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Pullman Adelaide: The perfect blend of business and leisure in the CBD

Quentin Long Quentin Long
This city stay offers modern comfort and sophisticated style.

An unashamed business plus leisure hotel, the Pullman Adelaide is an unfussy Goldilocks hotel, not too luxe and not too beige and boring. Originally opened as a Crowne Plaza hotel, the property was rebadged and rejuvenated to fit the more premium Pullman label in 2017.

In 2025, the hotel still holds its own as the safe Adelaide option with a surprising eatery delight. Here’s everything you need to know about staying at the Pullman Adelaide.

Location

the exterior of Pullman Adelaide at night
Pullman Adelaide is in a prime location moments away from Rundle Mall.

The Pullman Adelaide’s location is the best of both worlds. On Hindmarsh Square around the corner from Rundle Mall this is a neighbourhood of Adelaide CBD with enough pulse to make it interesting but not exhausting.

During our Sunday night stay, the LOC Wine Bar and Restaurant next door drew a crowd for an upmarket Sunday evening meal while The Griffin on the other side of the Pullman served up a decent pub dinner.

Younger and more enthusiastic revellers could have easily strolled to Rundle Mall or just across the square to one of the longest-running live gig and comedy clubs in the city, the Rhino Room.

Adelaide Airport is a 15-minute drive away.

Style and character

a look inside the lobby at Pullman Adealaide
Touches of brass and marble bring the luxe.

This is a hotel where the lobby promises a lot and the rooms…. Not so much.

The lobby is full of vibrant colours and fabrics. The houndstooth black and white armchairs contrast against burnt orange lounges, making for a great welcome.

The newly refurbished PARC Brasserie & Bar exudes Belle Epoque Paris. A black marble bar top with gilt gold framed recessed alcoves with high shared table for execs slaving away on laptops is a space to be enjoyed.

the Hindmarsh Lounge at Pullman Adelaide
The Hindmarsh Club Lounge offers a tranquil haven for business travellers.

Great small service touches add to the experience. The fresh popcorn served daily is a nod to the hotel being on the site of the former Academy Cinema.

And drawing on the Pullman rail association, a bell is rung every night at 5pm to signal the beginning of Happy Hour.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Facilities

the pool at Pullman Adelaide
The hotel features a 13.5-meter indoor lap pool, spa, and sauna.

Pullman Adelaide is primarily a business hotel brand that can undo its top button on Friday evening for the ‘bleisure’ market (don’t blame me for that horrible word, I believe we have Expedia US to thank for that crime against English),

So the standard business requirements are all dutifully served up and maintained.

Gym? Tick. Executive club lounge? Tick. Pool? Tick. Sauna? Tick.  Peloton bikes? Tick. 24-hour front office? Tick? In-room dining? Tick. Laundry services? Tick.

Rooms

one of the rooms at Pullman Adelaide
The rooms have everything you need for a cosy stay.

There are six room types. Entry-level Superior Rooms are more spacious than comparative entry-level rooms for business hotels. Stepping over the Deluxe to the Premium Deluxe adds a balcony while suites are a battle in size, Junior weighs in at 35sqm while the Deluxe Suite has an oversized 72sqm, separate lounge and bedroom and wrap-around balcony. All suites come with club lounge access.

As previously inferred, the rooms are a little… underwhelming.

Great hardware in bedding, toiletries, desk and chairs.  All are highly functional and ultra-comfortable. Great for the road warrior who is in and out in a flash, but a little bland for those who like a little more character in their rooms.

The bathroom follows suit; muted grey and dark floor tiles. Highly functional and spacious. Just a little lifeless.

Food and drink

the restaurant inside Pullman Adelaide
The modern brasserie serves seasonal dishes focusing on South Australian produce.

The PARC Brasserie & Restaurant is far more than a perfunctory tick-a-box-to-get-the-corporate-accounts eatery. The award-winning French brasserie serves up far more than staples but some classic Gaullic dishes like duck crépinnete, paté with cornichons or a petite courgette tart to start.

