Airways Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture landing at Jacksons Airport on a tiring evening after a long flight, then the hotel car carrying you across the road in a couple of minutes into green grounds that swap the busy city for a botanical-garden oasis — this is what has kept Airways Hotel at number one in Papua New Guinea for so long. There are around 85 rooms and suites, done in a warm contemporary style that folds in PNG art and wood carving in just the right measure. Most rooms run wider than the city standard, with soft beds and good linen, open bathrooms stocked with everything you need, and a work corner clearly set up for business travelers stuck on video calls. Some rooms face the runway — open the curtains in the morning and watch the planes take off and land from bed. Rooms on the other side have a private balcony over the green botanical garden and the pool in its middle. Top-floor suites add a jacuzzi and a wide sitting area for executive guests.

Food and amenities

The thing that made this place famous nationwide is Bacchus, the restaurant and wine bar set on a treetop level in the garden — you climb the stairs through the leaves and emerge into a dining room under a high open roof, soft lights over big wooden tables, the feel of a hotel somewhere in Europe. The menu is contemporary European food using a mix of imported and local ingredients, and the wine list is one of the longest in PNG. Plenty of people call it the best dinner in Port Moresby without hesitation. Beyond Bacchus there are 2 more restaurants for easy meals through the day, and the breakfast buffet — fresh baking and eggs made to order — draws steady praise in reviews. The infinity pool in the garden is a favorite corner for many guests: the edge spills toward tall trees, the water is clear, and birdsong in the garden makes an afternoon drink by the pool genuinely good. The gym is fully kitted out, the squash and tennis courts are floodlit for night play, and there's a small spa for a relaxing massage after a long flight. It's complete enough in one place that a fair number of guests barely leave the gate all trip.

Location and getting there

The location is the ace that few rivals can match — set on roughly 8 acres directly across from Jacksons Airport (POM). From the passenger terminal to the hotel gate is about a 2-minute drive, and the hotel runs a free shuttle all day. For anyone flying into PNG for the first time, that safety and convenience is why FIFO mine crews, business travelers and diplomats pick it as their first stop almost across the board. The surrounding 7 Mile area has corporate and airline offices an easy walk away. As for getting into the city — the Waigani government district is about a 10-minute drive, the big Vision City Mega Mall isn't far, and Town (the old CBD) and Ela Beach harbour are about 20 minutes out. On balance, if your trip is built around meetings in Waigani or frequent flights in and out, this location is the most convenient there is. But if you're here to see museums or beaches all trip, plan on a drive into the city every time.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to make the call easier. First, price: Airways Hotel sits at the top of the Port Moresby range, with rooms from about $154/night and top-floor suites reaching $286 or more, which ordinary travelers may find steep next to other hotels in town. The real value is in the service, the safety and a restaurant like Bacchus more than in the room itself, so on a tight budget there may be better-value picks. Second, plane noise — the runway-facing rooms get the view and the planes from bed, but the sound comes with it, especially between 5 and 7am when domestic flights leave thick and fast. Light sleepers can get woken; ask for a botanical-garden-side room at booking and it's much quieter. Third, the airport-side location is handy for flying in and out but far from the old Town/CBD, about a 20-minute drive, and far from the beaches too — anyone planning several days of activity in the city should budget for cars and travel time. Finally, the hotel leans toward business travelers and executives; the restaurants are often full of people in suits talking shop, so anyone after a purely chilled-out family resort feel may find it a touch serious.

Our take

From reading real reviews and comparing it with other hotels in Port Moresby, Airways Hotel is the most direct answer to the question of where to stay in the city — for anyone who puts safety, an easy run from the airport and an international standard of service first. The hotel sells the full package: a botanical garden cut off from the city's noise, the nationally known Bacchus restaurant, an infinity pool in the garden, tennis and squash courts, and staff who look after guests warmly and professionally. If you're a business traveler flying in for meetings, a diplomat who needs high security, or a traveler willing to pay more for peace of mind in a city that isn't a mass tourist destination, this is a safe choice. But if you're expecting a chilled seaside resort on a tight budget, it isn't the answer. Overall we give it 8.9/10, best for business travelers, FIFO mine crews, diplomats and anyone who wants the safest, most convenient first stop in PNG.