Crowne Plaza Perth by IHG

Overview

You know what? The Crowne Plaza Perth actually surprised me. I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to it on Terrace Road, I wasn’t expecting much from what looked like another corporate hotel tower. But once you’re inside, it’s got this polished, comfortable vibe that feels way more upscale than some of the other 4-star places scattered around the CBD.

The location is honestly one of its biggest selling points, though they don’t need to oversell it. You’re right there in the thick of things – I mean, you can walk to the Swan River in about five minutes, and all the main shopping along Murray and Hay Streets is basically on your doorstep. What I really appreciated was how quiet my room was despite being so central. The windows actually do their job, which isn’t always a given in busy city hotels. The rooms themselves are what you’d expect from IHG – clean, modern, decent-sized bathroom – but there’s something about the way they’ve done the interiors that feels less cookie-cutter than usual. Maybe it’s the local artwork on the walls, or just that the furniture doesn’t look like it came from the same catalog as every other business hotel.

Here’s the thing that really won me over though: the staff actually seem to know Perth. When I asked the concierge about getting to Fremantle, he didn’t just hand me a generic tourist map – he told me which train to catch and mentioned that the weekend markets were worth the trip. Small stuff like that makes a difference when you’re trying to get a feel for a new city. The breakfast situation is solid too, especially if you time it right – go early (around 7am) and you’ll have your pick of everything without the crowds. I’d say the 7.8 rating is pretty fair – it’s not going to blow you away, but it delivers exactly what you need without any unpleasant surprises. The pool area up top is smaller than it looks in photos, but honestly, if you’re staying in Perth’s CBD, you’re probably not spending much time lounging by the pool anyway. For business travelers or anyone who wants to be walking distance from everything without paying premium prices, this place hits the sweet spot.