Mediterranean and Euro favourites like paella, chicken Kiev and seafood linguine sit next to French classics like braised beef cheek or a 2-kilogram côte de boeuf and then the mandatory travelling exec steaks and fish.

the bar counter at Parc Brasseries and Bar, Pullman Adelaide
Pull up a seat at the PARC bar.

It is an absolute pleasure to read a wine list in any Adelaide establishment and the PARC is no different with the added delight of perusing some French vin as well.

The PARC Brasseries & Bar is a highlight.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Does Pullman Adelaide have access for guests with disabilities?

The Pullman Adelaide has 11 rooms for travellers with reduced mobility.

Is Pullman Adelaide family-friendly?

It is not family unfriendly with a pool, sauna and spa and there are 36 interconnecting rooms.

Details

Address: Pullman Adelaide, 16 Hindmarsh Sq Adelaide

Best for: Extending business trips to a gorgeous Adelaide weekend stay.

Cost: From $219

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Quentin Long
Quentin Long is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Australian Traveller Media. Quentin is a sought-after travel media commentator. He is Australia’s most trusted source for travel news and insights, having held weekly radio segments across the country since 2006, and regularly appearing on Channel 9’s Today and A Current Affair programs from 2010. Don't ask him his favourite travel experience as that's like asking him to choose a favourite child. However he does say that Garma Festival is the one travel experience that changed him the most.
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7 pinch-me moments I had at the new Monarto Safari Lodge

    Katie Carlin Katie Carlin
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    Monarto Safari Resort’s new Safari Lodge delivers so much more than a memorable stay; it’s packed full of unforgettable moments.  

    Just a year after the 78-room Monarto Safari Resort opened, the new Safari Lodge brings a more intimate and exclusive overnight African safari experience to Australia just outside of Adelaide. But just how similar is it to an African safari?

    Consider these pinch-me moments I had during my stay and decide for yourself. 

    1. Cheetah sightings at check-in

    monarto safari lodge cheetahs
    Spot cheetahs before you even check in.

    Safari Lodge is set within the Wild Africa precinct of the expansive, open-range Monarto Safari Park. I expected to see animals, but I didn’t expect to see two cheetahs stalking the fenceline just behind my tent at check-in.

    I cross the paddock to get a closer look. Both are now perched like a sphinx on a hill overlooking the 20 premium tents that make up Safari Lodge. I stand here, locked in place, waiting to see if they make a move. After 10 minutes like this, I turn to get settled into the tent but throw a final look in their direction; they’ve slinked back down, now barely visible in the grass. I’m sure I’ll be dreaming about this encounter later tonight. 

    2. Sipping champagne as a giraffe sips from a waterhole

    giraffes at monarto safari lodge
    Enjoy champagne while meeting the locals. (Credit: Katie Carlin)

    The all-inclusive stay includes a 2.5-hour Sunset Safari that takes guests into the Wild Africa precinct onboard a purpose-built Safari Land Cruiser for a chance to see free-roaming herds of African animals up close.

    The safari drive culminates in a champagne and canapé stop in a fenced and sheltered viewing area of the precinct. A chance to watch the sun set as animals gather around one of the many waterholes. And we’re in luck! Two giraffes are stripping leaves from a nearby tree as three white rhinos graze to my right. One giraffe starts galloping, in that funny head-bobbing way giraffes do, to the water’s edge. It splays its legs and bends its long neck down to start slurping up water. I find giraffes endlessly entertaining, and sipping champagne while watching the scene play out is the icing on the cake. 

    3. A rain shower with views of a waterhole where African animals gather

    monarto safari lodge King Safari Tent
    Enjoy views from the King Safari Tent.

    I am staying in tent 17, one of the best positioned tents for animal encounters, due to its proximity to the waterhole. Not only does the spacious 71-square-metre King Safari Tent feature a king bed, lounge area, separate dressing room with kitchenette, coffee machine, kettle and fully stocked mini bar, and ensuite bathroom. But you can even glimpse the waterhole from the rain shower. It’s thoughtful details like this that keep you connected to the safari experience no matter where you are located.  

