Where to Stay in Uluru: Accommodation Options, Explained

If you are wondering where to stay in Uluru and are trying to sort out what your options are for Uluru accommodation, I’m here to help.

I was quite confused when I first started looking at Uluru hotels and didn’t understand which were close to each other, what hotels are connected, and if there were any other options besides Ayers Rock Resort. This article should clear all of that up for you and help you decide where to stay in Uluru. 

How Uluru Accommodation Works

There are not many places to stay near Uluru, so your options are limited. The last motel INSIDE the National Park closed in the eighties, so the only places to stay in the area are outside Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, around the tiny village of Yulara.

If you are thinking that pretty much all options seem like Ayers Rock Resort, you would be correct. Ayers Rock Resort has a monopoly on Uluru accommodation, besides ONE fancier resort down the road, Longitude 131.

Literally every single Uluru Accommodation option besides Longitude 131 is part of Ayers Rock Resort. I hope this has cleared at least THAT up for you! Next I will go into the options they offer. 

Longitude 131 – Fanciest Uluru Accommodation

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If you have the budget (and I mean a LARGE budget), Longitude 131 is the obvious choice for where to stay in Uluru.  This place is SNAZZY. The rooms are technically massive clamping tents and they are spacious and designed in a minimalistic way to accentuate the desert landscapes and perfectly framed views of Uluru itself (and Kata Tjuta too)

It’s more of a design hotel with incredible architecture and terraces with fire pits and expansive desert views. The amenities at Longitude 131 are also plush, and you can arrange private tours through the hotel and dine and the top notch restaurant. It’s a photographer’s paradise that you probably won’t want to leave, but it comes with a price tag.

Ayers Rock Resort – How it Works

The next options for where to stay in Uluru are, again, all part of Ayers Rock Resort. Ayers Rock resort comprises the whole tiny town of Yulara and is a small village on its own complete with a hospitality training academy, staff accommodation, and 6 places to stay.

The 6 different hotels on-site are arranged neatly in a circle with a shuttle bus that travels between locations. They have arranged the hotels in such a way that each has a different feel to it, as if you has lots of accommodation options to choose from, even though they are part of the same whole. Ayers Rock Resort/Yulara has its own town center, grocery store, theatre, shops, multiple pools, daily workshops and tours, and ELEVEN different restaurants/bars and cafes. 

There’s even a travel agency where you can book tours in person on-site, although I recommend booking some things in advance as many book up over a week ahead of time. All tours will stop at the different Ayers Rock hotels for pickups so you will have no problem booking experiences and tours here, in fact it’s extremely easy. 

This area has everything you need, albeit often at an inflated price (because you have no other options)! I’ll give more price info and budget tips below, but first here are the rest of the options for where to stay in Uluru. 

Ayers Rock Resort Accommodation Options

Here are the 6 different places to stay at Uluru that are part of Ayers Rock Resort, ranking from the cheapest to the most luxurious. And yep, these are the only Uluru accommodation available unless you want to commute 4 hours from Alice Springs (just don’t do it – it’s worth a bit of a splurge to stay close and have everything catered to you).

Ayers Rock Resort Campground

This is the cheapest option of where to stay at Uluru, involving a campground (non powered or powered sites from $40-$50) or basic 2 bedroom cabins that can sleep up to 6 for an equally affordable price per person. You can also bring camper vans/RVs here if you are touring the country.

This is absolutely the cheapest place to stay near Uluru, but it books out very early. PLEASE be wary of crazy temperatures in the day here, especially during summer; I can’t really imagine camping near Uluru due to the heat in the day, but you do you.  If you stay here, book a cabin if you can or some way to keep cool in your tent or van.

Ayers Rock Resort Outback Lodge 

The Outback Lodge is a 3 star option and is pretty much ‘the backpackers’ of Ayers Rock Resort. This is a no-frills Uluru hotel with hostel dorm rooms and basic cheaper/family hotel rooms. Outback Lodge has the most affordable rooms out of all the Uluru accommodation (especially if you opt for a private room without an ensuite) and therefore books out very early. So book as far ahead as you can. 

The Outback Lodge is home to the only takeaway bottle shop in Yulara and has a fun bar with live music. 

Ayers Rock Resort Lost Camel Hotel

The Lost Camel Hotel is hidden behind Ayers Rock Resort’s ‘Town Centre’ and calls itself a boutique hotel. This is the option that goes for the most “quirky and unique” out of all the Uluru accommodation options although it might not be as unique as it would like to be.

