Drinks with a view, weddings with a wow
Hotel Panorama brings sunset cocktails, DJs, and function rooms that make you wonder why every suburban pub isn’t this good.
There’s something poetic about a pub being forced to move and coming back bigger, bolder and with a rooftop bar overlooking the ocean.
That’s exactly the story behind Hotel Panorama, the next big hospitality opening on Adelaide’s southern fringe, born out of the compulsory acquisition of the long-standing Tonsley Hotel to make way for the T2D tunnel. What could have been the end of a local institution has instead become a full-scale reinvention – one that’s set to reshape what a suburban pub can be.
“Five years ago we got notified,” says Scott Oakley, Hotel Panorama general manager. “Then the process started to relocate the hotel to a new site.”
That new site, on Goodwood Road in Panorama, isn’t just a replacement. It’s a reset.
Now, just weeks out from opening, the scale of the project is finally coming into view – and it’s big. Like, really big.
“We’re only a few weeks away from opening … it’s very exciting,” Oakley says. “There’s something really great about the location. It’s on the same side of the road as when you’re leaving the city, which is great for the bottle shop and the pub. And there’s not a lot of hotels in this area, so it gets to serve as a community hub.”
That sense of community is important. Panorama and neighbouring Colonel Light Gardens were historically “dry” suburbs, meaning pubs have never really been part of the local fabric – until now.
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“So many people we speak to say they’re excited to have a local,” Oakley says. “There hasn’t been one in this area so we’re excited to be part of that, to give people somewhere to go.”
And, while it’s technically suburban, the location is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
“It’s so close to the CBD, just straight up Goodwood Road into the city,” Oakley says. “We can be that connection into the city, but also serve the south.”
But Hotel Panorama isn’t just a pub. It’s more like a choose-your-own-adventure of hospitality.
There are three bars. A restaurant. A rooftop. A sports bar. A lobby bar. A beer garden. Function spaces. And 77 brand new accommodation rooms across three levels.
“It’s a big hotel,” Oakley says. “We’ve been really conscious of making sure there’s something for everybody and for different occasions.”
Downstairs, things start casually. Sideline, the sports bar, leans into big screens, full TAB facilities and a beer garden made for long afternoons that turn into longer nights. There’s also a more traditional table-service restaurant and a lobby bar designed for everything from coffee catch-ups to low-key cocktails.
But the real wildcard – and arguably the venue’s biggest flex – is upstairs.
Wonderland, the rooftop bar, is exactly what it sounds like: a slightly surreal, high-energy escape perched above suburbia, complete with DJs, cocktails and one of the most unexpected views in Adelaide.
That view stretches from the city to the hills to the sea, a full 180-degree sweep that feels more CBD rooftop than suburban pub.
“It’s going to be a really fun atmosphere,” Oakley says. “DJs, elaborate cocktails – it’s a proper rooftop bar. We’re hoping it becomes the place to go with your friends, have a dance, have a great night.”
And yes, it’s designed for year-round use, not just those fleeting Adelaide summer evenings.
“There’s a gas fire on the balcony, and it’s pretty wind-protected,” Oakley says. “Outdoor spaces are important to us, and making them usable all year is key.”
Translation: red wine at sunset in winter is very much on the cards.
The hotel also doubles as a serious events play, with two glass-wrapped function rooms sitting alongside the bar. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the city on one side and the hills on the other. And, if you’re planning a wedding, milestone birthday or corporate event, it’s hard to imagine a better backdrop this side of the CBD.
“It’s stunning: the view doesn’t get old,” Oakley says. “You can see the city, the hills and the sunset over the ocean. It’s a brilliant setting.”
The spaces can host up to 140 seated or 220 standing, while a more intimate ground-floor space, the Three Brothers Room, offers a quieter, more personal option. Named in honour of three family members lost on the Western Front, it’s a reminder that even in a venue of this scale, there are still deeply personal touches.
Upstairs might be where the party is, but downstairs (and beyond) is where Hotel Panorama quietly cements itself as more than just a night out.
Accommodation is a major part of the offering, with 77 brand new accommodation rooms ranging from standard stays to larger suites with balconies and living areas. Around half include kitchenettes, catering to longer stays – particularly given the hotel’s proximity to hospitals and Flinders University.
“We pride ourselves on making it a home away from home,” Oakley says. “It’s about getting all the little details right and making it easy, practical but still high quality.”
There’s also an on-site gym, interconnecting family rooms and a mix of king and queen configurations. It’s the kind of flexibility that makes it as appealing for a weekend staycation as it is for visiting friends or extended work trips.
But, for all the scale and polish, the ambition behind Hotel Panorama is surprisingly simple: to be the place you keep coming back to.
“We often talk about it as different occasions,” Oakley says. “You might come for a casual local pub experience in the sports bar, a family celebration in the restaurant or drinks with friends up at Wonderland. The idea is that there’s a reason to come back again and again.”
Hotel Panorama is scheduled to open in early May. Keep up to date with progress via Instagram, Facebook or the website.
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