I have to admit…when I found out they were building an airport hotel in Adelaide I was a bit skeptical whether we really needed one? Being so close to the city, did people really need to stay AT the airport?
Add 2 kids and an early flight departure time……..I’ve changed my mind!
My 2 daughters and I recently spent the night at Atura before an early morning flight interstate and the minute we walked through the door I knew it was a BRILLIANT IDEA!
My 6 year old ran straight to the window to watch a Qantas plane landing right there in front of us. EXCITING!
Could we hear it? No
Could we see it? YESSSS!
What an exciting place to stay……….but did I manage to get them to sleep before the last plane landed? Read on to find out….
Atura is a very cool looking hotel. It’s got a real industrial vibe about it. Polished concrete with splashes of bright yellow everywhere.
The ground floor is where you’ll find reception, a bar, the restaurant, a lounge area and lots of comfy spots to sit and have a drink or snack. If you’re staying in a city view/runway room though, you’ll want to get straight up to the room……you’re missing the planes!
The ground floor is also where you’ll get direct access into the airport. Literally just a few minutes walk and you’re at check in.
If you’ve travelled with kids you’ll know how convenient this is. Just wake up, get ready, have a buffet breakfast that you don’t have to cook, leave the mess behind and walk a few steps into the airport.
If you have an early flight, a late flight, live in regional SA or just find it hard to get out of the house on time with your kids and hate the mad dash rush to get everyone to the airport on time (aka ALL OF US) this is IDEAL!
Guys, it is worth the money. I promise!
We stayed in a Deluxe Twin room with two queen size really comfy beds. If you’re staying for the plane spotting make sure you book a city view or runway room, so you’re on the right side of the building. (They’re clearly labelled on the website)
The bathrooms are really funky. Loved the South Australian themed wallpaper complete with Sturt Desert Pea. Oh and side note, they have a great hairdryer in there! Not a crappy standard hotel style one (it’s the little things!)
What we loved about our stay at Atura
- Obviously, the view. Even if you’re not flying anywhere, honestly it’s so worth a stay just for something different to do. Kids will L-O-V-E it.
- The beds – SO comfy! Like really REALLY comfy.
- The grab and go mini shop in the lobby, complete with baby food squeezies! They also had snacks, drinks, toiletries. Could come in very handy!
- The buffet breakfast had plenty of hot and cold options including cereals, bacon and eggs, toast machine, coffee station, pastries and we loved the granola station!
- The styling. Very cool industrial vibe, it looks great.
- The staff, super friendly and helpful.
- Discounted car parking. OK so you can’t park for free BUT you can get a discounted nightly rate from the hotel if you’re only staying for a night. Otherwise if you’re flying somewhere you’d likely be either getting a lift or a taxi/uber so don’t need to park anyway.
- 24 hour reception
- FREE wifi
- Airport screens on the ground floor so you can keep your eye on your flight. Great for delayed flights so you can grab another coffee, take another loop around the buffet breakfast or start holidays early with a drink at the bar.
- My room service poke bowl! YUUUUUM!
So, did I get my kids to sleep before the last plane landed at 10:30pm?
Yes (the baby) but No (the 6 year old)……..BUT not because the noise or lights kept her up. Because when we looked at sky scanner, the last plane into Adelaide is a big Emirates jumbo coming all the way from Dubai……you can’t stay at an airport hotel and miss that one come in can you?? She managed to hold her eyes open to see that one come in and then she was out.
And here is a great tip.
If you’re staying for the plane spotting download the Flightradar24 app on your phone. It’ll tell you exactly what plane is coming in and where they’ve come from, or what plane is taking off and where they’re going to.
I thoroughly recommend Atura Adelaide Airport, it was fantastic! Even if you’re not flying anywhere if your kids are even half interested in planes, (and at the moment there’s also lots of construction going on for the international terminal so lots of trucks too), they will love it.
Check rates and availability on the Atura Adelaide Airport website
www.aturahotels.com/adelaide-airport
FYI, we stayed as guest of the hotel. No monetary payment was received for my comments and all opinions are my own.
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