Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

TIPS ON ACCOMMODATIONS 75
furnishings, a high degree of comfort,
high standard of presentation,
and guest services.
***** International standard
establishments offering superior
appointments, furnishings, and
decor, with an extensive range of
first-class guest services. Reception,
room service, and housekeeping
available 18 hours a day
with restaurant/bistro facilities
available 7 nights a week. A number
and variety of room styles
and/or suites are available. Choice
of dining facilities, 24-hour room
service, housekeeping, and valet
parking. Porter and concierge
service are available as well as a
dedicated business center and
conference facilities.
Note: All accommodations listed in
this book have private bathrooms
unless otherwise noted.
HOTELS It’s a rare hotel room that
does not have reverse-cycle air-conditioning
for heating and cooling, a telephone,
a color TV, a clock radio, a
small refrigerator if not a minibar, an
iron and ironing board, and self-serve
tea and coffee. Private bathrooms are
standard, although they often have
only a shower, not a tub. The largest
hotel group in Australia is the French
chain Accor, which has more than 100
properties (that’s about 15,000 rooms)
under its Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure and
All Seasons, Ibis, and Formule 1 lines.
Many other international chains,
such as Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton,
have properties in Australia.
SERVICED APARTMENTS Serviced
apartments are favored by many
Aussie families and business travelers.
You get a fully furnished apartment
with one, two, or three bedrooms, a
living room, a kitchen or kitchenette, a
laundry, and often two bathrooms—in
other words, all the facilities of a hotel
suite and more, often for less than the
cost of a four-star hotel room. A nice
two-bedroom apartment will usually
cost anywhere between A$165 and
A$255 (US$107–US$166) a night,
depending on your location and the
season. Australia’s apartment inventory
is enormous and ranges from clean and
comfortable, if a little dated, to luxurious.
Most apartments can be rented
for 1 night, especially in cities, but in
popular vacation spots, some proprietors
will insist on a minimum 3-night
stay, or even a week in high season.
Medina Serviced Apartments
(& 1300/300 232 in Australia, or 02/
9356 1000; www.medinaapartments.
com.au) has a chain of midrange to
upscale properties in Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide,
and—from mid-2004—Perth. Australia’s
biggest apartment chain is the
Quest Serviced Apartments (& 1800/
334 033 in Australia, or 03/9645 2566;
0800/944 400 in New Zealand; www.
questapartments.com.au). It has four
brands: the upscale Quest Establishments,
the midrange Quest Inns,
Quest Lodgings for longer stays, and
Quest Resorts, in every state and territory
except the Northern Territory.
MOTELS & MOTOR INNS Australia’s
plentiful motels are neat and
clean, if often a little dated. You can
count on them to provide air-conditioning,
a telephone, a color TV, a
clock radio, a minifridge or minibar,
and self-serve tea and coffee. Most
have only showers, not bathtubs. Some
have restaurants attached, and many
have swimming pools. Motor inns
offer a greater range of facilities and a
generally higher standard of rooms
than motels. Rates average A$70 to
A$110 (US$46–US$72) double.
BED-&-BREAKFAST INNS B&Bs
are cheap and plentiful in Australia. It is
easy to find charming rooms for around
A$80 (US$52) for a double. Bathroom
facilities are often shared, although
more properties now offer private, if not
always en suite, bathrooms.