PICTURESQUE VIEWS OF ALICE SPRINGS: LASSETERS HOTEL REVIEW

I honestly didn't know what to expect when we jumped off the plane in Alice Springs. In 2016 we have been trying a new style of travel where we learn about locations by visiting and exploring them - so no Googling or YouTubing allowed. If we had no prior knowledge of a place, we would keep it that way and learn from the locals.

So like I said before, I had no idea what to expect when we jumped off the plane at Alice Springs airport. How big would this town be? Where do the locals shop and more importantly what would a hotel be like in the middle of Central Australia?

The Location // Those Views

The Lasseter Hotel is backed up onto the MacDonnell Ranges. You are literally beneath these stunning ranges on one side and have the banks of the Todd River (which was dry when we were there) on the other side. The town of Alice Springs is quite small, there is no bad or good location for a hotel in relation to sites and things to do. However, there is a way to judge a location in relation to its views which the Lasseter Hotel certainly shines.

If you were wanting to know, its about 20 minutes to walk into the city centre or you can jump on the free shuttle service to get into town.

The Lasseter Hotel Casino

There seems to be a trend with hotel/casino set ups and that they are always modern looking, have more than 1 restaurant. some sort of health club and a heated pool/spa - where are they getting all this extra money from?

Jokes aside, the Lasseter Hotel has a golf course, four restaurants, a heated pool & spa, health club and a casino. There's enough to do here that will keep you entertained without having to leave the property.  If you do plan on doing some exploring of Alice Springs, there are complimentary mountain bikes available at reception with a concierge at the ready to tell you where to go.

Though our short time in Alice Springs limited our exploration of all the restaurants, we did have a couple of breakfasts and dinner from Tali restaurant.

Dinning at Tali Restaurant

With such a tight schedule on our trip in Alice Springs we only had a few moments to eat at the Tali restaurant which was buffet style breakfast in the morning and a la carte in the evening. It's always a plus for us when we are able to order hot vegetarian breakfast items when having a early start to our day. Which is more rare than you may think as we usually have to resort to the continental side of the buffet.

One night we did order from the amazing invention of room service which unfortunately we did find to be more average than good - stick to the hotel restaurants! Our delicious vegetarian Indian dish at Tali and ice cream for desert was a bit on the pricey side but being in a tourist town in the middle of nowhere its hard to complain and should come expected.

The restaurant in itself offers an open kitchen, plenty of tables and an in house barista.

The Room

There are two main standouts to our room, the views from our balcony (I still can't get over them) and what I can only say is the highest roofed room I have ever stayed in. The walls were adorned with local and original Indigenous artwork as well as a super comfy king sized bed, LCD TV, complimentary coffee facilities and an en-suite bathroom.

Once again, what would internet and wifi be like out here in the middle of nowhere? Well I am happy to report back that phone coverage was fine in the city and wifi came complimentary across the entire Lasseter property. I am still shocked in 2016 that I am saying that free internet is a bonus, why is it not standard everywhere?

Our Experience

As always with our travels abroad we decided to daily vlog our entire Alice Springs trip which you can see below. The first vlog from our Alice Springs gives you our first impressions and room tour of the Lassetter Hotel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fddf_0popd4

Book a nights stay in a Premium Room for AUD$219 per night, twin share.

Flying The Nest was welcomed as a guest of Tourism Northern Territory to experience The Lasseter Hotel. As always, all opinions are our own.

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