Sails in the Desert is the flagship hotel of Ayers Rock Resort, and the most polished place to stay at Yulara without going to a private camp. It has 228 guest rooms and suites arranged around gardens and a resort-style unheated pool, and the sail-shaped canopies that give it its name shade the courtyards. There is plenty on site: the Ilkari Restaurant serves a breakfast and dinner buffet with international and Australian flavours, the Pira Pool Bar offers casual dining and cocktails, the Walpa Lobby Bar serves burgers, salads and drinks made with native ingredients, and in-room dining is available around the clock. The Mulgara Gallery sells Indigenous art, and the Red Ochre Spa offers treatments on weekdays. There is also a tennis court, and guests can use all resort facilities, join a free guest activities programme and ride the free resort shuttle between the hotels and the town square. Return airport transfers and free car parking are included.
The rooms
The Superior Room is about forty-two square metres, sleeps up to four and has one king or two queen beds and a balcony. The Terrace Room is the same size but adds a terrace and a kitchenette and includes a buffet breakfast, and the Deluxe Suite is seventy-two square metres with a separate living area and several balconies, sleeping up to two.
Accessible rooms are available, and lifts serve the upper floors. Check-in is at three in the afternoon and check-out at ten in the morning. The rooms are about comfort rather than rock views, since the only rooms with a view of Uluru in the resort are at Desert Gardens.
Getting around
Sails is in the middle of Yulara, so the town square, with its supermarket, shops and cafes, is a short walk, and the free shuttle bus covers the rest of the resort. Uluru is about twenty kilometres away, so for the national park you will join a tour that picks up at the hotel or hire a car. Free parking at the resort makes a hire car easy, and the resort also handles tour bookings at the desk.
Who it suits and what to know: couples, families who want space and travellers who enjoy having a restaurant, a pool and a spa on site will like it. The pool is unheated, so it is better in the warmer months. The spa is open Monday to Friday, the buffet breakfast is a convenient start before an early tour, and the porter service runs from seven in the morning until five.
Rates vary a lot by season and demand, so compare dates, and book early for the cooler months from April to September when the resort is busiest.
Why stay here
- ✓228 rooms and suites
- ✓Resort-style pool
- ✓Ilkari buffet restaurant
- ✓Pira Pool Bar and Walpa Lobby Bar
- ✓Red Ochre Spa
- ✓Mulgara Gallery of Indigenous art
- ✓Free resort shuttle and parking
- ✓Return airport transfers
Good questions
Does Sails in the Desert have a pool?+
Yes, a resort-style pool that is unheated. It is most comfortable in the warmer months, and there is a poolside bar.
Do rooms have views of Uluru?+
No. The rooms are about comfort and gardens. The only rooms in the resort with views of Uluru are at Desert Gardens Hotel.
Is breakfast included?+
Buffet breakfast is included with Terrace Rooms and Deluxe Suites. For other rooms it is available at the Ilkari Restaurant.
