Spanning 1,347,791 square kilometers or nearly 520,385 square miles in north-central Australia, Northern Territory is the country’s most remote and least-visited territory.
An average of only 1.6 million tourists visit this part of Australia in a given year (more than 125 million domestic and international tourists came to Sydney alone in 2025). Yet those who do make it out that far are almost always left entranced by Aboriginal culture, a rich array of rare animals and plants, and iconic national sites such as Uluru.
Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site located approximately 171 kilometers south of the territory’s capital of Darwin, is another popular destination. Less known globally than Uluru-Kata Tjuta, it is home to multiple ecosystems and thousand-year-old Aboriginal rock art in its caves and cliffs.
Journey Beyond buys iconic Crocodile Hotel in Northwest Territory
For those coming in for more than the day, another iconic sight in Kakadu is what is locally nicknamed as the “Croc Hotel” and located in its center in the Jabiru township. When the hotel was constructed in 1988, the 110 rooms were laid out around a central outdoor lounge and pool area designed to look like one of the crocodiles roaming the area.
With more than 10,000 crocodiles living in Kakdau, the national park is home to just over 10% of Northern Territory’s entire population, and seeing the semiaquatic reptiles in their natural environment is one of the key draws for park visitors.
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The hotel, initially built on what was a closed community constructed to house workers in a nearby uranium mine, has changed ownership several times over the decades.
Under Accor’s Mercure brand since 2014, it has now been repurchased by Australian experiential travel group Journey Beyond as part of its efforts to expand into the Northern Territory and drive tourism to the area, RealEstateSource reported.
The company owns two other hotels in the territories, The Ghan and Ayers Rock Resort. In addition, it has operated the luxury sleeper train routes The Ghan and The Indian Pacific across the country since 2017.
With a three-star ranking, the Croc Hotel, which won accolades in years past, as Kakadu Tourism highlighted, was developed as a mid-range hotel meant to serve visitors of different spending power who come to Kakadu. Nightly prices in the off-season start at the $200 range.
Journey Beyond
“A gateway to the heart of Kakadu”: Crocodile Hotel enters new era
“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Crocodile Hotel to the group,” Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said in a statement, as Travel Weekly reported.
“This property is more than just a place to stay; it is a gateway to the heart of Kakadu.”
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With significant investment planned for the property, we look forward to building awareness and growing demand whilst honoring its heritage and delivering the exceptional experience and quality that our guests expect,” Tallent added.
The property is located on land leased from the local Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation Jabiru Town, Travel Weekly noted, and the transaction is expected to be finalized in early June, marking a new era in the hotel’s future.
The financial details of the deal, including the purchase price, have not been made public.
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