Adelaide’s new sports star
There’s nothing wrong with liking chardonnay and opening a hotel in a stadium is a genius idea, not just for sporting fans.
It’s early morning and the groundskeeper is tweaking an immaculate Adelaide Oval in preparation for the night’s big match, the first qualifying final of this strange 2020 AFL season. I have a bird’s-eye view of his careful ministrations while tucking into breakfast in the brand-new Oval Hotel, Australia’s first within a sporting stadium. Not a pie with chips, but cold smoked trout with tarragon aioli on a house-made crumpet, thus confirming those eastern state prejudices about chardonnay-quaffing Crows fans.
Let’s blow the whistle on all that. There’s nothing wrong with liking chardonnay and opening a hotel in a stadium is a genius idea, not just for sporting fans. The historic Adelaide Oval is one of the prettiest and best-loved of grounds, situated in parkland on the River Torrens (Karrawirra Parri), yet only a 10-minute walk from the CBD. In short, the ideal location for a boutique hotel.
And while the South Australian capital has long thought outside the square when it comes to attracting marquee sporting events such as Formula One racing and ProTour cycling, Adelaide-based Cox Architecture, involved in the redevelopment of the stadium six years ago, was restricted to thinking entirely within the oval, snugly tucking the hotel into the existing superstructure. You’d never know it was there but for a gleaming copper facade, winking in the sun.
The hotel spans two wings on the stadium’s eastern flank, cantilevered above the ground so as not to extend the building’s footprint. The main entrance is discreet, to the right of the East Gate, where an elevator whisks guests to the level three reception lobby, a floating lounge that links the two wings. This chic space is delineated by a curved sweep of glass offering lovely views across trees to St Peter’s Cathedral and the Adelaide Hills in one direction, and over the river to the city in the other. Reception comprises three discreet pods, otherwise the space is dominated by sofas and armchairs positioned to make the most of that view … perhaps while quaffing a glass of Adelaide Hills chardonnay. The light fixtures are elegant and remind me of the sort of wide-brimmed summer hats favoured by the likes of Sophia Loren or Grace Kelly.
There are 138 guestrooms across five floors, including two suites on level six. Given the constraints of slotting into an existing building without impinging on stadium seating, guestrooms are by necessity small, but cleverly designed. And there is a mysterious sense of arrival as I traipse down a windowless, dimly lit corridor, deep into the belly of the beast, trailing my overnight bag. A tap of the key-card and, as the door to room 532 swings open, lights brighten and the drapes swish back to reveal a view of the cathedral.
That view dominates the room while a relaxing colour scheme picks up on the parkland outlook with pale pistachio-green walls and matching leather headboard. The contemporary kit-out by Carr interior design studio includes a mirrored minibar and marble table with leather chairs at the window. The essentials are top notch, including a super-comfy king bed (manufactured in Adelaide), excellent lighting, large wall-mounted TV and minibar stocked with local wine and snacks. The bathroom is bright and well laid-out, featuring rain and handheld shower heads. Technology is intuitive and user-friendly with lights, curtains and air-conditioning controlled from small wall-mounted panels and a bathroom mirror that illuminates when tapped. A bedside tablet compendium displays room service and other facilities and doubles as a phone. The rooms seem well sound-proofed. I didn’t hear a peep all night. Which is good news, I’d imagine, if you happen to be staying on November 4 when Adelaide Oval stages the NRL State of Origin opener.
The two suites include an elegant dining area with great views, while the bed is concealed behind a central fireplace, with a large tub at the bathroom window. All guestrooms look out towards the cathedral or city, but the hotel’s restaurants and bar on level three claim dress circle oval views. Note that guests do not have automatic access to these areas on game day; you’ll need to ask the hotel to arrange a ticket or Stadium Club day pass.
Even empty, the sportsground proves compelling at dusk with the old scoreboard, the Chappell Stand and, pasted against a pink sky, the silhouette of intrepid climbers scaling the Western Stand. The all-day Bespoke Wine Bar & Kitchen has oodles of bar-style and table seating and an outdoor terrace with comfy loungers. For oenophiles there’s an impressive wine wall, and if you happen to miss a wicket or goal while selecting a bottle, fear not, a massive screen is on hand for replays. The fine dining Five Regions is a quieter space and every two months will feature a different South Australian wine region and winemaker. For now, it’s the McLaren Vale and Maxwell Wines and head chef Paul Lewis is having fun with eel glazes, pickling teeny weeny enoki mushrooms (grown in Maxwell’s wine caves) and turning out a perfectly cooked Mount Compass wagyu or dry-aged Vale duck.
In short, this is a stylish little property in the most unexpected setting. Even if you have no interest in sport, those grand views, parkland location and easy access to downtown make Oval Hotel a great place to stay.
Christine McCabe was a guest of Oval Hotel. For the record, she’s a Geelong Cats supporter.