    4. Feeding lions from within a caged dome

    Lion 360 experience at monarto safari resort
    Step into the Lion 360 experience. (Credit: Katie Carlin)

    Monarto Safari Park isn’t a zoo. Set across 1500 hectares of South Australian bushland, it’s an expansive safari experience. It’s been designed to support complex social groupings, natural behaviours and long-term species management. Entry is included for guests, but I’ve decided to upgrade my experience with tickets to Lion 360. 

    Senior Keeper Rachel Hemming herds 15 of us into a domed cage for the unique lion feeding experience. She leads Monarto’s care and conservation breeding programs for their iconic big cats. “Make sure you don’t get too close to the edge of the cage; the lions like to mark their territory,” she warns. 

    She starts making cat-like calls to Kubwa, Kashka and Kito, the three male lions lazing somewhere out of sight behind the tree line in the distance. The promise of food eventually lures the lions over. I’m in awe of their size as they pace back and forth, pausing to take the meat as it’s fed to them via tongs.

    In her excitement, one lady has inched too close; a lion takes aim and hits his mark before she realises her mistake. I see her leaving the gift shop with a new jacket not long after the tour ends. 

    5. A swim in a private plunge pool with a floating charcuterie board

    Monarto safari Lodge swim in a private plunge pool with a floating charcuterie board
    Tuck into a poolside treat. (Credit: Katie Carlin)

    The Safari Lodge reception is also home to a restaurant and bar, heated swimming pool and several private plunge pools available to book. After a morning spent at Monarto Safari Park, a dip in one of the private plunge pools sounds too good to skip.

    I change into my swimmers and make my way to the lodge. A generous charcuterie board arrives shortly after I slip into the pool. I’m told floating trays are already on order, but picking at the selection of cheeses, meats, nuts and fruit while perched on the edge sipping champagne is just as indulgent as it is having it float in the water. I never make it to the gym or pickleball court beside the lodge, but I have no regrets. 

    6. A front-row seat to a male rhino rejected by two females

    male rhino grazing
    Watch a rhino’s unlucky day. (Credit: Lucas Alexander)

    Louis Tonkin, our Wild Africa Tour host, is giddy with excitement when he spots the three white rhinos on our Sunset Safari drive. He has an inkling that we’re about to get a show.

    He pulls to the side and tells us what terrible eyesight white rhinos have, struggling to spot a motionless animal or object even from a short distance. However, they make up for it with acute hearing and an incredible sense of smell. Which explains why the larger male rhino is methodically creeping towards the two disinterested females grazing metres in front of him, then suddenly freezing on the spot. He’s hoping one will be open to mating with him. He takes another wary shuffle forward and suddenly the smaller of the two turns and charges towards him, butting him hard with her head. It’s a firm no. The male, denied, sheepishly backs away. 

    7. Watching a dazzle of zebra from the comfort of a luxury safari tent

    monarto safari resort zebra
    Wildlife encounters abound.

    Rain clouds loom, and the wind is howling, but thankfully it hasn’t deterred the zebras. I’m brewing a cup of Monarto’s Serengé-T – a vanilla rooibos blended with Daintree black tea and butterfly pea flower when I spot them. Six zebras are prancing across the plains for a drink at the waterhole. I watch their antics from the deck of my King Safari Tent, wrapped in a merino blanket made by Australian-owned Grampians Good Co. and marvel at the fact I get a front-row show to these wild animals. 

    After they disappear from view, I sit with the sketch pad and pencils I find in the cupboard and start drawing some of my most memorable animal encounters from the weekend – starting with the two hippos I saw ravenously munching on grass at dusk as we made our way out of the Wild Africa precinct last night. This really is as close to an authentic safari experience as you can get outside of Africa. 

    Start planning a wild stay in the luxurious Safari Lodge at monartosafariresort.com.