Desert Palms Alice Springs

**Cute property, but the location and safety concerns are worth knowing about** First, I want to make it clear that many of the issues we experienced in Alice Springs are **not the fault of Desert Palms**. Unfortunately, the city has significant safety and petty-crime issues, and as a tourist, that definitely affected our experience. From what we were told by locals, there are very limited accommodation options where tourists can feel secure, and Desert Palms is one of the properties that takes extra precautions. The gates are locked at approximately 7 PM and reopened around 7 AM. Guests have a code to enter, but when someone enters or exits, the gate remains open for a period of time before closing, which means there can be opportunities for people who don't belong on the property to get inside. While we were checking in, two women were actually leaving because someone had attempted to enter their cabin while they were out for dinner. One of them had forgotten something, returned to the property, and saw someone trying to open the front door of their room. That was definitely unsettling to witness. The cabins themselves are cute and the property is generally very well maintained. I really liked the appearance of the cottages and the pool area. The cabins have a single entrance and limited/no exterior windows, which I assume is partly designed with security in mind. We were also advised by several locals **not to walk around town after dark**, so dining does require some planning. There isn't a consistent dining facility at Desert Palms, so we planned to walk next door to the DoubleTree for dinner. Reservations are recommended. Our biggest issue with the cabin itself was the smell. Our room smelled strongly of septic throughout our three-night stay. I plugged the drains, which seemed to help somewhat. The mattress also isn't what I would consider luxury—it has more of a traditional box-spring feel. The bathrooms are very basic and could use a deeper cleaning, particularly around the grout. Also the key for air conditioner must be attached so when you get back to your room the ac has been off and the smell is nice and warm and ripe for your return. That said, the property itself is clean, maintained, and has a nice appearance. We weren't bothered enough by the cabin issues to cut our stay short, so we stayed all three nights. **My recommendation:** If you're particular about your accommodations, especially mattresses, bathrooms, or odors, I would probably spend the extra money and stay next door at the DoubleTree. If you're looking for a more affordable, cute cottage-style property and understand the circumstances surrounding Alice Springs, Desert Palms is a reasonable option. Just be aware that **the biggest concern isn't necessarily the hotel—it's the surrounding environment and the need to be much more security-conscious than you might expect when visiting a tourist destination.** We found Alice Springs unsettling at times, particularly after dark, and saw groups of people congregating around and significant petty-crime concerns in areas frequented by tourists. Overall, Desert Palms itself was not a bad place to stay. The property was well maintained, the pool was nice, and the cottages were charming. Just go in knowing what you're getting into and plan accordingly. This property is one or two properties that are fenced in with high fences and barbed wire. It's either here or the doubletree. Keep all things such as valuables and passports wallets etc with you when you leave in case your room in broken into. Google Alice Spings crime and safety before coming as a tourist.

Nice, spacious cottages. Beautiful large palm trees. Shower functional and fine, but dated. Washing machines and dryers, $5 per wash or dry cycle. Both take half an hour and yield good results. Extra coffee is available for free at the reception.

We felt very safe and had a very peaceful night with our 1-year-old child. The bungalow was clean and had good basic amenities.

As you drive up you think wow!...The studio villas look lovely from the outside but a little plain on the inside, the room was basic but everything we needed for our 3 nights stay. Located a short walk into town where there are plenty of places to have a meal and a drink. The swimming pool was out of bounds on our first day but in use for the remainder...the garden areas are kept clean and tidy. Handy having a laundrette on site which is open 24hours, cost 5 AUD for a load of washing and another 5 AUD for drying. There is also an iron and iron board in the same area, which cannot be moved. Reception is operated from 6am until 8pm.

Excellent. They came for our honeymoon 23 years ago... we came back today, 2026.

The location was decent and check-in was straightforward, but the biggest issue was the state of our room. During our stay, we encountered 5 mice, mostly throughout the night, which seriously impacted our experience. It was impossible to relax or get a good night’s sleep knowing there were mice running around the room. What was disappointing was that, upon check-out, I informed the receptionist about the issue, but there seemed to be very little concern or urgency shown.