I am loving the South Australia Great State Vouchers because they are giving me the chance to stay in some of the hotels in the Adelaide and then share them with you. This means that you can take a look at photos that are not taken by the professionals and uploaded to booking sites, and hear the opinion of a regular guest. So here’s the SOHO Hotel review.
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Why The Soho Hotel?
When it came time to book my stay in the Adelaide city centre with the Great State voucher, I took a look through the list of available hotels for ones I had not previously stayed at.
It came down to a choice between two, The SOHO Hotel and the Holiday Inn. I’ve stayed at other Holiday Inns and after taking a look at the photos I chose The SOHO Hotel for something different.
I have to admit, I had never heard of it before. The SOHO Hotel is a small, boutique hotel in the East End of Adelaide. It is part of the Choice Hotels group as an Ascend Hotel Collection property.
There are only 29 rooms, some of which are spa suites for a more luxurious stay. We booked a Studio room, which was offered at a promotional rate for the Great State vouchers.
Since most of the hotels in Adelaide are nicely furnished and in good locations, it is often service that sets them apart.
Before we even got to The SOHO Hotel we had an issue that needed to be resolved – South Australia went into lockdown!
I could see on The SOHO Hotel website that their cancellation policy was 48 hours before the stay, so I knew I had time to cancel or change the reservation.
I made a quick phone call to find out what my options were, and then sent an email confirming which day I wanted to move the reservation to – and it was sorted as easily as that!
Arriving at The SOHO Hotel
As I mentioned earlier, the SOHO Hotel is small. The reception is only staffed between 11am and 7pm, which is when most people will arrive.
It’s not an issue to arrive outside of these hours though, as they will arrange a code to get you in the door.
One thing this hotel did well was the communication before I arrived. when I booked I received an email with all the usual details needed for a stay.
Around two days before our stay we received another email asking to confirm the arrival time – this was so they could arrange after hours access if required.
The morning of our stay I received a text message with a link to pre-checkin. This means that on arrival there is minimal contact with staff – important in these covid times.
The reception area of the hotel is small and after a quick swipe of our credit card we were soon up to our room on the third floor. My first impression was that the room was larger than what I was expecting.
Afterall, this is a budget hotel so my expectations had been kept low. Not only was there a king-sized bed, but a chaise lounge, small table and a desk.
While not quite a kitchenette – there are no cooking facilities – there was a sink, plates and cutlery along with the usual tea/coffee supplies (Robert Timms coffee and T2 tea) and drinking glasses.
The mini bar was fully stocked, the first time I have seen this since covid.
There was a large flatscreen tv and DVD player too – DVDs are available from reception.
Then there are the usual amenities such as a safe, hanging space, ironing board, iron, bath robes and slippers.
There were also pool towels and an extra pillow.
The bathroom has a walk in shower, which I always prefer over one that has the shower head over a bath. It is basic but neat with everything that is needed.
Toiletries are the small individual tubes, but hand wash was supplied in a pump pack near the sink.
Overall, the room has everything needed for a city stay. While nothing is dirty, there are some small signs of ageing on some of the furniture, but that is acceptable at this price point.
While it may not be important for some, for me a good hairdryer always gives a room bonus points, and the one here, even though it looked rather old and well used, was the best I’ve come across in quite a while.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is the pool. The SOHO Hotel has a small outdoor pool on the fifth floor. It’s not big enough to be swimming any laps, but it would be perfect for cooling off on a warm summer afternoon.
During winter (when we visited) it is closed and emptied – but I doubt you would want to use it in this cold weather anyway. (The photo below is courtesy of the Agoda website)
There is no restaurant here, but the building does contain Von Thai, a tasty Thai restaurant. We ordered takeaway when we arrived back from our evening event to take up to our room.
It was lucky we planned to do this as the restaurant was full, even on a Wednesday night. I suggest if you plan to dine there to book in advance or just take the food up to your room.
The suggested breakfast location is two doors down the street, The Flinders Street Project. We did not eat there so I cannot comment on their food, but it did look good when we had a quick look.
Parking is available through the hotel at a fairly standard $25 a day. If you are arriving after 5:30 on weekdays, 12 on Saturday or all day Sunday, and leaving before 9am, then there is free parking on the street right in from on the hotel.
The Verdict
So would I stay at The SOHO Hotel again? I think this is a great option for a budget stay in the city, so long as you are not looking for a place with restaurants onsite.
I would particularly consider this for a weekend stay if I had a car with me as there is plenty of free on-street parking nearby.
It’s less than 10 minutes walk to Rundle Street, so a great option if you are attending an event in the east end. It would be good during the Adelaide Fringe with lots of events nearby.
Want to take a look at the rates and availability for your stay?
Looking for other places to stay in Adelaide? Check out these posts
Hotels in Adelaide
Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets Review
Crowne Plaza Adelaide Review
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