Ramada Suites Zen Quarter Darwin

We are staying here in a one bedroom
apartment for approximately 8 weeks until we can move into our house. So far this is our experience:

Location is fantastic. Short walk to Darwin Waterfront or you can hire a scooter - there are plenty. Feels secure.

Car parking within the building - so far always a park available.

Staff are friendly and very helpful. Upon check in there is a fridge where you can help yourself to a welcome drink or snack. If you require any assistance, they arrive promptly.

The apartment has a great view. Spacious living area with desk, lounge and dining table. Kitchen is stocked with plates/cups/utensils;pots/pans; kettle;toaster;full size fridge;washing machine;dishwasher (needs a proper clean inside) ; microwave.
Small bedroom with cupboard storage, shelves; comfortable bed.
Good aircon (filters were clean) and fans. Unable to sit outside on balcony unless the aircon is turned off due to the heat coming from the unit.

WIFI is reasonably fast.

Cleanliness: the general building and grounds are well kept. The Unit is surface clean but requires a deep clean. Staying here for so long it grosses me out to see the grime on and in the kitchen cupboards and bathroom and splatters on the walls throughout. I had to put all the cutlery and plates through the dishwasher as they weren’t clean. There are questionable stains on the futon - so we don’t want to sit on it. Bathroom: The toilet seat is smaller than the bowl which is uncomfortable and hard to keep clean. We did ask for it to be replaced but they only adjusted it so there wasn’t a gap - that’s right there was a gap between the seat and the bowl

Housekeeping do come to replace towels regularly but in the 12 days we have been here, the bathroom hasn’t been cleaned by them (just me). There is a lot of dust, so I sweep everyday but it really needs a vacuum. I was hoping for a break from cleaning but I can’t go that long! If you require dishwasher tabs etc you can obtain these free from reception. There is a cupboard next to the lifts where you can place recycling and a garbage chute so you don’t have to wait for housekeeping to empty the bin. There is a laundry clothes rack and pegs provided for you to hang clothes.

The safe was locked when we arrived and when they came to fix it the battery blew up in her face. She said it would have to be replaced but we are still waiting.

Breakfast at Horizen cafe: the staff are excellent, friendly and efficient. The meals arrive very promptly. Coffee is excellent. We have utilized the $22 a day pp included everyday bar one. This was because the menu had Lunch on the back so we thought to use that. We discovered that they do not in fact do lunch, so should change their menu’s! Overall, the food options are good - We have tried almost every option. The poached eggs are done like flat little saucers, ok but not like proper poached eggs. Most items appear to be pre prepared. The avocado stack with mushrooms- the mushrooms were from a can. Apart from that it was tasty.

Pool is nice, in the AM it is in sun, arvo it is in shade. Variety of pool lounges, pool noodles available. Towels are obtained on check in for the length of your stay. Very quiet in morning when tourists are out on tours etc.

Gym is very small - one treadmill and a few weights.

Rooftop Bar has a Fantastic view with seating options on all sides of the building. They have a free Selection of snacks- I wouldn’t call them Canapés haha: fried rice, little red sausages, chips, crackers, dip etc. A nice touch.

Summary: I recommend and happy with our choice. It’s great value for money with the inclusions and very family friendly.

For Management: For long stays, I would recommend Housekeeping clean the rooms more thoroughly and organize a time/schedule with the occupant to ensure the room is serviced regularly. (And we can then make ourselves scarce)

Fantastic hotel. We stayed for 10 nights and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The hotel is a great base for tours etc. While not in the centre of things it was easy to get to where you wanted to go. The hotel itself had a great rooftop bar including complimentary snacks and a cafe for breakfast - which was outstanding. Staff were so friendly and happy to assist you in any way. If I’m ever back in Darwin I will definitely stay here again.

It's OK but a fair distance walk for a decent coffee & meal. Room at pool level was good but noisy thumping on floor above. Reception staff were very friendly & helpful.

Booked in for seven night stay. Checked out after one night. Rooms dirty, with hair in every bathroom drawer and blood on the sheets in one of the bedrooms. Floor also not clean. Whole complex has not been maintained for a long time. Location not CBD as listed. Located opposite shipping yards. However staff understanding of situation and a refund for remaining nights received very quickly. Does not warrant four star rating.

Zen is our favourite place for some fun in town. Easy access and parking is available that is suitable for our rooftop tent. Lovely balcony to sit on and watch the world go by. The best place for some R&R.

