Fodor's Expert Review Mercure Alice Springs Resort

Many of the rooms at this new addition to Accor Hotels’ portfolio open directly onto lawns or gardens where dozens of native birds chatter, making you forget you’re in the middle of the desert and instead, perhaps inside a tropical garden. When the heat gets to be too much, set up poolside. The hotel is also home to Barra on Todd, a restaurant popular with both locals and visitors, meaning reservations are necessary.