Desert Cave Hotel

Coober Pedy -29.00978900, 134.75538600 , Hutchison Street (Show on Map)
7.1
Good


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1 room2 guests 1 room, 2 guests
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Summary of reviewsThe Desert Cave Hotel in the heart of Coober Pedy receives consistent praise for its prime central location and unique underground charm. Guests appreciate the proximity to Main Street, shops, dining options and attractions, making it a convenient base for exploring the area. The hotel's friendly and polite staff add to its appeal, as do additional amenities such as a pool and an underground museum.

The breakfast experience at Desert Cave Hotel is generally positive with many guests enjoying good portion sizes, tasty food and delightful coffee. However, occasional issues such as the breakfast being pricey, delayed service and closures due to renovations are noted. Nonetheless, many find the breakfast offerings satisfactory.

When it comes to dinner, the hotel is recognized for the high quality of its food and exemplary bar staff, though the restaurant has faced periods of closure due to renovations. Despite limited menu options and occasional disappointments, the hotel's cafe provides high-quality evening meals with alternatives available nearby.

The rooms offer a unique experience with their underground settings, praised for their novelty, spaciousness and comfort. Guests highlight the cleanliness and well-kept beds, as well as convenient parking and proximity to local amenities. However, some criticisms include their dated and worn appearance, musty smells, issues with air conditioning and occasional cleanliness problems.

Overall, the hotel's cleanliness receives mixed reviews. While many find the accommodations clean and comfortable, numerous reports indicate issues such as dusty rooms, mould, spider webs, cockroaches and dirty linen. Bathrooms and the pool area also face criticism for needing renovations and deeper cleaning.

Staff at the Desert Cave Hotel are generally praised for their friendliness and helpfulness. Many guests mention the accommodating and supportive nature of the personnel with bar and reception staff being particularly commendable. Occasional mentions of unaccommodating staff highlight the need for improved customer service training, though recent management changes have led to noted improvements.

The pool area is appreciated as a refreshing retreat, especially on hot days with its unique underground setting adding to its appeal. Despite occasional closures and suggestions for extended hours, the pool receives positive feedback for providing an enjoyable escape from the heat.

Finally, the beds at Desert Cave Hotel are largely praised for their comfort with many guests highlighting the orthopedic mattresses and spaciousness. Some criticisms include uncomfortable seams from pushed-together mattresses and occasional issues with bed linen, but generally, guests enjoy a good night's sleep.

Overall, the Desert Cave Hotel offers a distinct and generally positive experience, standing out for its prime location, unique accommodations and friendly service. However, improvements in cleanliness and room updates could enhance the guest experience further.
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Hotel with EV Charging Stations

Hotel Taking Steps Towards Sustainability

Family Friendly Hotel

Hotel with Swimming Pool

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Business Hotel

Accessible Hotel

3-Star Hotel

Hotel with Outdoor Pool

Room Types
Double or Twin Room - Underground This room is located underground with natural sandstone walls, this is a perfect way to experience unique Coober Pedy underground living.

Queen Room - Aboveground This air-conditioned room is located above the ground in a garden setting.

Standard Triple Room The spacious triple room provides air conditioning, a tea and coffee maker, as well as a private bathroom featuring a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. The triple room features a wardrobe, a sofa, a carpeted floor, heating and a flat-screen TV. The unit offers 2 beds.

Superior Triple Room The spacious triple room offers a tea and coffee maker, a wardrobe, as well as a private bathroom boasting a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. The unit has 2 beds.

King Room The spacious double room offers air conditioning, a tea and coffee maker, as well as a private bathroom featuring a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. A sofa, a flat-screen TV, a carpeted floor and heating are featured in this double room.

Queen Room with Balcony The spacious double room features air conditioning, a tea and coffee maker, as well as a private bathroom boasting a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. The unit has 1 bed.

Queen Room The spacious double room offers a tea and coffee maker, a sofa, as well as a private bathroom featuring a walk-in shower and a hairdryer. This double room features a carpeted floor, heating and a flat-screen TV. The unit offers 1 bed.

Guest Reviews
7.1
Good
Location
The Desert Cave Hotel, situated in the heart of Coober Pedy, boasts a prime central location that consistently receives praise from guests. Visitors appreciate its proximity to Main Street, shops, services, markets, dining options and even a pizza shop directly across the road. The hotel's unique underground accommodation enhances the experience, providing a comfortable and clean stay. Though the rooms are below ground, the location remains convenient for walking to various attractions. Many guests highlight the friendly and polite staff, adding to the overall appeal. Additional amenities, including a pool and an underground museum, contribute to a distinctive and enjoyable stay. Overall, the central location and unique underground charm make it a standout choice in Coober Pedy.

Breakfast
Desert Cave Hotel offers a mixed experience when it comes to breakfast. Many guests have enjoyed their morning meals, noting the good portion sizes, tasty food and delightful coffee. A handful of reviews specifically mention the breakfast as excellent and the cafe on site as a lovely addition. However, there are some recurring issues that dampen the experience for others. The breakfast is sometimes considered a bit pricey and a few guests reported delays in service with the cafe opening later than advertised. Renovations have also caused disruptions with several guests noting that the restaurant and cafe were closed during their stay, which left them unable to have breakfast on-site. Despite these drawbacks, the general sentiment towards the breakfast leans positive, complemented by the hotel's convenient location and overall pleasant amenities.

