Top 11 Gay Friendly Hotels In Darwin

The capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin, is the only tropical capital in Australia. It’s a famed gateway to the Top End, which is widely considered Australia’s last frontier. In fact, it felt removed from the rest of the country, and Bali feels like it’s right across the Timor Sea, which it actually is! Besides its rich indigenous history, Darwin is also known for its fairly active LGBT community. What’s more, we found out that it’s home to the only gay club in the entire Territory! So, it was not surprising that we found many options for gay accommodation in Darwin, that LGBTQ travelers throng here for a culture-filled seaside holiday.

Even though we found attitudes here slightly more conservative than in the east coast Australian capitals like Sydney and even Brisbane, we found the atmosphere quite open-minded here. Most gay-friendly venues, including the famous Throb Nightclub, sit in Downtown Darwin. That said, we also wanted to explore the culture and the rich natural beauty of the region. For instance, Darwin sits at the edge of Kakadu National Park, one of the most amazing national parks on Earth. Even the one-of-a-kind Tiwi Islands are just a short boat ride away. Read on to know all about our journey to this culture-rich and gay-friendly capital of the beautiful Northern Territory.

Darwin Waterfront Luxury Suites

11

Best for an extended stay. A large group and a long stay had us checking out the Darwin Waterfront Luxury Suites, one of the most luxurious private gay stays in the city. As the name suggests, they sit overlooking Kitchener Bay in southern Darwin. The sleek, modern getaway enjoys lovely saltwater breezes, maximum luxury, and privacy was perfect for us group of friends. Plus, the city center was a mere 10-15-minute walk, as is Darwin’s sole, but a pulsating gay club.

The suites are all sophisticated and charming, with splashes of vibrant hues against a canvas of stark-white white furniture. Shag pile rugs and modern Aboriginal artwork add to the ambiance. Everything we needed was taken care of by a two-man team, right from on-demand facilities to inquiries. We were welcomed with a breakfast pack of condiments, milk, coffee pods, small cereal packs, fruit, and bread. If we didn’t want to cook, there’s an excellent selection of restaurants nearby too.

The swanky apartments come fully equipped with on-demand streaming TV, Wi-Fi, barbeques, balconies, and fully equipped kitchens, of course. The bedrooms are particularly mesmerizing, with stunning views of the harbor from easily half of them. Bathrooms, albeit compact, are contemporary, with cheeky frosted glass walls separating them from the bedroom.

Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront

10

Best waterfront hotel. The Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront is one of the sexiest LGBTQ hotels we stayed at in the town. It occupies an enviable location in the Waterfront Precinct overlooking a brilliant turquoise harbor. Plus, we were a mere 10-minute walk from the city center. To top it all, it made for an excellent value stay.

The Vibe hotel chain radiates a trendy and youthful vibe – pun unintended – and it’s no different at the Darwin outpost. We loved the boxy black-bamboo furniture in the lobby, bright yellow-and-pink wall patterns at the café, and light blue artwork and fabrics in the rooms. For a value hotel, the facilities here are aplenty. Not only is there a business center, but there’s also a coin laundry, a gym, as well as bikes for hire that we used to explore the neighborhood on our own. The standout, though, is the lovely outdoor pool, which was a blessing during balmy weather. It sits right next to the ground-floor café, which serves, among other meals, both a paid continental or a hot buffet breakfast.

The rooms are anything but ho-hum, complete with informal lounge areas, plush beds, and compact bathrooms with large showers. When we were booking rooms, we chose one that faced the waterfront, like our Aqua View room.

Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront

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Best value-for-money. Good value stays in the heart of Darwin have only come about in the last decade or so. When it comes to excellent value gay accommodation in Darwin, then the Adina Apartment Hotel in the Waterfront Precinct is very gay-popular. These comfortable and compact apartments made for an excellent stay for us in an equally excellent area. It has everything from cinemas and food courts to picnic areas and even a ‘harbor swim’ area right out front. So, we were left wanting nothing when we stayed here.

