The Ellen Hotel Port Pirie review | SA’s Great Travel Planner

If you never thought of Port Pirie as hot and steamy, perhaps it’s time you did. I’m sitting in a mist thick enough to beat a London fog, a bit like a Sherlock Holmes plot set in the tropics.

If you never thought of Port Pirie as hot and steamy, perhaps it’s time you did.

I’m sitting in a mist thick enough to beat a London fog, a bit like a Sherlock Holmes plot set in the tropics. The world has turned to grey shadows, the lights have halos, and I can barely see my toes. The moisture is dripping from me as the temperature rises and the visibility falls. But it all feels good. The damp air seems to clean my airways and the heat is deeply relaxing.

All this, by the way, is what happens when you turn on the steam shower in the Luxe Suite at Port Pirie’s hotel, The Ellen. The spacious glass shower enclosure gradually fills with a swirling, steaming mist – a bit like a wet version of a sauna, but not as hot. And rather than stand, you take a seat on one of the two cool tiled benches, as the steam envelopes you. Yes, there’s room to share – although you’d barely know the other person was there.

It’s a novelty, this steam shower, but then so is the hotel which says it is the “first of its kind in ultra-luxurious accommodation outside of Adelaide”. I’m not sure what else there may be in other parts of the state, but the claim to “city luxury, country hospitality” rings true enough.

We’ve stopped at Pirie on a longer trip, and I confess that it’s my first detour into the town. It’s a fascinating mix of country stores, grain silos, heavy industry, big ships in dock, and fascinating architecture – the former Port Pirie Railway Station is magnificent.

The Ellen Hotel, Port Pirie.

The hotel is on Ellen St, named after the second wife of George Goyder (he of the line of rainfall). It’s been open just a few months, and according to the staff, the building was previously a Centrelink office, and before that the town hall.

Now it is a very hip little hotel, smartly furnished and stylishly decorated from the polished stone floors to the very cool brass trumpet lamps illuminating the foyer.

There are 19 rooms and suites. Our Luxe Suite is in the centre of the building, so it doesn’t have outside windows. However it’s a large room so doesn’t feel claustrophobic at all – and it has high vaulted timber ceilings, and a large internal glass wall into a central atrium. If you really like natural light, maybe opt for another room.

The Luxe Suite at Ellen Hotel, Port Pirie.

There’s an enormous wingback chair with footstool in the corner, perfect for flicking through the Foxtel channels on the big flat screen TV. Alternatively, flop on to the massive king size bed and prop up against the large padded headboard. There’s a wardrobe, a small fridge, and long bench which doubles as a desk.

The bathroom is the hero though. The decor of black geometric tiles, marble benchtop, and black taps and accessories are very up-market. The powerful rain shower is probably the best I’ve used in a hotel. Then there’s a touchpad on the wall which starts up the steam.

The hotel also has its own restaurant. The menu wasn’t extensive – focusing on pasta, salads, steak – but the table settings and service were excellent. I can’t remember when a waiter last served me wearing white gloves. I had to ask why.

“I spent so much time polishing this cutlery I’m definitely not putting finger marks on it,” was the young woman’s explanation.

Criticisms are minor. I did hear a few other guests in the night, but that can happen at any hotel. And the rooms need an information book, which staff say will be out soon in the form of a magazine.

The local owners look to have spared no expense, engaging Abeo Design in Adelaide to fulfil the “casino glamour” brief. Their aim was for a hotel that wasn’t just a regional facility but equal to an up-market city hotel.

With those light fittings made to order from London and Italian fabrics on the custom made furniture (all designed by Abeo) the price tag is clearly significant.

But the result is an impressive treat with luxurious touches you won’t find in most Adelaide hotels.

Reviews are unannounced and paid for by SAWeekend.

This review was first published in October 2016 and details updated in March 2021.

• 99 Ellen St, Port Pirie
• theellenhotel.com.au
• email: [e-mail]
• LOCATION About 223km north of Adelaide.
• ACCOMMODATION Hotel has 19 rooms and a licensed restaurant.
• FACILITIES Rooms feature free wireless internet; split-system airconditioning; tea and coffee making facilities; iron and board; bar fridge; 40 inch flat screen Smart TV; free to air channels and a small number of Foxtel channels; no smoking; clock radio/iPod dock; phone.
• PRICE From $155 per night depending on room type; Luxe Suite begins at $205 per night.