Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Banyan View Lodge
HOSTEL $
( 08-8981 8644;
www.banyanviewlodge.org.au
; 119 Mitchell St; dm $27-29, s/d without bathroom
from $68/78, d with bathroom from $110; )
The Banyan View suits travellers who
aren't into the party scene. It's a big, austere, office-block-looking YWCA that welcomes
men too. Spacious rooms are clean and well kept − ask for one with a fan rather than air-
con if you'd prefer. Bike hire available.
Elkes Backpackers
HOSTEL $
( 1800 808 365;
www.elkesbackpackers.com.au
; 112 Mitchell St; dm $30, tw & d $85, tr $180;
)
Elkes is a friendly, multilingual independent backpackers housed in a sham-
bling cluster of rudimentary timber buildings punctuated by thick copses of vegetation.
It's a good place to meet fellow travellers and chill out, but check the room thoroughly
before settling in.
Value Inn
HOTEL $$$
( 08-8981 4733;
www.valueinn.com.au
;
50 Mitchell St; d from $140; )
In the thick of
the Mitchell St action but quiet and comfortable, Value Inn lives up to its name, espe-
cially out of season. En-suite rooms are small but sleep up to three and have fridge and
TV.
Palms City Resort
RESORT $$$
$$$
( 08-8982 9200, 1800 829 211;
www.citypalms.com
;
64 The Esplanade; motel d $195, villas d
$285; )
True to name, this centrally located resort is fringed by palm-filled
gardens. If you covet a microwave and have space cravings, the superior motel rooms are
worth a bit extra, while the Asian-influenced, hexagonal villas with outdoor spas are ut-
terly indulgent. Butterflies and dragonflies drift between bougainvilleas in the knockout
gardens.
Medina Vibe
HOTEL $$$
$$$
( 08-8941 0755;
www.medina.com.au
;
7 Kitchener Dr; d/studio from $215/235, apt from $335;
)
Two hotels in one building: standard doubles at Vibe, and studios and
apartments next door at the Medina. Either way, you're in for an upmarket stay with
