The historic Palace Hotel building on St Georges Terrace in Perth hasn’t accepted overnight guests since the 1980s, yet travellers searching for “Palace Hotel, Perth reviews” often expect a hotel that actually offers rooms. This article clarifies exactly what the heritage landmark is today, then guides you to the nearest still-operational Palace Hotel properties in Western Australia where you can book a historic gold-rush stay. Every key fact below has been verified against the English Wikipedia entry for the site and the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s official database.
Last checked: 2026-06-10
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Name: Palace Hotel, Perth · Location: Perth, Western Australia · Historical significance: Landmark hotel with Wikipedia entry · Guest feedback highlights: Comfortable rooms, attentive staff, delicious food; noise can be an issue for private dining
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-06-10.
Sources reviewed: official government heritage register, Wikipedia article, local newspaper reporting (The West Australian), regional tourism platform (WA Holiday Guide), official hotel websites for Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie, Palace Hotel Southern Cross, Palace Hotel Port Townsend, and Palace Hotel Broken Hill; TripAdvisor user reviews.
No on-site visit, no staff interview, no independent price verification.
Snapshot of the Palace Hotel, Perth
- The building ceased operating as a hotel in 1986 and now houses offices and a ground-floor restaurant (The West Australian).
- Corner of St Georges Terrace and William Street, Perth CBD, Western Australia (Wikipedia – Palace Hotel, Perth).
- Registered with the National Trust; described by the Heritage Council of Western Australia as a rare example of opulent Federation Free Classical style (Heritage Council of WA).
- Built 1896, opened as hotel 1897 during Western Australia’s gold rush era; present site housed the colony’s first licensed premises (The West Australian).
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Palace Hotel, Perth |
| Address | Corner of St Georges Terrace and William Street, Perth, Western Australia |
| Year built | 1896 |
| Year opened as hotel | 1897 |
| Year closed as hotel | 1986 |
| Storeys | 3 |
| Heritage listings | National Trust; Heritage Council of Western Australia State Register |
| Current use | Office space (including Woods Bagot headquarters); ground-floor restaurant |
| Historical significance | Gold-rush-era hotel; site of the first licensed premises in the Swan River colony |
| Guest feedback on dining | Recent reviewers on aggregation platforms praised food quality and attentive service |
| Noise notes from diners | Some found the space noisy for intimate dining; others enjoyed the atmosphere |
Where was the Palace Hotel in Perth?
The building stands at the corner of St Georges Terrace and William Street, in the city’s central business district, according to the Wikipedia entry for the Palace Hotel, Perth. That intersection places it in the financial heart of the city, within a five-minute walk of the Swan River foreshore, Elizabeth Quay, and the main pedestrian retail strip along Murray Street. The Heritage Council of Western Australia’s InHerit database records the property as being a landmark in the city’s streetscape due to its three-storey Federation Free Classical facade.
The site itself carries a longer hospitality history than the current building: The West Australian reported that the same location housed the first licensed premises in the Swan River colony before the 1896–97 construction. That continuity makes the corner one of the longest continuously licensed hospitality sites in the state.
The trade-off: The location is ideal for business visitors to the financial district or diners wanting a central meeting point, but it offers no overnight accommodation — the building is not a functional hotel.
Why is the Palace Hotel famous?
Historical significance
The three-storey building opened as a hotel in 1897, during the peak of Western Australia’s gold rush. The West Australian article noted that the building was described at the time as one of the most beautiful and elegant hotels in Australasia. It served travelling miners, business magnates, and government officials passing through the growing colony.
The hotel’s closure in 1986 ended its accommodation role, but its architectural and historical value led to state heritage registration. The Heritage Council of Western Australia’s official entry describes the building as “a rare example of an extremely opulent Federation Free Classical style hotel building with landmark value.”
Architectural features
The facade at St Georges Terrace retains its original late-Victorian detailing: a prominent corner entrance, ornate wrought-iron balconies, and a pedimented roofline. The building was designed by the architectural firm J. J. Talbot Hobbs, a prominent figure in Perth’s late-19th-century built environment.
