H on Mitchell Apartment Hotel (Darwin, Australia)

Crowned with superb city and harbour views, the apartment is really spacious and exceptionally well furnished and equipped.

Drinks in the bar are reasonable priced, as are the restaurant menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There's also a buffet if preferred.

If you want a change to what is offered by the on-site restaurant, there's plenty of additional choice at neighbouring restaurants. Shops, bars, etc; are all in good supply.

On arrival - but not prior - they hit you with a document that you need to sign. In essence, you are accepting responsibility if you inadvertently set the fire alarm off and for payment of an outrageously high call-out fee. On the subject of money, they demand a cash deposit from you on arrival; your card by itself, won't do.

Families turning up seem to catch the hotel staff on the hop. Extra beds for kids are unheard of and in these otherwise splendid surroundings, kids are known to have sleep on the sofa. Cleaning is a very rare occurrence and it becomes a DIY exercise. Carpets in the room and other areas seem to get permanently ignored.

They are rationing, very meanly, the supply of things like towels and toilet rolls. The air conditioning is noisy and in the gymnasium, the elusive cleaners are skimping and leaving lockers in a scruffy condition. Also in the ‘gym', is it unreasonable - in a place like this - to expect chilled water? There isn't any. Finally, the advertised ‘room service' is a non-starter.