Where to stay in South Australia

From hip hotels in happening neighbourhoods and gourmet boltholes amid the grapevines to off-grid eco cabins and exclusive oceanfront hideaways, Adelaide and surrounds has some incredible and unique places to stay. Hop from city to countryside, ocean to outback and you can be sure of an amazing bed for the night…

1. Adelaide and the Hills

Until recently, Adelaide’s luxury hotel scene was limited. Some exciting openings in the past few years now see the compact capital punching well above its weight. One hotspot is Eos by SkyCity, which opened in 2020 next to the Festival Theatre. Luxurious and utterly Instagrammable, the 5-star hotel is both a place to strike a pose and strike out to explore the regenerated Riverbank district and beyond. Its serene spa and on-call mixologist service are just what you need after a spot of sightseeing. Vibrant and modern, Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets is next to the epicentre of Adelaide’s culinary scene, its fantastic marketplace. You don’t even need to leave the building to see why Adelaide has such a sterling reputation for food. The hotel’s own “mod Oz” restaurant, Market & Meander, and rooftop bar, Merrymaker, serve up the best of South Australian produce. Its heated outdoor lap pool with skyline views also makes it a hard hotel to leave. For more verdant vistas, set your sights on Mount Lofty House, just outside the city in the Adelaide Hills. Stay in the main boutique hotel or its ultra-luxury (and adults-only) retreat Sequoia Lodge. It has just 14 guest suites, all gorgeous and with far-reaching views of the Piccadilly Valley.

 2. Winery sleepovers

Idyllic wine-growing regions cluster around Adelaide’s edges, perfect for spending a day in, cycling through vines, dining at cellar doors and generally enjoying the good life. Even better, stay overnight at one of their stylish escapes. Just under an hour north of the city, the Barossa Valley is peppered with special places to stay like The Louise. Guests at its private villa-style suites wake to views of sun-dappled vines and spend days savouring local produce and exceptional wines, including at its own acclaimed restaurant Appellation. Storybook-cute cottage-for-two Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage is another gem. The 1860s German settler’s cottage sits in a private vineyard with a garden laden with fruit trees. Head 45 minutes south of Adelaide instead and you’ll reach the rolling hills of McLaren Vale. Bed down among the vines of Gemtree, an organic and biodynamic winery with two adorable off-grid eco-cabins – CABN X William and CABN X Giles. Both have floor-to-ceiling glass walls looking over towering gums and grapevines. Nearby Inkwell Wines also has adults-only luxury lodgings at its chic boutique Hotel California Road. Other upscale off-grid getaways on the Fleurieu Peninsula include ESCA’s Nest & Nature (striking suites with soaring Inman Valley views) and the ultra-elegant and bijou Ukiyo House in Port Willunga.

3. Coastal escapes

Soul-stirring Southern Ocean vistas and design combine at the Fleurieu Peninsula’s upscale coastal escapes. For solitude, sustainable living and a sublime setting, Naiko Retreat nails it. Perched on a grassy cliff within a 2,000-acre sheep farm, this exquisite ultra-modern eco-lodge has its own beach with uninterrupted views across the water to Kangaroo Island. There’s a good chance you’ll spot dolphins, seals or even southern right whales as you swim or stroll. Kangaroos, echidna and wedge-tailed eagles will be the only other likely passers-by. Relaxation and revitalising ocean air are on the agenda at Camel Beach House, a rustic-chic hideaway on the Eyre Peninsula. Huddled on dunes above the golden sands of Camel Beach, a private coastal conservation sanctuary, the self-styled “rustic modern nest” sleeps four and promises complete privacy. Guests can gaze at the waves by day, watching for Australian sea lions, white-bellied sea eagles, ospreys and hooded plovers, and sit under starry skies by night. Just three hours from Adelaide, the wild Yorke Peninsula is another spectacular setting for a little seaside solitude. Architect-designed oceanfront retreat, Yondah Beach House, sleeps up to eight and sits on 150 acres where cliff-top walks and wildlife-spotting opportunities abound.

4. Kangaroo Island

Unplug from everyday life and immerse yourself in nature at one of Kangaroo Island’s many unique escapes. This wild island is just a short 30-minute flight from Adelaide but feels a world away. Enjoy languorous beach days at Hamilton House, a beautiful holiday home right on the Emu Bay foreshore. Sister property Dune House is another beauty. It’s set back on the dunes in bushland. Both homes sleep six. Also on the island’s north coast are One Kangaroo Island’s twin luxury lodges, ONE KI and WALCOWRIE, which sit just above the sands of Brown Beach. Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island is the island’s only full-service boutique hotel, commanding a prime spot above Pink Bay in the east. Half of its large grounds are a protected area, so expect to encounter a few furry faces as you explore. Away from the coast, Ecopia Retreat’s eco-villas immerse guests in pristine wilderness – binoculars and torches for wildlife watching come as standard. As the name suggests, Stowaway is all about enjoying the island’s beauty in utter isolation. This collection of couples-only retreats isn’t short of luxuries though – they have hot tubs, saunas and wood fires for snuggling by. Spend nights stargazing and wake to the sound of the native birds at Seafront Eco Luxury Tents, an adults-only glampsite near the beach in Penneshaw. Wandering Souls lets you customise your glamping experience: pick one of five different interiors for your luxe bell tent and where you’d like it set up.

5. The Outback

The Ikara-Flinders Rangers may appear inhospitable, but this arid landscape is scattered with some heartily hospitable places to stay. Overlooking the southern side of the gaping Wilpena Pound, Rawnsley Park Station is an oasis for bushwalkers. Its elegant eco-villas have decks for gazing at the big blue (or star-covered) skies, a swimming pool for cooling off in and a fancy “mod Oz” restaurant in its old woolshed. Sipping an ice-cold beer in a pub is a quintessential Outback experience and the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna one of the country’s best-known watering holes. But this Aussie icon comes with a twist: it has its own in-house brewery, restaurant serving “feral, non-feral, indigenous, and native” ingredients, and 12 charming rooms. For complete immersion in South Australia’s rugged wilderness, sleep under canvas. Kangaluna Camp in the remote Gawler Ranges has a collection of luxury safari tents. Far, far away from any light pollution, the park is renowned for stargazing and the camp has telescopes handy for night sky viewing.

Elsewhere, set high on a red cliff by the banks of the mighty Murray River, The Frames has three luxury retreats offering seclusion and sensational views. Guests can charter a 100-year-old wooden gondola for sunset cruises. Head further afield to dusty towns, sprawling sheep stations, rocky creeks and craggy mountain ranges, a visit to South Australia’s remarkable Outback, less than five hours’ drive from bustling Adelaide.

Make it happen

Qatar Airways

Fly to Adelaide with Qatar Airways, named World’s Best Airline at the 2022 Skytrax Awards. Stretch out in comfort, onboard one of the youngest fleets. While you dine, sleep or watch some of the 4,000-plus entertainment options, you’re sure to enjoy the inflight experience. 

Trailfinders

A 13-night holiday to Australia with Trailfinders costs from £3,749 per person (based on two sharing). Includes flights, 10 days car hire for travel from Adelaide to Melbourne, 3-5* hotels including The Frames luxury villas on the Murray River, Barossa Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tour, Melbourne Foodie Discovery tour and 6 meals. Call Trailfinders on 020 7368 1354.