The place is, surprisingly, full of spaces to relax. One of our favorite spaces was the East Asian-inspired lounge area full of black-bamboo furniture. The highlight, though, is the café that seems to come alive with modern Aboriginal Australian artwork. The ground-level space offers, among other meals, excellent breakfast options of a full breakfast, a continental one, and even just a coffee and breakfast roll separately. And even though breakfast isn’t complimentary, they all offer excellent value, no matter where we ended up eating. When we wanted to relax, the small but lovely pool that’s fringed with daybeds was very inviting indeed. Rounding up the amenities are the business center, gym, and bikes for hire, which we used to explore the area.

The rooms at Adina had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. You can choose from traditional rooms to full-blown apartments with laundries and full kitchens, depending on what you want. Nevertheless, all rooms feature a vibrant color palette and modern bathrooms.

“We loved the waterfront apartments at Adina, so make sure you ask for them specifically while booking. It’ll be the best money you’ll ever spend.”

WOW Travel

Hilton Darwin

8

Best chain hotel. There’s no better LGBTQ-friendly chain hotel in Darwin than the discreet Hilton, tucked away in Darwin’s Central Business District (CBD). The angled entrance almost had us missing out on this grande dame. On the inside, the hotel is a wellspring of enticing harbor views and impeccable and impossibly warm service. It sits at one end of Darwin’s liveliest street, so we were surrounded by some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. Plus, the sole gay club, waterfront, and esplanade are a mere 10-minute walk.

A towering lobby with opulent chandeliers and high ceilings set the tone for our stay here. The split-level restaurant was particularly pleasing to the eye and is one amazing Insta-worthy spot. It also serves excellent meals, including a full buffet breakfast with cold/hot items as well as an Asian food selection. However, it’s the outdoor swimming pool that looks out to the sky that’s a real delight. We also caught up on work at the computers, nibbled on light snacks, and caught up on work in the executive lounge. There’s even a small gym and a beauty salon on the property.

When it comes to accommodations, you can choose from comfortable basic rooms, executive rooms, and suites that have harbor views. Besides being outfitted themselves, rooms also have immaculate bathrooms with indulgent showerheads.

H on Smith Hotel

7

Since we wanted to party the night away, we found no better place for that than the H on Smith Hotel. It sits in the middle of Darwin’s bar and restaurant scene and is a stone’s throw from Throb, the pulsating gay nightclub. Even the Waterfront Precinct is a 10-minute walk. 

Moreover, the hotel is immensely chic and big on style and sensibilities and boasts a smattering of amenities. The well-designed shared spaces were perfect for us social butterflies as we mixed and mingled with what looked like half of Darwin! Our favorite space was the chic, tropical-themed onsite restaurant and bar. It serves piquant food with a ‘modern Asian influence,’ but it’s the continental breakfast that delighted us. For the price, it offers more than what’s usually served in Australian hotels. While the foyer is a great place to relax, it’s the outdoor pool fringed with florae and daybeds that takes the cake. Finally, the hotel even has a rooftop gym and free parking, which is a huge bonus for a city-center hotel.

The rooms are all comfortable, with vibrant color accents and spacious showers. They also have separate lounge areas, as well as panoramic views across the city. Moreover, we found out that all rooms, including entry-level ones like ours, have kettles, slippers, and minibars.

The Cavenagh Hotel

6

We were looking for a hostel in Top End where we could just chill out, mingle to no end, and just have a different staying experience. And the Cavenagh Hotel ticks all boxes and then some. It has all the makings of and everything we expected from a party hostel – think live music in an air-conditioned bar, taco Tuesdays, dinner steak specials, frozen mango daiquiris, and cocktail happy hours. 

For us, the communal spaces at the Cav, as it’s known, were the highlight of this part-pub-hotel, part-motel. The centerpiece of all fun is the main swimming pool, which is surrounded by the rooms. The tropical space is perfect for cooling off in Darwin’s sun and mingling to the hilt. The pub is very popular with both travelers and locals, and we’d even enjoy a delicious albeit paid breakfast here. What’s more, we even got free Wi-Fi vouchers and got to prepare light, quick meals in the large self-catering kitchen. 

