin’s low season was a great time for Territorians to have staycations in the city.

“It’s this time of year when we can offer locals some great rates to come and experience the hotels in the city and have a holiday in their own backyard,” Mr Mikkelson said.

In the dry season, rates for a room on a Saturday night generally start at around $300 for brand-name hotels.

Darwin River resident Liz Rowlands often books accommodation in the city if she wants to come into town.

“It’s too hard to get home and too expensive,” she said. “It’s good knowing it’s not going to break the bank, and it’s not just good for us in Darwin but anyone from all around the Top End can come in and do their Christmas shopping and have a couple of days in town.”