From a drinking and dining perspective, it’s hard to think of a more enviably situated Australian city than Adelaide. On one side you have the beautiful South Australian coastline and its bountiful seafood, while the rest of the city is bordered by farmland, nature reserves and the cool-climate wine country of the Adelaide Hills. Combine that with top-tier luxury Adelaide hotels and it’s no wonder the city draws a crowd.
If you’re heading to Adelaide for its dining culture, you’ll find top Adelaide-born chefs and hospitality talent are boomeranging back to their home city, bringing with them the lessons learned from time in some of the best venues in Australia (and beyond). The result is a growing and distinctly South Australian scene of fantastic venues worth exploring.
Or perhaps you’re heading to Adelaide for its decked-out cultural calendar, from mainstays such as the Adelaide Fringe, WOMADelaide and Tasting Australia to newer additions like the AFL Gather Round.
No matter your reason for an Adelaide trip, you’ll want to stay in one of the best Adelaide hotels. There are established players, exciting up-and-comers and a five-star hotel in the Adelaide Hills for those wanting to explore beyond the city.
Here are the best luxury Adelaide hotels offering five-star luxury in spades.
Our expert picks for luxury hotels in Adelaide
- Mayfair Hotel (here’s why)
- Eos by SkyCity (here’s why)
- Sofitel Adelaide (here’s why)
01
Mayfair Hotel
Best luxury Adelaide hotel for heritage glamour
The Mayfair Hotel inhabits one of Adelaide’s oldest – and most elegant – buildings. Formerly the Colonial Mutual Life Building, this distinctive Romanesque-meets-art-deco tower is a local landmark, and its position right in the thick of town means that you’ll be moments from the action, whatever the focus of your Adelaide visit may be. The design of this boutique luxury Adelaide hotel and its 170 rooms is pure old-school, catering to those who appreciate the finer touches. Think custom-designed Australian mattresses gracing each bed; a bespoke Chanel-evoking scent lingering in the lobby; and rooftop beehives honey, with honey appearing everywhere from the breakfast buffet to the cocktail list. In-house drinking and dining at the Mayflower, rooftop bar Hennessy and basement bistro The Den are also worthwhile.
Reasons to stay:
- Five-star Adelaide hotel
- Central Adelaide CBD location
- Boutique hotel with old-world glamour
- Excellent hotel dining
- Hotel rooftop bar
02
Eos by SkyCity
Best luxury Adelaide hotel for extravagance
Historically, casino hotels are a hit-or-miss proposition. Eos by SkyCity is a definite hit. Since opening a couple of years ago, it’s vaulted to the top of the Adelaide luxury stakes thanks to a winning combination of top-tier rooms, amenities, and thoughtful service. There’s a nice variety of suites and rooms (river-view rooms are available across most tiers), and a clean and minimal design dresses the property. If spa services, beauty treatments and overall pampering are your priority, Eos is one of the best inner-city Adelaide accommodation spots for your holiday. Add to that a variety of SkyCity’s restaurants — the highlight being rooftop bar Sôl — and you’re guaranteed an excellent stay.
Reasons to stay
- Five-star Adelaide hotel
- Opulent hotel rooms and suits
- City and river views
- World-class Eos hotel spa
03
Sofitel Adelaide
Best luxury Adelaide hotel for joie de vivre
From room décor to restaurant menus, every Sofitel hotel in Australia takes its inspiration from a specific region of France. For the five-star Sofitel Adelaide, which opened in 2022, where else but Bordeaux for the capital of Australia’s wine state? That inspiration is on grand display at Garçon Bleu, the in-house restaurant boasting a complex wine list and nouvelle cuisine fare. You can also see it in overt design flourishes such as the neo-Baroque chandeliers that overhang the indoor heated lap-pool or many of the hotel room windows, widened to prioritise the views out to the Adelaide Hills. In typical Sofitel style, both rooms and service are of the highest order.
Reasons to stay
- Five-star Adelaide hotel
- Central Adelaide CBD location
- 15-minute drive from Airport
- Relatively new hotel with French charm
- Part of Accor Hotels’ loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless
04
The Playford Adelaide — MGallery
Best luxury Adelaide hotel for every budget level
Location:
Accor’s MGallery range of hotels has a knack for localisation. Every outpost of the hotel brand has a distinct design, personality and flair that closely aligns with its host destination. At Adelaide’s The Playford, the brief is old-world class with a contemporary edge. There’s a room to suit every budget, too, from the classic guest rooms all the way up to multi-floor loft suites. Luma is the hotel’s nexus of day-to-night dining, and the venue’s Euro-leaning menus have won plenty of plaudits from both travellers and locals alike. Add to that a decent fitness club, a luxe line-up of amenities, and a top-end-of-town North Terrace address and this Adelaide hotel is an excellent accommodation option for your next getaway.
Reasons to stay
- Five-star Adelaide hotel
- Convenient North Terrace location
- Range of hotel rooms and suites to suit various budgets
- Part of Accor Hotels’ loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless
05
Oval Hotel at Adelaide Oval
Best luxury Adelaide hotel for AFL fans
A hotel in a stadium is unusual and seems liable to being gimmicky. But the Oval Hotel, which is literally built into the Adelaide Oval, is a sleek, mature and very compelling accommodation option, especially if you’re in town for an event at the Oval. There’s a variety of rooms, suites and studios to choose from, each offering views of the Adelaide Parklands and city skyline (for better or worse, room views don’t face out over the oval pitch). In-house bar and restaurant, Bespoke Wine Bar & Kitchen, offers views out over the stadium alongside an extensive cellar filled with South Australian wine all-day dining. A big part of the appeal of a stay at Oval Hotel is its packages. This includes the Footy Package, which covers off your stay, breakfast for two, valet parking, premium seats for the game in the members’ stand and exclusive access to the bar. If you’re in Adelaide for AFL, there’s no better way to experience it.
Reasons to stay
- Five-star Adelaide hotel
- Convenient Adelaide location
- Views of the city and Parklands
- Excellent hotel and Adelaide Oval events packages
06
Mount Lofty House & Sequoia Lodge
Best luxury Adelaide Hills hotels for regional drinking and dining
Adelaide is a lot of things, but it is not a very large city. This means it is easy to cover a lot of ground and take in a lot of major sights within a short timeframe. And thanks to its proximity to the Adelaide Hills, you can opt to stay out of the city centre for a convenient regional retreat. There’s no finer place to do that than at Mount Lofty House and the adjoined Sequoia Lodge. The historic estate is one of Australia’s most awarded hotels, where everything is a superlative – from the rooms to the spa treatments. Particular mention must go to the in-house restaurants, especially the acclaimed Hardy’s Verandah. For even more exclusivity, opt for a luxe suite at Sequoia Lodge which shares an address with Mount Lofty House.
Reasons to stay at Mount Lofty House
- Five-star Adelaide Hills hotel
- 20-minute drive from Adelaide CBD
- Award-winning Australian hotel restaurant on-site
- Part of Accor Hotels’ loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless
Reasons to stay at Sequoia Lodge
- Five-star Adelaide Hills hotel
- 20-minute drive from Adelaide CBD
- Award-winning luxury accommodation
- World-class service
- Set on 30 acres of natural landscape
Related articles:
- Best Airbnbs in Adelaide
- Romantic getaways in Adelaide Hills
- Adelaide guide: Where to eat, drink and stay in Adelaide
