Sails in the Desert

Sails in the Desert opened in 1984 and was originally owned by Sheraton.  Less than 10 years later Sheraton sold the hotel which today is owned by Voyages.  In 2012 Voyages spent $43 million refurbishing the resort that included the development of a conference centre.  Voyages has a commitment to increasing Indigenous staff numbers; in 2010 there were just two Indigenous employees but today there are over 200.

Despite the renovation, the resort still has an 80s feel as the shape and size of the hotel rooms has not been altered to reflect today’s approach of more apartment-style accommodation.  Sails in the Desert is advertised and promoted as a 5-star resort, however, my experience is that that is an over-inflated rating.  While Voyages charges a 5-star price, the experience is no better than 3.5 stars.

We booked a terrace room that included breakfast for $500/night.  The walk from reception to the accommodation is external along a paved concrete corridor.  When we arrived at our room, dirty glasses from the previous occupants were outside the door and remained there for a couple of days.  This was not an uncommon sight around the resort.

The room was refreshingly decorated in the colours of the outback although the swirls in the carpet did play tricks on me where out of the corner of my eye I kept thinking I’d dropped or spilt something on the carpet.  The room had two queen-sized beds and a spacious terrace with a view over the garden and pool.

The bathroom had a shower over the bath and a shower curtain rather than a screen which is below the standard of accommodation at that level of pricing.  While the vanity was of adequate size, there were no drawers to put anything; all toiletries, skincare and cosmetics had to sit on the counter.  We weren’t given any face washers and had to ring guest services to request some be brought to the room.

While the room did have a fridge, there wasn’t a mini-bar.  If you would like a wine or beer you either have to order a beverage package, have a drink in the bar or restaurant, or take the bus to the other side of the resort to the Outback Pioneer Hotel where there is Yulara’s one and only bottle shop.  In order to purchase alcohol, you have to be over 18 but must also prove you are a guest at Ayers Rock Resort.

We didn’t have dinner at the hotel’s Ilkari Restaurant as it is a buffet that didn’t look the best and at $70/person plus drinks, didn’t seem like good value.  Our package did include breakfast and the breakfast at Ilkari Restaurant was the highlight of our stay at Sails in the Desert.  The staff are friendly and attentive without being overly familiar, all the stations are well spaced, you can order eggs every which way, and there is an excellent outback omelette.  As well, great coffee.

We thought we’d have a drink in the hotel’s Walpa Lobby Bar and while there, bumped into a friend who left Sydney years ago and is now living in Darwin.  What a great excuse for a drink.

The drinks menu is comprehensive but everything is pricey.  There is no point packing up and heading to an alternative like the Mangata bar at nearby Desert Gardens Hotel because it’s the same menu with the same prices.  We were seated at a table in a carpeted area of the bar.  I was waiting for my drink to arrive when I saw a mouse sprint towards me, run over my feet then disappear into a little hole at the bottom of the bar.  I alerted the barman who just shrugged and said it happens all the time.  I still had to pay for my drink.

There is a lovely pool but it looks dated.  When Sheraton built the resort the pool wasn’t fenced which would have given it a lovely resort feel.  But a few years ago Voyages decided to fence the pool and unfortunately, they chose an ugly one more suited to what you would expect to find in a caravan park and not at a resort charging 5-star prices.

We enjoyed cooling off in the pool but were disappointed the water was cloudy for the entire time we were there.  You couldn’t see the bottom nor your feet.  We spent time sitting/lying by the pool and would have loved it if a member of staff had approached and asked us if we’d like to order something to eat or drink or both but no one was employed in that role.  While there was a member of staff working at the Pira Pool Bar, you as the guest needed to approach the bar – the bar doesn’t come to the guests.

Be warned, Sails in the Desert caters to conferences.  A group of more than 230 from a medical company arrived during our stay.  Their presence, as they moved around the resort in very large groups, was intrusive.  Especially on the night they took over the common area around the pool and had an outdoor dinner reception complete with music and speeches.  We had to remove ourselves from our terrace and retreat indoors to reduce the level of impact.  I mentioned the situation to Voyages who said in reply, ‘While conferencing and events are certainly valuable to our business it should never be at the expense of our independent travellers…’  But it’s difficult to comprehend how a group of around 250 could not impact on individual travellers.    

Our experience at Sails in the Desert was hit and miss.  The room was adequate but not worth what we paid for it.  The pool area is nice but nothing special and sometimes off limits due to conferences.  The prices for food and beverages are very high yet the level of service and the overall experience don’t match the price.  This hotel wouldn’t receive so many negative reviews if they either raised the experience to match the price charged or reduced the price to reflect the level of what is provided.  Sadly, you come away feeling Voyages doesn’t care for individual travellers, probably in the belief that most will visit this iconic destination only once in a lifetime so there is no concern for repeat business.

Verdict:  Over-priced and disappointing