By Max Anderson
Adelaide's skyline has put on a bit of muscle, recently, beefed up by a phalanx of new hotels. Some of the towering edifices are five-star fabrications with prices to match, but the city has always held a candle for affordability, colour and character. Sure enough, some of the new four-star hotels are proving popular with locals and visitors alike. And if you're on a budget, fear not – egalitarian Adelaide has your back.
Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets
Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets' rooms are packed with colour and art.Credit: Adam Bruzzone
Perfect for: Foodie folk, Adelaide first-timers, cool couples
This fresh and cheerful four-star hotel is in the Market Precinct, with Chinatown, Gouger Street and the Central Market on its doorstep. The Indigo group likes its hotels to salute the local community, and its 145-room Adelaide hotel echoes the vibrancy of festival time and the brick archways of the old markets. Well-appointed rooms are packed with colour and art, there’s a cool pool on floor four, and the cheerful lobby welcomes you (appropriately enough) with food and drink. The Merrymaker rooftop bar is a winner too.
23-29 Market Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8472 2400. See adelaide.hotelindigo.com. From $257 a night.
The Franklin Hotel
Perfect for: Pub lovers, stylemeisters
From the outside, The Franklin Hotel looks as impressive as any 1850s inner-city hotel, hinting darkly at colourful histories. But the huge wraparound balcony conceals seven somewhat surprising upper-floor suites. Tailored in on-trend charcoal, lit by someone with an eye for the theatrical, and redolent with huge beds and deep-soak tubs, these rooms seem to have been transplanted from London's Soho or New York's Meatpacking District. Downstairs, the pub is pure Adelaide, with heart and soul, a great menu and a fondness for unusual beers.
92 Franklin Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8410 0036. See thefranklinhotel.com.au. From $159 a night.
EOS by SkyCity
Perfect for: High rollers
EOS strikes a bold, brassy pose on the still-evolving Riverbank Precinct. The five-star fabulousness is branded a “tourist destination” for its attendant casino, two restaurants, spa and bullseye location. The huge curvilinear windows keep the spaces interesting and light-filled, while furnishings are spare, bespoke and elegant. The outdoor heated pool on the third floor and Sol rooftop bar are standouts, with hills-to-sea views screaming out for cocktails. Not unrelated, mixologists are always on call to shake things up in your room.
Festival Drive, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 7077 3588. See skycityadelaide.com.au. From $359 a night.
West Beach Parks
Perfect for: Families, families, families
Heated swimming pool, jumping pillows, go-karts, video games rooms, Splash Zone, on-site cafe, school holiday kids’ club – and 1.2 kilometres of beachfront on the doorstep … If you’re not already packing the kids into the car, consider how this Big4 Discovery Park comprises two areas (the caravan park and The Retreat), a swag of shared facilities (including golf and tennis) and a huge array of shacks, cabins and safari tents in the dunes. The beachside site is a 15-minute drive from Adelaide CBD and a 10-minute drive from the bright lights of Glenelg.
Military Road, West Beach. Phone: (08) 8355 7320. See westbeachparks.com.au. From $109 a night.
Mayfair
Perfect for: Laneways lovers, Rundle Mall shoppers
Opened in 2015, this elegant hotel was configured from an unloved art deco masterpiece which fronts two very different faces of Adelaide: the impressive main street, King William and the rather louche (but always interesting) Hindley. Its 170 rooms are moments from the fabulous bar/restaurant scene of the laneways (another urban project that gave much to the city), the shopping strip on Rundle and all the North Terrace treasures. Hennessy Rooftop Bar is a slice of New York decadence, and the basement eatery, Mayflower Restaurant, is highly regarded.
45 King William Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8210 8888. From www.mayfairhotel.com.au. From $299 a night.
Adina Apartment Hotel Adelaide Treasury
Perfect for: History buffs, market mavens, Beatles maniacs, families
A bit of an unsung hero, Adelaide Treasury is well-priced, spacious and (best of all) intriguing. The 1860 edifice is on Victoria Square (minutes from Central Market) and has 79 richly furnished apartments. Hidden delights include a lap pool, historic tunnels and a boardroom from where the colony was once governed. A restaurant and plush little bar serve a courtyard with a fountain. This hidden space really is the perfect urban escape – as the Beatles discovered in 1964 when they used it to elude screaming fans.
