Hotel review: Pullman Adelaide

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.

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

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.

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

Discover the best things to do while you’re in Adelaide

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

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