It contrasts pops of color and aboriginal art with simple whites, and has its own smaller central pool that makes it feel like you are in a smaller and more intimate property while being inside a larger one. (From 330)

Ayers Rock Resort Emu Walk Apartments

Emu Walk Apartments are 4-star full apartments (1 and 2 bedroom) and are the only option for places to stay at Uluru WITH A KITCHEN! Staying at Emu Walk apartments could save you tons of money if you shop smart at the grocery store in the town center (which has everything) and cook your own meals.

Furthermore the apartments are large and spacious and provide more living area than any of the other Uluru hotel rooms.

Ayers Rock Resort Desert Gardens Hotel

The Desert Gardens Hotel is the second-to-top tier hotel near Uluru and has the best chance of a room with an Uluru view (besides Longitude 131). The rooms are very nice and spacious and many have terraces.

The Uluru view hotel rooms do come with a price tag, however, but if you would rather relax and view the rock in your room rather than taking other expensive tours around it, this would be a good option.

Ayers Rock Resort Sails in the Desert 

Sails in the Desert is Ayers Rock Resort’s 5 star hotel. The rooms are lovely and come with all the frills, great products in the shower, plenty of towels, a table, sofa, and balcony.  There are terrace and Deluxe rooms available too with more living space and larger balconies

This is where we stayed as we got the special 3 nights for 30% off deal, and it was pretty nice. It wasn’t any kind of spectacular, life changing 5 star experience or anything but the hotel room was comfortable and we did end up with a view of Uluru.

Things to Know about Ayers Rock Resort 

• Rooms don’t have smart TV’s – just some basic channels. 
• Room service is great, with an $8 charge per order and you can order from the closest restaurants to your hotel. 
• Try to make it to some of the free activities which will teach you more about local culture
• You can still move freely around all the hotels and restaurants; even if they are different properties they’re all part of the same whole

Things to Do at All these Uluru Accommodation Options and Prices to Expect 

• Didjeridoo workshops (free)
• Garden walk to learn about plants(free)
• Aboriginal dot painting(free)
• Daily movies in the theater(free)
• Bush yarns (free)
• Stargazing workshop (free)
• Walk to Imalung Lookout and Naninga Lookout (free)
• Swimming (free)
• Camel Farm and Came Riding (prices vary)
• Dine at 12 different restaurants from Fine Dining (Ilkari Restaurant, Arnguli Restaurant etc at $30-$50+ per dish) more relaxed ( Walpa Lobby Bar, Mangata Bistro prices at $25-$35 per dish) and take away order-at-the-counter places (Geckos Cafe, Pira Pool Bar, etc priced from about $15-$25 a dish) 
• Visit different bars or get takeaways (glasses of wine from generally about $11 at casual bars or $14 at nicer bars, cocktails $27.50 all around, pints around $13, occasional pool deal drinks for $10)
• Bottle Shop: cheapest wine from bottle shop is $35-$38 a bottle contrasted to $50-$60 cheapest in restaurant, upwards to $100+
• Longitude 131: Expect completely different and much higher prices for higher quality amenities

Tips For Booking Uluru Accommodation

• Book as early as you can to get your choice of room
• Utilize the grocery store if you are on a budget. 
• Also book tours in advance as they book up early. If you want to do any unique experiences you must book ahead. I recommend doing rounds of Silence, at least one cultural tour, and a walk at both Uluru and Kata Tjuta  (Viator). 

Ayers Rock Holiday Packages

Ayers Rock Resort often offers special packages or deals. When we went we did. ‘Book 3 nights and save 30%’ deal which saved us loads of money by staying 3 nights so we got the nicest room for cheaper than the cheapest. Check currect offers here.

Final Notes About Where to Stay at Uluru 

Outside of Ayers Rock Resort and Longitude 131, there’s a vast expanse of desert with pretty much nothing out there but bush, some animals, and some private aboriginal communities. There really isn’t anywhere else to stay but here. So find the bet option for you – if your budget is less than 3k/night it will be Ayers Rock Resort – and plan to splurge a little on the unique experience of seeing this world wonder and the proper Aussie outback. 

Getting to Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park

To get here, most people fly into Ayers Rock Uluru Airport from Sydney, Melbourne an Occasionally other Australian hubs. Flights can have good deals on Qantas and Jetstar.

There are free transfers for every single flight to and from the airport from every hotel at Ayers Rock Resort – yes every one – so there will be busses waiting for you when you arrive and you must check when your transfer leaves your hotel to return to the airport (usually 2 hours before).

Many also road trip here from Adelaide or Melbourne or even Darwin, stopping in some small towns and locations along the way like Coober Pedy, the Wilpena Pound, salt Lakes, and of course Alice Springs. But it is advisable to spend a couple of days here at Uluru to explore it properly. If you travel onwards from here, it’s a LONG road without much happening to the north; many choose to fly to Cairns and begin a road trip down the Aussie East Coast.