Five-star Yulara, Uluru
Sails in the Desert
White shade sails over a pool lined with gum trees, and a lobby gallery of Aboriginal art. This is the five-star hotel of Ayers Rock Resort, in the village of Yulara.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rooms
- 228 rooms and suites
- Built
- 1984, by Philip Cox and Partners
- Run by
- Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
- From the airport
- About ten minutes, our estimate
The hotel
Shade sails in the Red Centre.
Philip Cox and Partners built the hotel in 1984 as part of Yulara, the village put up to serve visitors to Uluru. White fabric sails stretch over the buildings to throw shade on the red sand. In 2019 the Australian Institute of Architects gave the design its National Award for Enduring Architecture, thirty-five years after it opened.
The resort now belongs to the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and is run by its subsidiary, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. Inside, the colours and textures come from the desert and from Anangu creation stories, and the Mulgara Gallery in the lobby sells Aboriginal art.
- Mulgara Gallery A gallery and shop of Aboriginal art in the lobby.
- Red Ochre Spa A day spa inside the hotel, with treatment packages.
- The pool A heated pool under gum trees, with daybeds and the Pira Pool Bar beside it.
Rooms & suites
Three ways to stay.
Rooms run over three levels, with balconies, patios or terraces. Accessible rooms are available.
- Rooms Superior Room Twin queen beds or a king, with a balcony or patio. Sleeps up to four.
- With a terrace Terrace Room Two queen beds or a king, a terrace with a lounger, breakfast included.
- Suites Deluxe Suite A separate living room, several balconies, a king bed and a bathroom with a soaking bath and rain shower.
Dining
Brasserie, lobby bar and pool.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel and Tourism NT. Shown for information.
- Ilkari Restaurant Brasserie Known for its buffet breakfast
- Walpa Lobby Bar Cocktails, Indigenous-inspired dishes Live music
- Pira Pool Bar Light lunches and drinks By the pool
Recognition
For the building.
- National Award for Enduring Architecture Australian Institute of Architects, 2019
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Airport transfers are complimentary.
- In the resort Uluru Meeting Place, the resort's conference centre, is a short walk away, and there is a tennis court.
Getting there
Flying to Uluru.
Ayers Rock Airport, with direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne, is on the northern edge of Yulara, about ten minutes from the hotel by our estimate. Private jets land there too, and the hotel runs transfers.
- Adelaide 2 h 05
- Darwin 2 h 10
- Perth 2 h 30
- Melbourne 2 h 50
- Sydney 3 h 10
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Who runs Sails in the Desert?
- Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, which owns Ayers Rock Resort.
- Does Sails in the Desert have a spa?
- Yes. The Red Ochre Spa is inside the hotel.
- Which airport serves Sails in the Desert?
- Ayers Rock Airport, on the edge of Yulara, about ten minutes away by our estimate. Transfers are complimentary.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Uluru?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Uluru, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Uluru
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at Sails in the Desert?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Uluru, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.