Good-value character properties

Good-value character properties

RISINGvisitor numbers to Adelaide are fuelling an accommodation boom, with several properties undertaking redevelopment programmes to cater for the rising demand. The King William Hotel, an all-suites four-star venue, has opened in the centre of Adelaide and many of its visitors are repeat clients searching for the real Australia.

The state’s wide range of bed and breakfasts and romantic retreats – some four star – caters well to this market. Pendleton Farm Retreat, where guests can be found collecting eggs in the morning, won the ‘host farm’ category in the Regional Tourism Awards for the third year running last year.

Character bed and breakfasts reflecting the traditional lifestyles and hospitality were a major theme at last year’s World Travel Market.

More than 400 bed and breakfasts in south Australia can now be visited on-line at www.sabnb.org.au, a view and book system for agents. The properties tie in with individual itineraries, ranging from old homesteads to riverboats. Requests are processed within 24 hours.

The £30 million Adelaide Convention Centre upgrade will be completed in August, doubling the city’s convention capacity. It was the first of many riverside developments and others include a new promenade that will link the river with the Adelaide Festival Centre, the Convention Centre and North Terrace.

Pole position: stay in a former fire station