As our trip through Australia progressed, we realized along with others we met that there is no standard by which to measure hotels. The Alice Springs Resort was nice enough but I don't know that the stars it has fit with the resort. We arrived one night earlier than our booking because of roads being closed to the Kings Canyon Resort where we were to stay. Thankfully they had a room but not the one we had booked. We stayed one night in it and then were moved to the superior room we had booked.

The superior room was huge and on the corner of the building with windows along one wall and half of the other. Unfortunately our view was just of the street which was a bit noisy. The accomodation were very comfortable and clean and we enjoyed the room.

The resort was laid out in a U shape with a grassy area in the middle. Since we didn't feel comfortable out after dark walking in Alice Springs, we strolled around the resort area after dinner. The resort was close to downtown Alice Springs shopping areas and a short walk to some restaurants. The restaurant within the resort offered a good dinner menu and we enjoyed a meal there one night. Breakfast was vastly overpriced as we found in most places in Australia. We managed to find the McDonald's that fit our budget a little better.

We also appreciated the nice laundry area for guests and took advantage of our stay to get some clothes washed. The swimming pool however was right in front of the restaurant and while it looked inviting, who wants to swim in front of everyone having dinner? Not me. (For more on our Australian Adventure go to: http://tinyurl.com/ychs7xm)

If it has recently changed hands let's be charitable and anticipate improvements. I do take issue with the hotel industry and would like them to qualify the attributes necessary to call a place a resort. I thought it closer to being a motel. It has a tired and rather worn aspect. When we checked in with luggage for seven weeks travel, we were offered no assistance. We were simply directed out the front door, through the car park and over to a distant building. In this building there was no elevator to our second floor room. Later we would see some sort of non-passenger service lift but it was not clear whether we could or should use it. The room was nothing special but clean and serviceable with a wonderful view and balcony out over the dry river bed. It was surpringly easy to walk into town from the hotel. There is quite a pleasant, if small, pool area. I was surprised at all the good reviews of the food. The eating area reminded me of a small school careteria, all plastic and utilitarian. It looked like the sort of place where paper place mats came with a box of crayons. Let me qualify that - we didn't eat there so I will take my fellow reviewers' words at face value that the food is, in fact, very good and duly apologize for my disparaging thoughts about the decor. Look, for a couple of nights this is an ok place to stay, nothing special, a bit tired and needs some work but it is clean, convenient and comfortable.

While the town centre of Alice Springs wasn't very appealing, the Alice Springs Resort turned out to be a real nugget! Perhaps slightly dated but a very clean and bright resort, we especially enjoyed the pool and the fantastic menus for lunch and dinner. Breakfast buffet was pretty average but the lunch and dinner food and service were really amazing. Our room was very comfortable and clean with nice amenties. A very pleasant stay all over in a town that doesn't have much charm or appeal other than being the obvious gateway to the outback, Ayers Rocks, etc. Great little airport and historic telegraph station do add to the experience. The resort had great staff and location.

This hotel badly needs to renovate. The carpets throughout the property are horrible and that probably was the reason for the stale smell. The breakfast was okay, but nothing to write home about.

The day we were there, old cable boxes and wires littered the hallways.

We were all glad that we moved on to Uluru the next day. I’m sure the Crowne Plaza in town must be a better choice for travelers.