There are rooms with king, twin, and dorm-style beds available, just like any other hostel. In fact, the private rooms come with unusually large fridges, which is great for those staying longer or preparing for outback trips. Coffee-making facilities and a work desk complete the amenities.

Mindil Beach Casino and Resort

5

Do you want to splash out on your gay accommodation in Darwin? We’d highly suggest you book the Mindil Beach Casino and Resort, which by our standards, is the most luxurious stay in town. Firstly, we love its location on the gorgeous Mindil Beach, with neat lawns and palm trees-fringed parklands right next to it. Adding to the luxurious vibe are the adjacent casino, a swimmable lagoon, and a manmade beach with a swim-up bar! In fact, it was difficult for us to leave the resort at all, even though the city center was a short five-minute drive.

This resort feels like a serene tropical resort in the midst of Darwin. The standout here was the sky-blue lagoon, from where the water flows lazily past the bar/restaurant before reaching the ‘beach.’ Even more palm trees fringe the ‘beach’ area, which is floored with white sand. The exact opposite of this peaceful space is the happening casino complex next door, with four restaurants and bars, a gym, and a sauna. At the resort itself, the highlights are the stunning infinity pool, the sandbar, and the dedicated restaurants. We’d lounge by the pool and sip on cocktails before heading to the restaurant for mealtimes, which are nothing less than a feast.

All rooms are chic and breezy and feature separate sleeping and lounge areas with indigenous design touches. Moreover, all rooms boast either huge balconies or swim-up decks going right up to the lagoon, like our Superior King Room with a lagoon view. Right off the living room lay the deck, from where we would dive right into the lagoon! Besides all mod-cons, the highlight of the rooms is that the bathrooms are expansive and modern with bathtubs. What’s more, an accordion screen brought our bathtub right into the room.

Mercure Darwin Airport Resort

4

Rarely do hotels by the airport stand out, but the LGBTQ-friendly Mercure Darwin Airport Resort was something else. The Bali-inspired sanctuary belies the humdrum aesthetic that airport hotels usually have and totally impressed us. Even though it’s an airport hotel, the city center was a mere 15-minute taxi ride, while the beachside Rapid Creek is just north of the hotel. On our last morning in Darwin, we even wandered here during sunrise, and it was amazing.

The tropical theme is evident everywhere, right from the open-sided foyer to the pool area ensconced in palm trees. Daybeds with umbrellas line the pool, which was the perfect place to unwind on the property. Beach resort-style bungalows fringe the pool, beyond which lies the studios and rooms in standard hotel blocks. As soon as we checked in, the staff handed us a rather handy map of the property, which made it easy to navigate. Aside from the gym and business center, the standout is the vibrant Cossie’s Bistro. We chose a table on the deck for a hearty breakfast buffet of congee, baked beans, roast pumpkin, hash browns, bacon, eggs, and Asian stir-fry.

The best part about the resort is its wide spectrum of room types, which range from basic, short-stay rooms to lavish bungalows. Since we wanted the ultimate Darwin experience, we went for the bungalow, which was spacious with updated mod-cons and plush bathrooms and even came with a private pool.

Oaks Darwin Elan Hotel

3

Aparthotels are a very popular stay option in the town, and the Oaks Elan was one of the best inner-city gay apartment hotels in Darwin. Located on a quiet boulevard in Darwin’s CBD, the hotel sat smack dab in the middle of the town’s entertainment and dining district. Moreover, the Waterfront Precinct is a mere 10-minute walk.

Oaks felt like a cross between a chain hotel and a high-end and modern apartment building. Conservative yet contemporary, the hotel’s white, black, brown, and red color scheme fit into its low-key style. Despite being an apart-hotel, Oaks Elan boasted a good bunch of facilities. We loved the long outdoor pool, which was a real snazzy perk, especially when it’s illuminated by neon lights after dark. The small gym was perfect for those who didn’t want to miss out on their workout regimen. Moreover, the staff was unfailingly helpful and efficient, and the service was impeccable. Finally, the hotel’s on-site restaurant served delectable modern Australian cuisine, as well as a creative à la carte breakfast.