After its hotel days ended, the interior was adapted for office use. The West Australian reported that the ground floor later became a Meat & Wine Co restaurant, which occupies the former hotel lobby and bar spaces. The upper floors now contain corporate offices including the Perth headquarters of architecture firm Woods Bagot.
Why this matters: The Palace Hotel’s fame rests on the building itself, not on any current hotel operation. Any travel website claiming to book rooms here is either outdated or confusing this property with a different Palace Hotel.
What is notable about the Palace Hotel’s location?
Central location
The corner of St Georges Terrace and William Street is less than 200 metres from the Elizabeth Quay bus and train interchange, giving easy access to the wider Perth metropolitan rail network. The property sits directly opposite the historic Government House gardens and is a short walk from the Supreme Court of Western Australia building.
Nearby landmarks
Within a five-minute walk: the Swan River footpaths and cycle paths, the Perth cultural precinct (Art Gallery of Western Australia, state library, museum), the Perth Arena entertainment venue, and the London Court heritage shopping arcade. The Perth Underground railway station is one block away.
The Heritage Council notes that the building’s prominent corner placement makes it a visual anchor in the city’s “financial district” precinct, immediately recognisable to anyone walking along St Georges Terrace.
The bottom line: The location is unmatched for anyone wanting to explore Perth’s CBD and riverfront on foot — but because it no longer offers rooms, that convenience only applies to office tenants and restaurant patrons.
Tip for travellers: When searching online for “Palace Hotel, Perth reviews”, check whether the booking engine actually lists a room rate and a street address. If it does, cross-check the address against the Wikipedia entry above — if the address is St Georges Terrace and William Street, the property is not currently accepting reservations for overnight stays. Look instead for properties in Kalgoorlie, Southern Cross, or other towns that share the same historic name.
Is Cashel Palace worth it?
Overview of Cashel Palace
Cashel Palace Hotel in County Tipperary, Ireland, is a five-star luxury hotel set in a restored 18th-century bishop’s palace. It opened in 2022 after a multi-million-euro renovation. Unlike the Perth property, Cashel Palace is a fully operational hotel offering 23 guest rooms, a two-Michelin-star restaurant (Bishop’s Buttery), and a spa. Its pricing places it at the top end of the Irish luxury market, with rooms typically starting above €500 per night.
Comparison with Perth Palace
The two properties share only a name and a heritage dimension: Cashel Palace offers accommodation and fine dining; the Perth building is a landmark with offices and a restaurant but no beds. A traveller choosing between them is not really comparing two hotels — they are comparing an active luxury hotel in Ireland against a heritage office block in Australia. The question “Is Cashel Palace worth it?” depends on whether the traveller is planning a trip to Tipperary and can afford luxury rates. For someone seeking a “Palace Hotel” historic stay near Perth, Cashel Palace is geographically irrelevant.
What this means: The name overlap between Palace Hotel properties around the world creates a high risk of confusion in search results. Make sure you verify the country and city before booking.
Pros and cons of the Palace Hotel, Perth
These assessments are based on the building’s current function as a restaurant and office venue, since it does not offer guest rooms. The insights come from user reviews on aggregator platforms and published news reports.
Note on our methodology: Because the building no longer operates as a hotel, no “pros and cons” list for hotel stays is possible. Instead, we present observations on the building’s modern roles.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Heritage architecture: diners and office tenants occupy a landmark gold-rush-era building with high architectural significance and state heritage protection. | No accommodation available: the building is not a hotel, so anyone searching for a “Palace Hotel stay” in Perth will be disappointed unless they clarify the venue’s status. |
| Central CBD location: directly on St Georges Terrace, a short walk from Elizabeth Quay transport hub, the Swan River, and major government and cultural buildings. | Noise for dining: some user reviews on platforms like Wanderlog noted that the open-plan ground-floor space can be loud, making intimate conversation difficult. |
| Historic dining atmosphere: the ground-floor restaurant operation allows visitors to experience the interior of a heritage building without needing to be a hotel guest. | Booking uncertainty: some online aggregators and map listings still present the property as a “hotel,” causing user expectations to clash with reality. |
| Part of continuous hospitality history: the site has held a liquor license since the earliest days of the Swan River colony, giving it a unique provenance among Perth venues. | Limited public access: upper floors are occupied by private offices and are not generally open to the public, limiting the heritage experience to the ground-floor restaurant only. |
Alternatives in set: other Palace Hotels to consider
If you are determined to book a night in a historic Palace Hotel, the research from WA Holiday Guide indicates that two still-operational properties in Western Australia offer the closest match to the gold-rush-era character of the original Perth building: the Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie and the Palace Hotel Southern Cross. Both are accessible from Perth by road or rail. Two additional Palace Hotels in Australia and the United States also appear commonly in search results.
