An icon reinvented: Longitude 131°

  Baillie Lodges has launched a new era of Australian luxury lodging with the reopening of iconic outback camp Longitude 131° at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. Revealed in August 2017, the new-look Longitude 131° includes the addition of a new premium suite, the Dune Pavilion, and features revolutionary upgrades to the property’s guest areas – including the Dune House, swimming pool, new Dune Top and the property’s first dedicated spa – creating a more relaxed and sophisticated experience of Australia’s spectacular Red Centre. The Dune Pavilion is Australia’s only accommodation to offer views of both World Heritage-listed natural icons Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). A modern take on the Australian homestead, the Dune Pavilion is considered the star of the luxury desert camp. Guest lounging and dining at Longitude 131° has been elevated to new levels of contemporary luxury. Arrival is via a dramatic new entrance, revealing Uluru through floor-to-ceiling glass in the guest hub, the Dune House, which also includes a light-filled reception, a convivial bar, lounge, restaurant and expanded outdoor terrace. Vibrant ceramics and artworks from nearby Indigenous communities feature throughout, rich in colour and textures and offering a cultural connection with the land’s Traditional Owners. The bar features more than 500 handpainted tiles featuring desert spinifex, commissioned from a group of 19 artists from Ernabella Arts Community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Spa Kinara (meaning ‘moon’) features two retreats – or wiltja – and offers a menu of signature treatments using the Australian LI’TYA spa care range and locally sourced natural beauty products like Salted Emu Bush, Spa Kinara is a spiritual desert sanctuary. Guests at Longitude 131° drink in views of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta from the elevated Dune Top, a glamorous open-air venue ideal for sunset drinks and canapés, a dip in the plunge pool and intimate starlit dining. Daybeds and a ‘help-yourself’ bar have been added to the pool area, and the renowned outdoor dining experience Table 131° has been remodelled to include a captivating central campfire and dining configured for both couples and friends. The clever redesign is the result of a collaboration between architects Max Pritchard Gunner – the team behind Baillie Lodges’ award-winning Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island – and owners James and Hayley Baillie, who bring together a family of Australia’s forefront custom designers and curated international elements to create a stylish, contemporary vibe at the property. Baillie Lodges’ James Baillie said the new features at Longitude 131° elevated the guest experience of Uluru-Kata Tjuta to a new standard of world-class experiential luxury. ‘We’re thrilled to reveal the new design at Longitude 131°, and believe it will revolutionise the way our guests experience the outback heart of Australia. We consider the new-look Longitude 131° to be the reinvention of an Australian icon,” Mr Baillie said.