Hurley Hotel Group has this week celebrated the topping off of Hotel Panorama, marking the completion of the structural build of the hotel at its highest point – a significant stage in the project.
The $60m Hotel Panorama in southern Adelaide will be the group’s largest investment to date and is set to be completed in March 2026.
When complete, the five-storey Hotel Panorama (inclusive of a basement) will offer a total hospitality experience with a casual cafe bar and restaurant featuring a sunken fire lounge, gaming room and a fun sports bar on the ground floor, as well as an outdoor area under the gum tree featuring a three-metre outdoor screen.
The hotel will also include three floors of accommodation with 77 rooms across the levels, including 26 serviced apartments, with one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a honeymoon suite. Hotel Panorama will be the perfect place to accommodate guests visiting the nearby Flinders Hospital, Repat Health Precinct, Flinders University, Tonsley Innovation Precinct and the South Australian Leisure and Aquatic Centre.
The hero feature of Hotel Panorama will be the rooftop bar, named Wonderland. Situated on the fourth level, the rooftop bar which will face the ocean, while the two function rooms on the top floor will have views of the Adelaide Hills.
“We are thrilled to be at this significant stage in the project – the highest point of the structural build of Hotel Panorama,” stated Scott Oakley, general manager of Hotel Panorama.
“We are proud to announce our new rooftop bar for the southern suburbs of Adelaide which will be named Wonderland – it will be an exciting space and something that has not been done before in this area.”
Construction on the beer garden, sports bar, restaurant, and a function room, which will be on the ground floor, will commence in a few weeks.
The Panorama Hurley Cellars, which is already open to the public, boasts an extensive range of premium wines, imported and local beers as well as standard and high-end spirits. It includes a three-lane drive-thru, premium wine room, temperature controlled walk-in cool room and a tasting table to host frequent tastings and masterclasses.
Sarah Constructions, a South Australian family-owned company, is leading the construction with previous projects including d’Arenberg’s The Cube and the Hurley Hotel Group’s award-winning Marion Hotel. The design of the hotel has been executed by local firm, Cox Architecture, who have also designed the Adelaide Oval Hotel, Adelaide Botanic High School, and Her Majesty’s Theatre redevelopment.
A confident investment
Hurley Hotel Group is no stranger to massive projects, having significantly overhauled both Arkaba and Royal Hotels by the end of 2023, and the Marion Hotel – including a significant accommodation component – before that in 2019.
In an interview for the 2025 Australian Hotelier Leaders Forum, Hurley Hotel Group financial director Samantha Oakley noted that these past major projects had given the group the confidence to pursue the Hotel Panorama build – their biggest project yet.
“It’s nerve wracking, investing in such a big project. And when you see the footprint, it is gigantic – as is the budget to build it,” stated Oakley.
“But having renovated the Arkaba and seeing the rewards of that, and even the Marion [renovated in 2021 to the tune of $20m] continuing to perform so strong, it does fill you with a lot of confidence that we’re on the right track, and that it will be a good investment for the future.”
Set to open in less than 12 months, the Hotel Panorama project will also be a big employment boost for the local area.
“The project still has just under a year to go and at that stage we’ll be looking to employ somewhere between 150 to 200 new staff members, which will add to the over 650 staff that the Hurley Hotel Group currently employs, which is super exciting as we continue to grow,” stated Scott Oakley.
“We’re really excited to have this come to life when the project completes in March 2026.”