Clarion Hotel Adelaide – Hotel Review

Evenings can be lonely times for business travellers. Nowhere is the solo nature of a business trip more cruelly reinforced than on a Sunday night in Adelaide, when the small city’s wide, lamp-lit streets hold no-one but you and your taxi driver. (To be fair, even Sydney CBD resembles a country town on a Sunday.)

Adding to the melancholy mood is the fact that the hotel scene in Adelaide is not great. Its CBD rates are the cheapest in Australia, and this reflected by the fact that many hotels are desperately in need of a refurb (you know who you are).

But there are some reliable and stylish gems here, too. The Medina Treasury is a standout; as is Majestic Roof Garden. Their rates are surprisingly reasonable, too, so in this town you can’t judge a room by its rates.

While searching for an affordable five-star hotel to host my lonely Sunday night stay, I came across the little-known Clarion Soho in a far-flung corner of the CBD.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect of the Clarion. It belongs to the Quality Hotels Group – not really a brand that makes me think, “Oh yeah, five-star luxury.” And it isn’t. Clarion is self-rated five-star. Call me cynical, but I always interpret this as: “We think we’re a pretty hot place but don’t have the full suite of services to officially be five star. But if we rate ourselves five star we’ll grab a lot of business by being top of the list and way cheaper than the others on Wotif.”

It’s a risky strategy. Sometimes the room rate is not discounted enough to make up the shortfall between real five-star and self-rated.

When I arrive, no-one rushes out to help me with my many bags, but that’s not really expected of a self-rated five-star anyway.

Exiting the lift on the way to my room, I’m confronted with a claustrophobic polished concrete hallway clad in a strange mesh that gives a cool, designer effect. So far, the hotel feels stylish, simple but a little small.

There’s also ample natural light. Half the external wall is window, so when I wake in the morning I am surprised to find the room bathed in soft sunlight.

Argh – the restaurant is closed on Sunday night. I am offered room service from a sister hotel two blocks away, but opt instead for nearby Bocelli Italian restaurant, a great family-style bistro. I order at the counter and take a number. It’s the perfect place for a pizza, beer and novel – the requisite business traveller’s dinner.