Hotels in Perth

Perth is a city on a river, with the beaches a drive away and the port town of Fremantle at the mouth of it. The centre sits between the Swan River and the park, Fremantle is half an hour south-west by train, and Scarborough and the northern beaches are where the surf is. It is a spread-out city, and the area you pick decides whether your days start on the water or in a car. Below are eight hotels in Perth, grouped by three choices, with the star rating, guest score, address and nearest stop for each.

Where to stay in Perth: three different trips

Perth's trains are frequent and cheap, with lines running south to Fremantle and north to Joondalup, and the free CAT buses loop the city centre. The river is the easiest way to orient yourself: the centre is on the north bank, the park is above it, and the beaches are west along the coast, past the port and the suburbs. The airport is east of the city, about twenty minutes by road.

The centre and the river

The centre is compact and walkable, with Elizabeth Quay on the water, the malls between the office towers, and Kings Park above it with the view over the whole city. It is the practical base for a first visit, and it puts the river, the restaurants and the trains within a walk. Kings Park is the largest inner-city park in the southern hemisphere, and the walk up from the river takes about twenty minutes.

Wonil is the best room of the three, on the river at Crawley with the university and the park nearby. The hotels in Perth that sit on the river side are the ones to compare for a quiet stay, because the beaches and the airport are both a drive from them. Quality Ambassador is the straightforward city option, close to the eastern end and the river. Mountway is the cheapest and the simplest, with apartments and the climb to Kings Park outside, which is steep enough to notice with shopping.

Fremantle

Fremantle is the old port at the mouth of the river, with the markets, the maritime museum and the streets of Victorian buildings behind the harbour. It is half an hour from Perth by train and it feels like a separate town, which is why so many people base themselves here instead. The markets run at the weekend, and the fishing boat harbour is where the fish and chips are.

Norfolk carries the best score for the price on this page: a 9.3 for £84, above a pub in the old town with the markets a short walk away and the harbour beyond them. Warders is the boutique option, built around the heritage cottages, and it is the quietest room in Fremantle, with the markets and the cappuccino strip a few minutes away.

The beaches and the valley

The northern beaches and the Swan Valley are the parts of Perth that need a car. Scarborough has the surf and the new beachfront, Joondalup is further north with the resort and the golf, and the valley inland is where the wineries are, twenty-five minutes up the river from the city. It is a different trip from the centre, and it is the one to choose if the beach is the point.

Rendezvous is the one for the beach, with the sand below the balcony and the restaurants of Scarborough behind. The sea breeze arrives in the afternoon in summer, which is welcome on the sand and cooler on the balcony. Maya Maya is the valley option, on the estate with the winery and the river nearby, and the vines outside the window. Swan River is the practical choice for an early flight, minutes from the airport with the river at the end of the road and the wineries of the valley a short drive inland.

Before you book: five practical checks

1. Expect peak rates in December and January. The southern summer is the high season and the beaches fill first, while the city hotels peak on weekdays with the mining and business traffic.
2. Decide whether you need a car. The centre and Fremantle work on trains and the free city buses, and the beaches and the valley do not.
3. Check the distance to the beach before booking a city hotel. Scarborough is a twenty-minute drive from the centre, and the river is not the sea.
4. Use the free CAT buses in the city. They loop the centre and the waterfront, and they save a taxi for the short hops.
5. Book Rottnest early in summer. The ferries leave from Fremantle and from the city, and the island fills in the school holidays.

Arriving in Perth: airport, trains and the river

One thing catches people out: Perth addresses stretch a long way north and south of the centre, and a hotel advertised as Perth can be twenty-five kilometres out in Joondalup or down in Mandurah. Check the distance from the river before you book, because the city's traffic, not its size, decides how much of the day goes on the road.