It looks humble, wrapped around the eastern side of the Adelaide Oval stands, but from the moment you step inside, you realise that the Oval Hotel is anything but.

Valet parking is available under the hotel and taking the lift to level three you arrive at reception where you are immediately wowed by the views through the floor to ceiling windows that bring the green and spacious parkland views and imposing St Peters Cathedral into sight.  In the distance the city is hugged by the Adelaide Hills and to the south, the city buildings come into view.

The 138 room hotel was completed in 2020 and it thoroughly deserves its 5 star ranking. We stayed in a Parkland King room which was quiet, elegantly appointed and had the same jaw dropping views of parklands and the Cathedral, which is illuminated at night, adding an ethereal beauty to the setting.

Although not our usual type of stay, we thought we’d treat ourselves to an indulgent couple of nights at Oval Hotel and took advantage of a two nights for the price of one package that was on offer.

Included in the package was a welcome drink each on arrival, as well as a complimentary drink each night, breakfast on both mornings and a $25 credit towards dining at the Oval restaurant, Bespoke Wine Bar & Kitchen.

Everything about the hotel was luxurious from the room to the restaurant and nothing was too much trouble for the staff, all were very welcoming, friendly and the service was exceptional. Our meals at Bespoke were absolutely first class and the wine list covered every wine region of the state.

What makes this restaurant unique is that it overlooks the most picturesque sporting ground in Australia, and that’s not just my opinion. Adelaide Oval is frequently named amongst the best in the world especially by cricket aficionados. Elements like its heritage scoreboard, and giant Moreton Bay Fig trees casting shade over the open air grassy viewing hill make it a unique venue.

Unlike many other sports stadiums in Australia, it has an open feel thanks to ‘the hill’ where you can still sit with the family in a picnic like atmosphere and enjoy a day’s entertainment, be it cricket or Australian Rules Football.

In the evening when you drink or dine at Bespoke you can also sit outside on a terrace area to take in the magnificent view of the stadium while watching incoming aeroplanes descending through a spectacular Adelaide sunset.

I’d highly recommend an Adelaide Oval tour too, which you can take whether you’re staying at the hotel or not. The Tour takes around 90 minutes and small groups are led through the stadium, including to areas not usually accessed by the public, where you can get a complete look into the history of the oval, and learn about the cricket matches, Aussie Rules Football matches, concerts and more that have been held at these iconic grounds. You’ll also get to visit trophy and memorabilia rooms as well as see the press boxes and experience what players do, entering the grounds via changerooms and through a race, complete with simulated sounds from the oval on a gameday. A very stirring experience.

The highlight of the tour though, is having the opportunity to walk inside the heritage listed scoreboard which has been in use since 1911. The scoreboard is still manually operated over four storeys and enables cricket fans to follow every aspect of a cricket match progress with unparalleled detail.

Staying at the Oval Hotel is a beautiful indulgence that I can highly recommend for a special occasion and it’s only a short walk via the footbridge over the River Torrens to other Adelaide city attractions.

Go ahead and spoil yourself!

Glenys