Two pools that do different jobs
The resort has an infinity-edged pool and a lagoon-style pool. They look similar in photographs and serve opposite purposes. The lagoon is the everyday pool: shallow edges, rooms opening onto it, a swim-up bar, and guests drifting in and out from early afternoon. The infinity pool is the view: an edge that appears to meet the sea and, on weekend afternoons, an adults-only bar beside it.
| Lagoon pool | Infinity pool | |
|---|---|---|
| What the resort says | Lagoon-style pool with Darwin's only swim-up bar | Infinity-edged pool with ocean views |
| Bar | Lagoon Bar, daily 1pm–sunset; swim-up for hotel and resort guests | Infinity, Fri–Sun 1pm–7pm, 18+ only, DJs Sat–Sun from 2pm |
| Rooms opening onto it | Superior Lagoon Rooms (private deck, direct entry); Mindil Suite (direct access) | Grand Hotel Suite balcony looks over it |
| Spa link | Included with any spa treatment over 60 minutes | — |
Lagoon Day Spa
The spa sits beside the lagoon and takes its name from it. The resort describes private treatment rooms around a tranquil courtyard; the spa menu goes further, listing eight treatment rooms for one person or couples, some with private outdoor showers, plus a relaxation lounge, a private tropical courtyard and an inner sanctum. Products are from iKOU, which the menu describes as Australian-made, natural, organic and vegan. The menu PDF I read carries a June 2024 date in its file name, so treatments may have changed.
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | By appointment |
| Wednesday | By appointment |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday | 10am–5pm |
| Private events | 08 8943 8877 |
| Pool access | Lagoon pool access with any treatment over 60 minutes |
| Couples treatments | Booked by phone or email, per the spa menu |
The timing I like: a treatment that finishes around 4pm, an hour in the lagoon that comes with it, and then the short walk to Sandbar for the sunset. On a Tuesday or Wednesday you would need to arrange the appointment in advance.
Chapter 3The fitness centre
The resort lists a fully equipped fitness centre among its facilities. It does not publish hours, equipment or access rules on the pages I read, so I am not inventing any. Ask at reception. In the Dry, the beach at dawn and the Botanic Gardens behind the resort are the other obvious places to move before the heat.
Chapter 4Children and the pools
The Infinity bar is adults only from Friday to Sunday afternoons. The resort does not publish pool rules for children on the pages I read; ask about supervision and pool hours if you are travelling as a family. The rooms page lists the family-friendly bed layouts.
Chapter 5Why the pools matter more here than elsewhere
At most beach hotels the pool is the backup. At Mindil, for a good part of the year, it is the main event. Stinger season is usually given as October to May, lifeguards patrol Mindil Beach only on market days between June and September, and saltwater crocodiles live in Top End waters. The swimming safely page covers the details. The lagoon is the reason I would choose this resort over a city hotel in the Wet.
Checked 31 October 2026: resort About (pools) · Lagoon Day Spa · spa menu PDF · Infinity · Lagoon Bar · facility amenities (fitness centre)