REVIEW: GATEWAY HOTEL AND APARTMENTS

coralseahotels.com.pg +675 327 8255

Mix of corporate guests, tour groups and more casual travellers. 194 keys (130 guest rooms and 64 apartments). From PGK531.

12pm/10am Extensive conference and function facilities. Plenty to do on-site during downtime, with Jackson’s Bar, Restaurant and Gaming a great addition to the property.

The airport is barely a minute’s drive away, front gate to terminal. If you get bored with eating in, Bacchus — a terrific fine diner attached to the Airways Hotel — is just a couple of hundred metres up the road.

Wi-Fi in rooms/public areas: Fee for Wi-Fi: TV: Air conditioning in room: Ceiling fan in room: Business centre: Gym: Room service: Swimming pool: Free airport transfers: Hotel arranges tours: Breakfast included in room charge: Situated about as close as you can get to Jacksons International Airport, Gateway’s sprawling nature means this is actually a relatively peaceful inn, particularly if you take a room on the Jacksons Parade side of the complex.

Significant renovations in 2011 have seen Gateway became a popular destination for business conferences (there are seven conference rooms, in various sizes, which can be joined together). Otherwise, it’s an understated four-star property that’s perhaps beginning to show a few signs of age despite some fastidious upkeep. This isn’t a luxury resort, but the essentials are spot on: crisp service, clean public areas – which include tennis courts, a generously sized swimming pool and fitness centre – and an efficient 24-hour airport pick-up and drop-off service.

KYou certainly won’t go hungry. Wild Orchid (6am to 10pm) is the hotel’s lynchpin, which outside of breakfast hours serves buffet and a la carte meals. But 2016 saw Gateway invest heavily in food and beverage, with three new restaurants opening on site. Enzo’s (7am to 10pm) offers decent pizzas and burgers, while the brand new Sizzler’s (11am to 10pm) is a family restaurant focusing on steak and seafood. The drawcard, though, is Jackson’s Bar, Restaurant and Gaming (10am to 11pm) – a slick bolthole (pictured above) on the high side of the precinct with views straight across the airfield. Also, it has the coldest beer in town, locals will tell you. Departure Bar (8am to 10pm) is a relaxed lobby joint to while away the hours before your flight. Room service is 24 hours. —MATT SHEA