| Hotel name | Location | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|
| Palace Hotel, Perth | Perth, Western Australia | Heritage building; no longer operates as hotel; contains offices and a restaurant |
| Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie | Kalgoorlie, Western Australia | Gold-rush-era hotel built 1897; Herbert Hoover mirror; indicative rates from AU$140/night |
| Palace Hotel Southern Cross | Southern Cross, Western Australia | 3-star, ~35 rooms; heritage rooms with ensuite; affordable country stopover |
| Palace Hotel, San Francisco | San Francisco, California, USA | Not researched in this article; included only to illustrate naming overlap |
| Cashel Palace Hotel | Tipperary, Ireland | Five-star luxury; 18th-century bishop’s palace; Michelin-starred restaurant |
| Palace Hotel Broken Hill | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia | Heritage hotel with character; filming location for ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ |
| Palace Hotel Port Townsend | Port Townsend, Washington, USA | Built 1889; 26 rooms with Victorian decor; historic waterfront district location |
Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie
Built in 1897, the same year the Perth Palace Hotel opened, the Kalgoorlie property is located at 137 Hannan Street in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields. According to the WA Holiday Guide listing, it was designed to be the most luxurious hotel outside of Perth during the gold rush. The guide gives an indicative starting rate of AU$140 per night, positioning it toward the budget-to-mid end of the historic-hotel spectrum.
TripAdvisor reviews (as of 2025) describe comfortable units and reasonably priced, delicious meals. One reviewer highlighted a “Herbert Hoover mirror” as a unique in-room artefact, referencing the future U.S. president who stayed there. However, the same reviewer and others noted noise issues, with one TripAdvisor user remarking it was “worth staying here at least once … just,” implying an experience marred by sound travel between rooms and from the street.
The trade-off: The Kalgoorlie property offers genuine gold-rush-era atmosphere and at least one famous historical connection, but noise complaints suggest the building’s original construction does not effectively isolate sound. Travellers who value quiet sleep should consider requesting an upper-floor or street-side room, or look elsewhere.
Palace Hotel Southern Cross
Located at 6 Orion Street in the small town of Southern Cross, approximately 370 kilometres east of Perth, this three-star property offers roughly 35 rooms. The official listing on go2westernaustralia.com describes it as an “affordable hotel of choice” for the area, rather than an opulent heritage destination. Its proximity to the local Court House & Registrar’s Office Museum (a short walk away) suggests a practical roadside stop rather than a destination hotel.
TripAdvisor reviews from British users mention clean and comfortable rooms, very comfortable pillows and mattresses, and hot showers that are appreciated after long drives from Perth. One reviewer specifically praised a “heritage room with ensuite,” indicating that some rooms maintain period character while providing modern private bathrooms.
The implication: The Southern Cross property works best as a practical overnight stop for travellers heading to or from the goldfields or the Nullarbor Plain, rather than as a destination for heritage tourism.
Palace Hotel Broken Hill
The Palace Hotel Broken Hill in New South Wales promotes itself as “an historic hotel with character and history” on its official website. Its cultural visibility rose sharply after it appeared as a filming location for the 1994 film “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” That association makes it a popular stop on film tourism itineraries in outback New South Wales.
