Mantra on the Esplanade Darwin

Our experience can only be described as disappointing. No housekeeping and only one tiny bin necessitating using plastic bags for normal rubbish. Refrigerator had only one tiny milk carton and only enough coffee sachets for one day. Had to ask for bottles of water. Room generally neat but tired with a stain on the carpet which was frayed in places. Just didn’t feel like it matched the cost. Good location but that is about it.

When we arrived at 7.30 at night, our 1 BR apartment was not correctly prepared. We are 2 friends sharing. We were meant to have the king bed split into 2 king singles, but this had not been done. Instead, a third bed had been made up in the living room, preventing us using this as a living area. We complained to reception, and the man said there was no one to fix it and we would have to wait until the next day. We were booked for 5 nights. The next day were were on a day tour and when we returned in the evening, we were shocked to find the beds had not been fixed. After complaining again, we got the same answer, and had to spend a second night in the same inconvenient setup. The next day we phoned reception while on tour to remind them to ensure the beds were fixed, and they were done. As well, the second floor corridor and the apartment were extremely cold. Even after turning the air con off, we still had to sleep under blankets, and wear sweaters to bed, as the cold air was seeping into the apt. This must be such a waste of energy for the hotel, in a tropical climate. The temperature outside was around 30 deg C during the day, and 20 at night. The swimming pool was closed for refurbishment so we could not swim, although that was disclosed beforehand. The hotel is in a very convenient location in the centre of Darwin CBD, near restaurants and transport.

No pool availability was a big disappointment - partial refund should be offered. Microwave and some crockery and cutlery should be available so we can reheat food etc. Dont expect a full kitchen but would make a stay more comfortable and cost effective. Tired bathroom with missing grout and well worn tiles. Noisy air conditioner and no ceiling fans.

Excellent 3 bedroom apartment in a great location. Free off-street parking available when you can get it and paid street parking nearby if the carpark is full. Rooms were nice and spacious, extremely clean and well-presented and staff were helpful and friendly. We always love staying at the Mantra.

Apparently they only had 2 weeks to let guests know that the pool was out of action due to major renovations including jack hammers etc. if I had of known prior I would have cancelled!! 2 weeks though should have been enough time for a quick call, you know to let people who are going to be staying and looking forward to a swim or a lazy hour lying by the pool that it’s out of action!! And to rub additional salt into the wound they don’t do daily housekeeping unless you pay extra, on top of the already high prices. Also no restaurant on site, which also means no room service. The receptionist was lovely, but in no way makes up for the rest.