Ela Beach Hotel and Apartments

Rooms and decor

Picture a hotel that sits directly across from Port Moresby's esplanade, where you open the balcony door and the Coral Sea stretches out to the horizon — that's Ela Beach Hotel and Apartments, a 4-star property in the Coral Sea Hotels group that has been part of the PNG capital's Downtown for a long time. The building splits cleanly into two zones: a Hotel Wing for short stays, and an Apartments Wing of 1-2 bedroom units with a small kitchen built in, a good fit for families or anyone in town to work for a week or more. Rooms are done in a plain cream-and-brown style, clean and easy to use in the Asia-Pacific hotel mould. The highlight is the sea-facing side, looking straight out over the Ela Beach esplanade — sipping coffee at the window as the sun comes up over the ocean is something genuinely hard to get in this city's CBD. Plenty of reviews say the rooms may not be brand new but are roomy enough, the beds comfortable, and the quiet of the sea side helps you sleep well after a long day in a busy city.

Food and amenities

The heart of life here is the two restaurants in the same building, which means you barely need to step out in the evening. Salt Restaurant runs from a breakfast buffet through to dinner, serving both international dishes and local PNG food like grilled reef fish, local vegetables and fresh tropical fruit, in an airy space with seating that looks out over the pool. Enzo's Pizza is an Italian-style wood-fired spot that both Port Moresby workers and hotel guests drop into regularly — reviews praise the thin, crisp base, and it stays open later than Salt, making it a good light dinner after a meeting. Beyond the kitchens there are two pools — a curved main pool ringed with sun loungers for an easy afternoon, and a smaller, quieter one that suits families with kids. The gym and business centre are open 24 hours. What sets Ela Beach apart from other hotels in its class here is the free airport shuttle between the hotel and Jacksons Airport — it might sound ordinary elsewhere, but in Port Moresby, where taxis run without meters and safety is a real concern, it's a gift that cuts both the cost and the stress at once.

Location and getting there

Location is this hotel's trump card — it sits on Ela Beach Road in the heart of Downtown Port Moresby, across from the esplanade and the Ela Beach that has become the city's icon. Cross the road in under a minute and you're on the seafront path where locals run in the morning and stroll in the evening. The surrounding CBD holds APEC Haus, the striking sail-shaped building on the water, with the convention centre and key government offices within walking distance or a few minutes' drive. For markets, Koki Market and Gordons Market are about a 15-20 minute drive away (best visited with a local guide). From Jacksons Airport (POM) it's roughly a 25-35 minute drive depending on traffic, about 11 kilometres — which is exactly where the free shuttle earns its keep, since taxis here are pricey and unmetered. The short version: if you're in town to work, or you want a base in the heart of the CBD that still puts you on the seafront, Ela Beach Hotel is the best answer at this price.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The complaint that comes up most in reviews is the age of the building — the hotel keeps things clean, but plenty of reviews say parts of the building and some rooms are starting to look dated and overdue for a renovation, with bathroom fittings in some rooms looking out of date and curtains and carpets fading in spots. If you're expecting boutique-fresh or the polish of an international 4-star chain in a big city, it may not quite land. Another thing to know: Ela Beach in front of the hotel is pretty for a walk and photos but not really one for swimming like an island resort beach — the water is murky on some days, there's no lifeguard, and it's a city beach for walking more than swimming, so most people use the hotel pools instead. In-room Wi-Fi and internet can be slow and unsteady at times, which is normal across Port Moresby, though some reviews still feel it should be better at 4-star level. Finally, food and drink prices in the hotel can run a little higher than you'd expect by regional standards, partly because so much of the food here is imported — it isn't the hotel gouging, but budget a little extra to be safe.

Our take

Having worked through hundreds of real reviews across Agoda, Booking and Tripadvisor, Ela Beach Hotel and Apartments is the best-balanced answer for anyone who wants to stay in the heart of Port Moresby without giving up a sea view. The strengths are the esplanade-side location that's hard to find in this city, the free airport shuttle, the on-site restaurants and pools, and the Coral Sea Hotels security standard that travelers across the Pacific region have trusted for years. If you're a business traveler heading to APEC Haus or the government offices, a family after an Apartment unit with its own kitchen, or a safety-minded visitor who wants to wake up to the sea in the heart of the city, this is the best value going. But if you're expecting a brand-new boutique hotel, or a beach resort where you can actually swim, you'll want an island resort outside the city instead. Overall we give it 7.9/10 — best for travelers who value location, safety and convenience in the heart of Downtown over the newness of the building.