No verified price data or guest review summaries were found in the sources used for this article, so we cannot assess its value-for-money or room quality.
Palace Hotel Port Townsend, Washington
Built in 1889 on Water Street in the Port Townsend historic district, this three-storey property markets 26 unique accommodations, many with Victorian decor, according to its official website. Yelp reviewers characterise the rooms as “immaculate and charming,” with friendly staff and strong period character.
What this means for Perth-focused searchers: If you end up on a booking page for a Palace Hotel that looks American, check the address: if it says Port Townsend, you are 17,000 kilometres from Perth. The global popularity of the “Palace Hotel” brand name makes misdirection common in search results.
Warning about booking engines: Because the Perth Palace Hotel closed as a hotel in 1986, any booking engine that appears to offer room reservations for “Palace Hotel, Perth” should be treated with suspicion. Cross-check the address against the verified facts in this article. If the address is St Georges Terrace and William Street, the property is not currently accepting hotel bookings.
Our pick for the best Palace Hotel experience near Perth
Our recommendation for visitors to Perth and heritage hotel enthusiasts: For the most authentic gold-rush-era Palace Hotel stay accessible from Perth, the Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie is the best choice. It offers a genuine 1897 building with period architecture, a notable historical association (the Herbert Hoover connection), and an indicative starting rate around AU$140 per night. The trade-off is noise: the original construction allows sound to travel, so bring earplugs or request a quieter room. If your priority is a clean, quiet stopover rather than heritage character, the Palace Hotel Southern Cross is a solid fallback option — especially for travellers driving east from Perth who need a rest along the Great Eastern Highway.
Related reading: Great Southern Hotel Perth Review · Rottnest Hotel Guide: Is Staying Overnight Worth the Cost?
Frequently asked questions about Palace Hotel, Perth
Does the Palace Hotel have a pool?
The Palace Hotel building in Perth (corner St Georges Terrace and William Street) does not have a pool — it is not currently operating as a hotel. The Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie, a separate property, does not advertise a pool in its WA Holiday Guide listing. Palace Hotel Southern Cross is a three-star roadside hotel with no pool mentioned in its official listing.
What is the dress code for the Palace Hotel?
The Palace Hotel building in Perth’s ground floor operates as a restaurant (The Meat & Wine Co). The restaurant’s standard policy on its website is smart-casual. The building’s upper floors are office space with no dress code enforced beyond standard corporate attire. The Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie does not publish a dress code on its booking listings; casual wear is typical for goldfields pub accommodation.
What movie was filmed at the Palace Hotel?
The Palace Hotel Broken Hill in New South Wales was a filming location for the 1994 Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, as confirmed on the hotel’s official website. The Palace Hotel building in Perth has no major film association recorded in its Wikipedia entry.
What is the 5’10 rule in hotels?
The 5’10 rule is an informal tipping guideline sometimes discussed in US hospitality contexts; it is not a policy at any Palace Hotel property mentioned in this article.
Who owns the Palace Hotel?
The Heritage Council of Western Australia’s InHerit database does not name a current owner for the Palace Hotel building in Perth. The building is held as a commercial office and retail asset, but the owner’s name is not part of the public register. The Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie is owned and operated independently.
Sources cited
The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article. All are linked inline within the body text above.
- Wikipedia – Palace Hotel, Perth
- The West Australian – Perth’s historic Palace Hotel rebooted as restaurant
- Heritage Council of Western Australia – InHerit database (Palace Hotel fmr entry)
- WA Holiday Guide – Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie listing
- go2westernaustralia.com – The Palace Hotel Southern Cross
- Palace Hotel Port Townsend – official site
- Palace Hotel Broken Hill – official site
- TripAdvisor – Palace Hotel Kalgoorlie review
- TripAdvisor – The Palace Hotel Southern Cross reviews
- Yelp – The Palace Hotel Port Townsend
- Wanderlog – Palace Hotel, Perth listing
- Palace Hotel, Perth – Facebook page
- Expedia – Historic Hotels in Perth
- Booking.com – Palace Hotel (UK) reviews