2018 – Part 57 – Introduction to Longitude 131

2018 – Part 57 – Longitude 131

Have you ever looked at an extremely expensive resort and wondered what it’s like? Well after Amber found it, I thought about it.  Every time I started pricing out the visit to Uluru I stopped and returned to their website.  So, I booked it, and I’m very glad I did.

Booking

The resort has under 2 dozen rooms so booking in advance is a must. I booked online with the hotel and everything was confirmed quickly. The key thing to note is that due to the small size of the hotel, cancellation costs can be high. The hotel is forthright about this and encourages you to explore trip insurance.

During our stay would be Amber’s birthday.  Through email we arranged something, and this was easily done.  For every email I sent they were quick with their replies.

Arrival & Check-in

The Cairns flight is one of the first flights to land at Ayers Rock airport in the morning, and as we entered the Ayers Rock airport arrivals area there was a representative from Longitude 131 waiting for us.  Amber had joked as we got off the plane “Do you think somebody will be there our name on a board?”.  Amy introduced herself, and before long our luggage arrived on the lone baggage belt.

With luggage in tow we made the short walk to a black Mercedes Sprinter van, and had one last look to the plane that dropped us off before we set off to resort.

The first thing that we noticed was how clear the sky was. Although the forecasted high was 23C, once in the sun I got warm quickly. The second thing we noticed is that the red sand is everywhere!  Before we set off I did notice this parking sign where the van was parked:

It’s hard not to notice Uluru during the drive to the resort.

Once we arrived at the resort, we were introduced to Gabby who was standing outside to welcome us.  She escorted us up the walkway into the main building.  Our checked luggage was left behind as it would be transferred to our room.

The Lodge

Longitude 131 has one main building, referred to as the Lodge, where all meals are served, and functions as the main area of socializing and meeting location before tours.  The tented ceilings helped convey that we weren’t in a stuffy building in an urban location.

Main area looking towards the self serve bar

Dining area

From the moment we walked into the main area, the floor-to-ceiling windows drew our attention to the main attraction, Uluru.

We were seated in the lounge area where Gabby and Will greeted us and went through the formalities of the resort.  Yes, every employee introduced themselves during our stay.  Every server. Every tour guide.  Everybody.  I was more impressed that when we would see them again during our stay they had remembered our names.

Our time spent with Gabby and Will was to walk us through everything about the resort.  Location of the pools (yes TWO pools), schedule for set group tours, how and when meals operated and what additional services were available.  You know, in case you’re at an all-inclusive resort and you want a private tour, or a tour that isn’t offered for the group.  😉

At the end we were handed our Uluru Kata Tjuta National park entrance tickets, and heard the best thing:  “You must be tired from such an early morning flight. How about breakfast?” Yes please! A separate post on the food will be found by clicking here, once I post it.  (spoiler: the food was excellent)

Self serve bar

In the Lodge was a self serve bar.  I think was almost half the size of our place back home.  Spirits were on the counter, with several fridges stocked with many wines.  Amber was filled with glee as they had 5 different Rieslings, and she took pride in trying all during our stay.  And in case you needed inspiration to make a drink, there was a book of cocktails along with some resort specific drinks that could be made:

Main area looking towards the self serve bar

Liquor selection

Gin and other spirits

Spirits just keep going

…and going…

…still going!

Wine selection in the fridge

Soft drinks too

More chilled selections available

Luxury Tent

After finishing our hot and filling breakfast our sever, Buddy, informed us that our room was ready.  Leaving the main building our room was the first to the left of the main building.  Each room is its own building, referred to as a luxury tent, and each is named after an explorer of Australia, ours was William Gosse. Buddy showed us around our room and left us to unpack.

I’m not sure how to describe it, but here’s a panoramic picture from the entrance door:

Deck

Each tent has a private deck with day bed.  This came in handy one night as we lay out under the night sky and gazed up at the near-endless count of stars.

Bathroom

On the far end is the bathroom that is divided into three parts.  There is a separate room for the toilet, the shower is enclosed with a glass door.  During the day, with the sun shining on this side of the tent, the floor in the shower was warm and relaxing.

The room had items to complement and provide some background to the name affixed by the door.

A view of the room from the other side of the room:

Wifi

Yes, Wifi is available in the room and in the Lodge, however don’t expect a T1 connection speed.  For me, I found the connection slow at best, and this helped me spend as little time as possible online during our stay.  Having a slow connection was good as it let us focus on where we were.

Extras

This room had a fully stocked mini-bar along with an assortment of snacks if we desired.  As well, there was a pair of thick robes of our use.  There was a small sound system on the desk that came preloaded with a soundtrack that featured the Didgeridoo.

More treats and glassware near the mini-bar

Treats above the mini-bar

Bed

This was by far the BEST bed we slept in during our stay.  This was great timing as both of us were exhausted, not only from the pace of our trip, but also I was starting to fight a sore throat (this serves as the overture to something more usually).  The bed gladly welcomed us to have naps during the afternoon each day.

HVAC

The split HVAC unit worked perfectly during our stay.  I noticed that the air will blow right across the bed, and leaving the unit to an automatic setting helped to keep the place temperate when it was chilly at night.  After the first night, we decided to change the setting to only cool to a set temperature.  We awoke the following morning to a chilly tent!  That was fine as we weren’t in a rush to go on a tour, and did I mention the bed and bedding was excellent?

Amenities

As I mentioned earlier, the resort has two pools.  There is a main pool just outside from the Lodge:

And then there was a plunge pool up at the top of the ridge.

The area at the top was well stocked with a complete bar and several spots to sit.

So worth it!

This is three parts about our stay:
Click here to read about the food we had during our stay 
Click here to read about the tours we took of the National park

If you want to see why there are three posts about this place, check out Longitude 131’s website by clicking here.

Read more about our trip by clicking here.