Perth prepares to welcome grieving families of MH370 passengers

For families of the 239 passengers and crew on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Australian city of Perth is as remote a place as any they could have imagined to be reunited with their loved ones.

And yet if debris from the missing plane is positively identified in seas thousands of kilometres off the coast of Western Australia, Perth is the city they are likely to arrive in to say their final farewells.

The city is gearing up to receive hundreds of relatives seeking closure after a hellish three weeks and authorities are striving to ensure there will be enough hotel beds to meet their needs.

The Chinese community, too, is making preparations, with up to 1,000 volunteers offering to support those close to the 154 Chinese on board. Yet no one is sure when and how many of the families may arrive.

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett said the federal government had started to prepare for what would be the biggest recovery mission in history.

"We will do whatever we can to welcome these families and assist with their stay here," he said.

Hotels in Perth are compiling information on the availability of rooms and conference facilities for the next 30 days, said Bradley Woods, the chief executive of Australia Hotel Association's West Australia region.