SA company snaps up outback croc hotel
An SA tourism giant has taken another bite of the Northern Territory’s accommodation sector, buying a hotel shaped like a crocodile. See the pictures.
Adelaide-based tourism operator Journey Beyond has finalised the purchase of the Kakadu Crocodile Hotel, adding to its sprawling accommodation portfolio, the company announced today.
The “Croc Hotel”, named for its 250-metre-long and 30-metre-wide unique shape, sits in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.
Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said the group planned “significant investment” for the hotel and joins the company’s existing NT portfolio, which includes the Ghan and Ayers Rock Resort.
“This property is more than just a place to stay; it is a gateway to the heart of Kakadu,” Tallent said.
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Shaped to represent Kakadu’s famous saltwater crocodiles, guests enter through the croc’s jaws and stay in the tail, which is home to 110 rooms. The car parks around the hotel resemble crocodile eggs.
The croc’s stomach features an outdoor swimming pool and shaded seating, while its head is home to an on-site art gallery showcasing local artwork and a restaurant.
Manjmukmuk Restaurant and Bar, the name meaning “excellent taste” in the local Kundeyhmi language, has a menu featuring bush-tucker-inspired dishes with native ingredients including the hotel’s namesake.
Accor Group has managed the hotel under its Mercure brand since 2014, which is expected to continue under the oversight of Journey Beyond.
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The hotel is within Kakadu’s main township of Jabiru, with a population of just over a thousand, and the land is leased from the Mirarr Traditional Owners through Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation Jabiru Town.
The Corporation backed the plan in a statement from traditional owners who called it a “positive step” to make Jabiru “a key North Australian location for eco-friendly tourism, active outdoor tourism and Indigenous cultural tourism”.
Last year, a landmark agreement between South Australian travel company Journey Beyond and the Federal Government saw huge parcels of land returned to Traditional Owners, and half a billion dollars’ worth of rent paid.
Journey Beyond has acquired the operational assets of Ayers Rock Resort in Central Australia and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre in Far North Queensland, while the transaction formalised the transfer of land and buildings to the traditional owners: Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara of Yulara and the Kuku Yalanji of Mossman Gorge.
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