Inside Pan Pacific Perth’s $50m upgrade
With a hatted Peruvian restaurant and a surprisingly huge gym, there’s plenty to like about this property with river views.
The Pan Pacific Perth (207 Adelaide Terrace, Perth) has been a fixture of the city’s CBD for 52 years. Originally trading as a Sheraton, it rebranded to Pan Pacific in 2011. Now, following a $50m, 2½-year overhaul, the Pan Pacific Perth is refreshed for a new era.
Location
Situated on Adelaide Terrace, a few hundred metres east of St Georges Terrace, the hotel is within an easy walk (or free bus ride) from the business district. It’s a five-minute ramble to the glittering Swan River and 10-minute drive to Optus Stadium.
First impressions
I’m greeted by a friendly concierge who swaps my luggage for a welcome drink. The lobby is a bright, fresh space, with comfy lounges and high tables. The four check-in desks are all busy when I arrive, but within minutes I’m headed for the lifts.
Design
Western Australia’s landscapes are skilfully referenced in the design. The custom-made carpets of the lobby include swirling blue patterns, evoking ocean waves washing over beaches. Design kudos goes to Singapore’s FDAT Architects. Pan Pacific’s Singaporean roots are apparent in the vases of tropical flowers, including orchids. Many sustainable touches have been included, in keeping with the hotel’s Global Sustainable Tourism Council multi-site certification of its six Australian properties. In the lobby, backlit screens of recycled denim along with curved plywood screens stained with herb dye help break up the large space. Brightly coloured tables are clad with recycled plastics, and in the hallways the repurposed plastic masquerades as wood panelling.
Accommodation
Pan Pacific Perth is the largest hotel in Perth’s CBD, with 488 rooms plus two ballrooms and 2500sq m of convention space. Guestrooms are offered across four main categories: Deluxe, Premier, Pacific Club and Suites. Nine rooms are wheelchair accessible. Mine is a Pacific Club River View Suite on the 19th floor, and from my huge corner window I take in the expanse of the Swan River from east to west. Ferries ply the short hop from Elizabeth Quay to the South Perth foreshore, and in the distance yachts pull into Matilda Bay. Later, the sun glows golden between city skyscrapers, sliding below the Kings Park escarpment.
A curvy lounge, a dining table and, in the separate bedroom, a king bed that cradles like a cloud make for a stylish furniture combination. The bathroom features giant wall tiles in a striking ocean-blue marble, and the amenities in refillable pump packs are fragranced with mango and Thai lime.
Complimentary water comes in recyclable aluminium bottles, and guests are encouraged to refill them from the lobby’s fancy filter station. There’s a selection of Dilmah teas and Vittoria coffee for the pod machine and the minibar features West Australian beers and wine at reasonable prices. As a bonus, upper category rooms like mine receive a cute gift box containing native botanicals tea and lemon myrtle pink salt.
Dining and bar
The Hill Street Bar off the lobby is styled as a sports bar, and friends are catching up for after-work drinks, watching an international football game. Next door, Mas Vino is a wine bar, serving South American-inspired share plates and larger meals. Bench seats with marble tables and semicircular pods are funky spaces to chat. The wine list is extensive, and the signature cocktail, the native desert lime sour, comes recommended.
The flagship restaurant here is Peruvian-themed UMA, awarded a hat by the Australian Good Food Guide in 2025. It’s a busy Saturday night, and the restaurant is full of cheerful diners. Llama statues, rainforest-inspired wallpaper and South American textiles add to the fun.
Arriving before dinner service begins, I’m led into the kitchen to meet head chef Javiera Gomez for a ceviche masterclass. Javier demonstrates the simple techniques that make the raw snapper, coconut milk, lime, charred corn and sweet potato flavours really sing. Afterwards, I take my seat at UMA for Journey through the Amazonas, a degustation dinner that explores the flavours of Peru, Chile and Brazil. It’s a superb meal, and I can’t forget the black angus striploin matched with a malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.
The next morning, I pop my head into the breakfast restaurant, Monty’s. While this restaurant has a tasty buffet, it’s bustling today, so I’m opting for the relative serenity of the Pacific Club Lounge.
Club lounge
The Pacific Club is the hotel’s exclusive space on the seventh floor, and entry is automatic with the Pacific Club room category. Other guests can purchase club access and, for $80 a person, it’s great value.
At breakfast, I’m impressed with the spread of hot food, continental goodies and fresh juices. Table service is offered for coffees and made-to-order eggs. Later, afternoon tea is served, followed by evening canapes that include morsels such as big-eye tuna sashimi, cold cuts and arancini balls. A suite of bottles by WA’s Singlefile Wines plus local and international beers are on a self-pour basis.
Wellness
There’s no spa here, but the gym is surprisingly huge, with many cardio and resistance machines, weights and his and hers saunas. The pool is perfectly functional, although it hasn’t been renovated like the rest of the hotel.
Likes
I love this hotel’s proximity to the river, whether for panoramic views or waterfront morning strolls, and it’s efforts towards sustainably retrofitting an existing building.
Dislikes
Every aspect of my room has been meticulously renovated, with the exception of the metal window frames. They still bear the drill holes and pop rivet repairs of yesteryear.
The cost
Deluxe rooms start from $315, Pacific Club River View Suites from $750.
Carolyn Beasley was a guest of Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
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