Dinner
The Desert Cave Hotel offers a generally positive dining experience with guests praising the food quality at the hotel’s restaurant for dinner when it was available. Many noted that the food and bar staff were amazing and the restaurant was described as exceptional. However, there are recurring mentions about the restaurant being closed for renovations, limiting the availability of dinner on-site. During these periods, alternatives included dining at nearby restaurants, such as an Italian place across the road or the Opal Inn, which offered discounts to hotel guests. Despite the limited menu options and occasional disappointments with the food, the hotel's cafe continued to serve high-quality evening meals. Overall, while the dining options have faced some disruptions, the hotel consistently provided good food when available.

Rooms
Desert Cave Hotel offers a unique experience with its underground rooms, celebrated for their novelty and coziness. Reviews highlight the spaciousness of the rooms, comfortable and well-kept beds and cleanliness of the accommodation. The location is convenient with easy parking and proximity to local amenities like a nearby IGA. Guests also appreciate the friendly staff and excellent toiletries provided.

Despite these positive aspects, the hotel faces criticism regarding the dated and worn appearance of the rooms. Some guests noted a musty smell on arrival, issues with air conditioning and occasional cleanliness problems. There are mentions of the rooms appearing tired and uninviting with some facilities like bed linens and towels showing wear and tear. Additionally, the hotel’s on-site dining options and facilities, while convenient, are described as past their prime.

Overall, Desert Cave Hotel provides a distinct and largely comfortable stay, though it could benefit from updates and better maintenance to enhance the guest experience further.

Beds
Desert Cave Hotel generally receives praise for its beds. Many guests highlight the comfort of the beds, describing them as comfy and large with some even labeling them as the best beds. Several reviewers specifically appreciated the orthopedic mattresses, noting their comfort. Positive notes also mention the spaciousness of the beds, which adds to the overall comfort. However, some guests reported issues such as beds being two mattresses pushed together, which created an uncomfortable middle seam and an occasional hard or ordinary sleeping experience. A few reviews pointed out additional drawbacks like soiled bed linen, small double beds and old, flat pillows. Despite these occasional criticisms, many visitors still enjoyed a good night's sleep at the hotel.

Cleanliness
Desert Cave Hotel presents a mix of impressions when it comes to cleanliness. On the positive side, many guests found the rooms clean, tidy and comfortable with friendly staff providing a welcoming atmosphere. The hotel's convenient location, close to services, markets and shops, adds to its appeal.

However, numerous reviews highlight significant issues with cleanliness. Reports range from dusty and malodorous underground rooms to instances of mould, spider webs, cockroaches and even dirty linen upon arrival. Guests frequently mentioned the need for a thorough scrub, noting that rooms were often not attended to adequately after previous occupants. Bathrooms were repeatedly flagged for requiring renovations and deeper cleaning. The pool area and amenities also drew criticism for their cleanliness standards.

Overall, while some elements of the Desert Cave Hotel meet expectations, it appears that there are substantial areas needing improvement to ensure a consistently clean environment for all guests.

Staff
The Desert Cave Hotel boasts a primarily positive reputation when it comes to its staff with many guests highlighting the great, friendly and helpful service they received during their stay. Several reviews specifically praise the accommodating and supportive nature of the hotel personnel. Interactions at the bar seem to be particularly memorable with staff like Scotty and his team going out of their way to make guests feel welcome and engaged. The reception staff are typically described as efficient and, in many cases, exceptionally warm and welcoming.

Notwithstanding the overwhelmingly positive feedback, there are occasional mentions of less satisfactory encounters, including some staff members being unfriendly or unaccommodating and reviews suggesting the need for additional training in customer service. Despite these few shortcomings, the general consensus remains favorable with numerous guests appreciating the warm and helpful assistance provided throughout their stay. The hotel appears to be under new management, which has been noted positively by guests who describe the recent improvement in staff attitude and service quality.

Pool
The Desert Cave Hotel boasts a convenient central location, complemented by an impressive pool area. Guests have found the pool to be a refreshing retreat, particularly on hot days with many describing it as nice, great and even awesome. The pool is noted for being an extra lovely addition to the hotel, perfect for cooling off after a day of exploration. Some visitors have enjoyed the unique underground pool and café, adding to the overall pleasant experience. While there have been occasional closures and suggestions for extended hours, the pool facilities generally receive positive feedback for providing a much-needed escape from the arid surroundings.


Yes, Desert Cave Hotel has pool(s) that belong to one or more of the following categories: Outdoor Pool.

No, a spa isn't available at Desert Cave Hotel.

No, Desert Cave Hotel doesn't allow dogs.

No, parking facilities aren't available at Desert Cave Hotel.

No, Desert Cave Hotel doesn't have a gym.

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