2 Flinders Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8112 0000. See www.adinahotels.com.au. From $249 a night; children under 12 stay free.
Sofitel Adelaide
Perfect for: Francophiles, beaux-monders, couples
The new Sofitel on Currie Street mixes art, elegant dining and more than a little champagne to invoke the opulence of 19th-century Paris. Lavish with colour, texture and mirrors, the 24-storey tower has ooh-la-las around every corner (note the blue glass chandeliers over the pool, Balmain Paris amenities and Club Millesime private lounge on Level 10). Currie Street is quieter than some, but it’s a short walk to the laneways bar scene and Gouger Street restaurants.
108 Currie Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8432 1900. See sofiteladelaide.com.au. From $352 a night.
YHA Adelaide Central
Perfect for: Backpackers, families and couples on a budget
Though adjacent to a nice park, the YHA on Waymouth Street used to be in dullsville. Today, with the advent of the laneway bar scene and the burgeoning university precinct (don’t miss the newly opened MOD. museum), residents have got it all going on. The YHA gets big ups for its friendly staff, 24-hour check in, solid Wi-Fi, lockers, free breakfast pancakes and communal living area with streaming services on TV. The private rooms with ensuites make for a useful budget option at $122 per couple.
135 Waymouth Street, Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8414 3010. See yha.com.au. From $51.20 a night.
Sequoia
Credit: Julian Cebo
Perfect for: Cashed-up Instagrammers, gourmands, fresh-air fiends, couples
Sequoia is a rare-air retreat sitting at 700 metres on the side of Mount Lofty (both mountain and resort are within metro limits). Fourteen suites enjoy dizzying views into the Piccadilly Valley. Breakfast and complimentary mini-bar are included, plus there’s artesian spring-fed pools beside the main lodge, and a day spa. Do a degustation at the three-hatted HVR [Hardy’s Verandayh Restaurant] in the adjacent Mount Lofty House, and you’re in for a truly elevated experience.
1 Mawson Dr, Crafers. Phone: (08) 6117 1836. See www.sequoialodge.com.au. From $1899 a night.
Majestic Minima Hotel
Perfect for: Sports fans, food tourists, art-lovers, business people
This 46-room hotel is a well-guarded secret among the business community. It’s located in North Adelaide across from the excellent Lion Hotel, and its rooms – each decorated by a local artist – come in at just $140 per night. As well as being proximal to the restaurants of Melbourne and O’Connell Streets, it’s a relatively short walk via the park lands to Adelaide Oval and attractions of North Terrace. The “minima” relates to the smallness of the rooms, though no comfort is spared with TV, king-sized bed and (in many cases) a tiny balcony.
146 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8334 7766. See majesticminimahotel.com.au. From $140 a night.
Oval Hotel
Perfect for: Sports tragics, park lovers, heart-of-it-allers
Looking rather like Batman’s utility belt strapped around the waist of Adelaide Oval, the eponymous hotel was almost as controversial as the 2010 reinvention of the hallowed ground. It is, however, a triumph – clubby, suitably curved and really rather cool. The 138 rooms arguably have the best views in the city, looking out to the equally-cherished parklands, cathedral and skyline. That said, everyone wants to look out on Bradman’s turf – which can be comfortably achieved from the Bespoke Wine Bar and Five Regions restaurant.
King William Road, North Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8368 9900. See ovalhotel.com.au. From $215 a night.
HotelMOTEL
Perfect for: The botanically inclined, Adelaide explorers
On the outside it’s a classic motel – a quadrangle with two floors housing 61 rooms – but the rooms have a higher calling … Think comforts like coffee machine, minibar and Netflix, plus an in-room tablet to order street food from the Terrace Bar & Kitchen. The South Terrace location means the parklands are on the doorstep, yet it’s only a short walk to the eat-streets of Halifax and Hutt. In motel tradition, guests get a parking space outside their suite to make for easy exploring of city and surrounds.
215 South Terrace Adelaide. Phone: (08) 8223 2800. See www.independentcollection.com.au. From $189 a night.
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