The band was still going at 2am ("Blister in the Sun") and then the chainsaws started at 4am. As it isright next door to the backpackers, unless you are a partying backpacker, I would not recommend staying here. Rooms and hotel were basic but clean. The travelodge was about the same price and sooo much better.

We stayed here for four nights in August 2011 during the peak / high season - two of those nights being over the weekend. As previous reviews have mentioned, the motel is sandwiched between a youth hostel and pub, both of which were in full swing until the early hours of the morning during our stay.

Noise was never an issue, our room faced the hostel and was about ten meters from Mitchell St. All we mostly heard (with the window closed) was the gentle rumble of the super cold air-con. Granted, whilst awake, we could occasionally hear someone laughing in the street or talking in the corridor but never to to level of impeding sleep. Darwin city is a party town during the dry season with a similar vibe to Byron Bay and Airlie Beach. If you want serenity, stay away from the CBD because i assume most other hotel's in the vicinity will have similar issues.

As mentioned in previous reviews, the rooms are small, the mattresses are firm (but still comfortable) and there is no balcony - think Formule 1. But at $136 a night, the Value Inn is at least $100 a night cheaper than surrounding chain hotel's ie: the Holiday Inn and Novotel which are no doubt more luxurious but if all you're after is somewhere to sleep whilst exploring - i don't think you can beat the Value Inn. I guess it all depends on what your budget and priorities.

As i mentioned before, there is a hostel right next to the Value Inn (Melaluca's on Mitchell) and they are owned by the same person / company. Your room swipe card gets you access to all of their facilities including the kitchen, pool (there is a pool in the Value Inn but it's small and nothing special) , spa, bar and massive shaded deck looking over Mitchell Street along with the activities they hold out their like movies, trivia etc. The hostel is quite modern and luxurious and it's guests are from all walks of life, not just boozed up back packers - a far cry from the hostels i stayed in when i was younger.

I know when i booked, i thought to myself "Wow, Darwin's expensive, i could stay in a five star hotel in Sydney for that much". But that's the price you pay for visiting somewhere remote, unique and utterly spectacular. Darwin is awesome!!!!!






The Value Inn is no Hilton but it never purports to be anything more that

I stayed here with my sister and 11-year-old niece in August 2011. It was the cheapest hotel option I could find in Darwin (which seems to be over-priced for accommodation, a real shame as it's a great place to visit), and I was a bit disappointed with the value for money in comparison to other Australian cities I have visited. The hotel is very basic, and whilst it has all the amenities you need for a cheap stay it just seemed like I was paying through the nose for not very much!
It has a small swimming pool, and access to a larger and better one next door (Melaleuca Backpackers). The rooms are tiny with just a double and single bed, a television and a small fridge, which would have been ok for two people but it was stretching it with three of us.
Bathrooms are also tiny, but clean and fairly new. Hot water was always available. Not much storage space in the bathroom though.
the rooms were cleaned and serviced each day but there was always a lingering damp smell - probably combination of humidity and the air-conditioner (which was very effective).
The main issue I had was the noise factor- as the hotel is attached to a backpackers there was constant noise of an evening/early morning. This is understandable as the hotel is based on Mitchell Street on the strip where the bars etc are all based, so if you are travelling with the intention of some late nights and hard partying it's not a problem, but it was probably just a bad choice on my part as we were travelling with a child.
On the plus side the staff are really helpful and it was kept clean throughout our stay, but this is probably more suited to younger couples/backpackers rather than families, who are better choosing somewhere away from Mitchell Street.

Hello,

My name is David Pratt and stayed a total of 6 nights at the Value Inn Darwin as well as 2 nights at the Melaleuca on Mitchell, during the last week of July. Now I just wanted to highlight some of the things I really enjoyed about these establishments. The location was fantastic, being so close to the restaurants, bars, tourist attractions, etc. The security was also a great thing due to some of the violence I witnessed in and outside the hotel/hostel.
But there are some pretty disturbing issues that need to be addressed. First off I am a Canadian citizen but an Australian resident working on a 4 year visa running a operation here in South Australia. This was both a vacation and also a business trip looking for future areas to bring overseas clients to when they see the operation. I would just like to say I was disgusted by the night staff at the Melaleuca Hostel. During one of my nights at the Value Inn, I have to pass by the front counter of the Hostel to access my Hotel room. I amazingly enough had run into an old friend from Canada and had not seen her in over 5 years. We were on our way to my hotel room at the Value Inn, when I was told by the staff she was not allowed in. This is someone that I had not seen in a half decade and we met on the other side of the planet in Darwin, I was also spending over 150 per night on my room and I was being told that I could not allow my friend in. I was sickened by this remark and instead had to travel to another Hotel near the airport where she was staying, where we were not treated this way by the staff. After talking with the staff at the Value Inn they informed me that I was not the first to complain about these two girls and they had also caused trouble for them as well. My next complaint would be during my last night staying at the Melaleuca Hostel. I had never stayed in a hostel and did so only because I wanted to experience it. During the morning that I was leaving I left shortly to arrange my room at the Value Inn next door, when I returned I noticed that my bed sheets were already removed. I also noticed that my very expensive white dress shirt that was on my bed was now also gone. I understand that I white shirt could be gathered unnoticed in white bed sheets, but after complaining to the front desk they said it could not be found. This left me upset beyond any belief, that shirt was a gift from Italy and I had only worn it for the second time the night before. These two experiences have left me revolted by these establishments. Its terrible that a place that showed so much promise and some good employees was ruined by others.
I hope that we can resolve this issue and my missing shirt can be found or I can be compensated in some way. Please feel free to email me at anytime at David@sundropfarms.com.au

Best Regards,
David