Really enjoyed our stay here. The stay included breakfast, a free drink when we arrived and snacks every evening at the rooftop. We arrived after hours and it was easy to get checked in. The AC works well. The views from the roof and the cafe are nice, especially at sunrise.

Such a pleasant vibe and felt like home. Was very relaxing and staff were so helpful, made me and my family feel really comfortable.

Self contained rooms great howver no house keeping
Breakfast extremely over priced and extremely average

Absolute top service from all the staff from front desk to breakfast staff to rooftop. The room was great and the pool fantastic, the breakfast options were great.

Accommodation & Service:
The accommodation is neat and clean. The service is efficient and very friendly.
Roof Top Bar:
Is so tacky, but fun! Free pool table to use, free massage chairs to relax in, or enjoy a game of chess.
Pool:
The pool is clean and heated. You can grab a noodle from reception.
Breaky:
Some unusual choices included, like Asian influenced, but fresh and tasty. Coffee was good.
Gym:
If you rely on a gym for fitness, it's a bit poor. Treadmill not working, bike not working, minimal weights and not much else to do. Best you go for a run or get a casual visit to a real gym.

Great staff made our stay special. Can recommend the pool and rooftop bar, spent plenty of time in both!

Very nice touches of customer service and great, clean rooms!
They give a complimentary drink or snack on arrival. The zen rooftop bar is excelent!
Spacious, clean apartments, the best place ive stayed in Darwin!

Great location. Room had everything we needed including a view. Staff and management fantastic. Food provided from 3pm onwards on level 16 panoramic sky deck bar.

Zen Darwin is well located within walking distance of the CBD Mall, Information Centre and Waterfront Precinct for entertainment and restaurants.
The 15 Storey rooftop entertainment and bar area provides 360 degrees outlook over the city and ocean.
The individual suites are spacious with separate bedroom and enclosed balcony. A large comfortable sitting room including a fully equipped kitchen with laundry facilities. Housekeeping staff are helpful and considerate.
Reception staff are polite and friendly, exceptionally attentive to all individual needs including local activities information and bookings.
The 3rd floor level includes the breakfast and light luncheon service, also a fully equipped gym room and access to the glorious outdoor pool area.
One drawback is the absence of a formal restaurant dining facility on the premises but offset by the easy access to the many Waterfront restaurants.

Our allocated room was very clean and tidy. Great views. Could not fault the facility as you had the choice of self-catering meals or enjoying the many eateries in Darwin. The roof-top bar was great, and a most enjoyable place to visit and unwind after being out and about all day. I would not hesitate to stay there again.

Good apartment hotel, just outside of the city centre but conveniently located.
Excellent for families and if you want a bit more space than a hotel room and flexibility to cook/cater for yourselves.
The rooftop bar is definitely worth a visit to watch the sunset and enjoy some cocktails and some free canapes/nibbles.
The pool is nice and relaxing and the staff are friendly and helpful.
The cafe/restaurant has great breakfast and also serves food throughout the day.

Horrible. What a depressing, horrible place to stay. Starting at the dingy reception, to the creepy lifts and stark, lifeless, concrete block of a ‘suite’. The fan was stuck in one setting, the blinds broken and the lights that beautiful hue of stark white just to illuminate the architectural beauty of the place. Was waiting all night for the interrogation squad to turn up.

Global Speedway Tours had 145 room nights through 17 days of August, 2022. Each and every day, the magnificent Darwin weather matched the warmth and the pride that all the staff and management at the Zen have in their hotel. It was a pleasure to stay there and we will do so again in 2023 for Chariots of Thunder at Northline Speedway.

This is not a 4 star hotel we stayed for 5 nights and will not stay again. We originally had a 2 bedroom suite with balcony on the 14th floor however didn’t feel it was safe enough for our children so asked to move to the 3rd floor although the staff where accommodating in letting us move the room was disappointing, cleanliness was lacking, blinds were broken in living/dining area had no privacy at night, aircon didn’t work in kids bedroom, was no exhaust fans in bathrooms, no room service available, majority of the doors broken, had a ant problem and breakfast was average. Free cool drink on arrival was nice however hotel is run down.

For the price per night & 4 star rating we expected so much more. The bed is tiny, the bathroom small, the amenities tired and not that clean. The couch was super uncomfortable and dining chairs not much better. The toilet paper 1 ply! Service only once every 3 days and only included new towels, no cleaning!
On the plus side the pool is lovely and the roof top bar was a bonus with great views