‘We’ve seen a fair few families coming in from Darwin’s outlying suburbs and rural areas’: Darwin hotels full up over Easter

Hotels in Darwin were chockablock with families enjoying city staycations this Easter, and bookings for the upcoming dry season are also filling up fast.

HOTELS in Darwin were chockablock with families enjoying city staycations this Easter, and bookings for the upcoming dry season are also filling up fast.

Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said hotels around Darwin had been almost full over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“In addition to camping and fishing traditions, Top Enders have embraced staycations this Easter driven by the tourism vouchers and international border closures,” he said.

“Bookings at Waterfront and Darwin city hotels and restaurants have been very strong as staycations boosted normal demand for this time of year.

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“But pubs in Darwin city, the northern suburbs and Palmerston are reporting patchy trade as a lot of locals are still heading out across Top End for camping and fishing.”

Double Tree general manager Todd Grierson said the Darwin Esplanade hotel was fully booked this weekend, with an influx of families from the rural area helping to fill up all of their 200 rooms.

Double Tree general manager Todd Grierson says the hotel has been booked out with heaps of families, including many from the rural area. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“It’s been wonderful because this time last year, we were running at about five per cent occupancy,” he said.

“The difference is tremendous. This year we’ve seen a lot more local take up as people really embrace the Territory vouchers, and they’re here for a staycation.

“We’ve seen a fair few families coming in from Darwin’s outlying suburbs and rural areas like Humpty Doo and Howard Springs for Easter.

“The pool has been full dozens of kids all weekend playing around with their parents.”

He said their bookings were also looking really solid for the upcoming dry season.

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The hotel’s also already almost completely booked up for the month during the Darwin Cup. Ramada Suites on Carey St was also almost fully booked out over Easter, and they are selling out fast for the month ahead. Owner Michael Anthony told the ABC many of their visitors were coming from Western Australia.

Hilton Darwin manager Markus Kaliss said their bookings for the dry season were also looking very good.