Alice Springs -- Where to Stay
 

My family of 5 (3 boys, ages 17, 14 and 10) will be in Alice Springs for 2 nights this coming August. Any suggestions on where to stay? We can get two rooms at a hotel and price is not a big consideration. I am looking for the nicest place in the best location (convenient, quiet and safe). From what I have read, it seems like the Crowne Plaza and the Alice Springs Resort are considered the top ones, but I really do not know. I have also seen a couple of apartment complexes, with Jessica Court on Gap Road looking the most interesting (but very close to a sports complex, Traeger Park, making me think it could be a busy location). Any insights would be most welcome.

Do a search. There have been a few posts in which this has been discussed. My wife and I stayed at the Aurora Alice Springs Hotel last year. Not the Ritz, but it sufficed.

Last year, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza and found it completely satisfactory. It definitely is quiet and safe but only moderately convenient. It is about a mile from the Todd Mall, so you will need a taxi to go into town. However, this is one of the very reasons why it is quiet and safe!

Be sure to check out Alice Springs' website <http://www.thealice.com.au/> for ideas about what to see and do. Their free passport has some money saving discounts for local businesses. I specifically recommend the Alice Springs Desert Park and the Frontier Camel Farm where you can take a camel to dinner (enjoy a 1-hour camel ride along the banks of the dry Todd River and then have a great meal of steak or fish plus some local "bush tucker" specialties. The do pick up at the Crowne Plaza at no extra charge. The camel ride also presents a great photo op for next year's Christmas cards. One important tip: when they distribute sheepskins for additional padding on the camel saddle, don't be afraid to take two, if you are the "sensitive type". You might say that my wife's camel left a (painful) "impression" on her and it lasted 5-6 days.

We stayed at the Alice Springs Resort last year, and we found it to be very disappointing and over-priced. The rooms were somewhat shabby and the furnishings and fixtures were old. It wasn't awful, but the word "resort" is definitely a misnomer. The location was good, but I would look elsewhere if you want the "nicest" place.

My take on Alice Springs is that it is NOT the home of truly four-star "resorts." It's a rough and tumble place that is used as the stepping stone for the outback. It's in some respects a seedy place.
Having said all that, my wife and I really enjoyed our visit there last year.

Anyone else wish to weigh on the best place to stay in Alice Springs with a family (2 teens and a 10 year old)?

Does anyone have any insights on the Alice-on-Todd Apartments?