We could choose from rooms or one/two-bedroom apartments that come with or without harbor views. Since we got an apartment, we went for one with harbor views. What’s more, the bathrooms were spotless and modern.

Hilton Garden Inn Darwin

2

The gay-friendly Hilton Garden Inn Darwin sits at the northern end of the Esplanade in Darwin. It’s a quiet city center pocket, right opposite a lush parkland, and was perfect for exploring the town. Most of the city’s best dining and entertainment spots are a 10-15-minute walk. Moreover, the building isn’t without history. Its pool is famous for the wind-blown cars which landed here during the 1970s Cyclone Tracy!

The tropical theme runs throughout the modern yet timeless hotel, right from the breezy foyer to the palm-tree-lined pool. The small but heavenly pool made for a refreshing break from Darwin’s perennial heat. The poolside restaurant served lip-smacking Northern Territory food as well as a huge buffet breakfast. Besides a coin laundry and a business center making our stay comfortable, the small grassed area was the perfect place to lounge and relax.

We weren’t able to get enough of the spectacular harbor views and made sure we booked a room accordingly. So, we got the King Guest room, complete with floor-to-ceiling French windows leading out to a small patio. A modern bathroom with glass sliding doors completed the place.

Travelodge Resort Darwin

1

Luxury doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket, as we found out at the fabulous Travelodge Resort. One of the best overall LGBTQ stays in Darwin, this sprawling city center apart-hotel has the most scenic of settings. Firstly, its rooms and townhouses are surrounded by two heavenly-looking pools fringed by wispy and swaying palm trees. Now, what could be better?

The pools with the waterfall were, without doubt, the best feature at Travelodge and emanate a tropical holiday feel. The hut-styled restaurant featured a striking outdoor deck and overlooked the two pools. What’s more, it served delicious Modern Australian cuisine as well as a delectable full buffet breakfast. Apart from an indoor lounge space, there were even gas barbeques where we did enjoy a spectacular evening of grilling by the pool with our friends.

What makes Travelodge a great option for everyone is that its offerings range from budget motel rooms to regular guest rooms to suites townhouses. Since we were a group of four people, we went with the townhouse. Not only was it spacious, but also it came with a kitchen to cook meals and modern bathrooms.

Our Verdict!

Gay stays in Darwin are all amazing and cater to various kinds of travelers. That said, we’ve curated a specialized list below according to their best features:

• Best for an extended stay: Darwin Waterfront Luxury Suites
• Best waterfront hotel: Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront
• Best value-for-money: Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront
• Best chain hotel: Hilton Darwin

Just So You Know:

• Darwin’s first Pride took place all the way back in 1985!
• Gay sex has been legal in the entire territory since 1983.

Get Some Culture in Darwin:

• Darwin Pride – Darwin Pride, which is part of the Top End Pride of the Northern Territory, is undoubtedly the biggest LGBTQ+ celebration in Darwin. Although it takes place more in clubs and bars than in the streets, it’s a whole lot of fun. The 2023 edition, which took place in June, saw cabarets, sex workshops, live music, queer dance parties, and bottomless brunches, and ended with the amazing Pride March.

Best Gay Bars / Clubs in Darwin:

• THROB Nightclub – This is not only the only gay club in town but in the entire Territory. Nevertheless, it’s one amazing hangout place for the LGBTQ community and sees drag shows take place.
• Cavenagh – As mentioned earlier, this gay-popular hotel, bar, and cafe at the Cav is a gathering place for the Gay Men’s Pride group at 5 p.m. on Thursdays for drinks. It even has a pool!

Best Gay Saunas in Darwin:

There isn’t any gay sauna in Darwin yet. But, given the relative open-mindedness of this city, we wouldn’t be surprised if gay saunas come up in the future.