I love The Palace Hotel Broken Hill, you will too

The Palace Hotel Broken Hill

The Palace Hotel Broken Hill
A trip to Broken Hill is not complete without a visit to The Palace Hotel (The Palace) on Broken Hill's main drag in Argent Street. And speaking of drag, the drag queens from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert fame, spent time at The Palace. In fact some of this legendary movie was filmed there, and the drag queens helped to make the hotel the internationally famous place it has become. But this beautiful hotel's history dates back well before the days of 'Priscilla' in 1994. The Palace Hotel was built in 1889 and was designed by a Melbourne architect. It actually started life as a coffee palace.

Me (left) with Traci-Lee Powles (centre) and Esther La Rovere

But it's not only drag queens that still pop in on a regular basis, it's a place where you'll find miners and other colourful friendly locals, mixing it up with business travellers and the many tourists that pass through Broken Hill every day. All enjoy the same friendly and helpful service that I've come to enjoy each time I visit The Palace, as host Esther La Rovere and the whole Palace team ensure a warm welcome to all who visit a place they're obviously very proud of.

Sunset at The Palace Hotel

The hotel offers a wide range of accommodation from deluxe renovated en suite rooms to pub style rooms with the bathrooms down the hall. There's even dorm accommodation for the budget traveller. You'll also find heritage architecture, lots of history, art, award winning food, a bar, the lovely wide verandah and balcony, regular live entertainment, weekly Two Up and a fabulous unique atmosphere which I'm sure you won't find anywhere else in the world. There are impressive murals and painted ceilings everywhere, quirky curios in the reception area, a soon to be re-opened second bar (it's being renovated). There are also plans for a cafe on the corner. I can't wait for that to open as it's a spot bursting with cafe potential.

Two Up action, ps that's Jeff Kennet in the
background cheering as Hawthorn just beat Geelong
to get into the AFL Grand Final in Victoria, Yeah!

I normally don't discuss where I stay when I visit Broken Hill, as my blog is not about promoting anything other than all the good things about Broken Hill itself. I've not specifically advertised a business, other than the occasional mention as part of an article.

On this occasion I decided to invite The Palace to do a collaborative promotion with me because I wanted to really sing the praises of this majestic hotel as being more than just a place to stay, drink or eat, it really is an almost essential part of any itinerary when planning a visit to Broken Hill. In fact I think it's an experience not to be missed.

Esther La Rovere (left) and Traci-Lee Powles

I've stayed at The Palace several times before, but on this trip, for a couple of days I was a guest of management which gave me a chance to really explore and soak up what a stay at The Palace is really like from the point of view of someone writing a feature article, on one busy weekend at the start of the peak tourist season. I can tell you, everyone was having a lot of fun.


Whether you stay a few nights, come for dinner, have a few drinks, play Two Up, listen to a local or visiting band, catch up with friends or family, shoot some pool or maybe just take a few photos, you really must check out The Palace Hotel Broken Hill, you'll love it.

ps The Palace Hotel was recently presented with a "Certificate of Excellence" 2013 award by high profile on-line travel rating service TripAdvisor (the world's largest travel site according to comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, March 2013).

Recipients receive the award in recognition for being in the top 10% of businesses as rated on the TripAdvisor site.


Enjoy the hospitality, cheers, Jane D