Hotels: Beds, Pull-Out Couches and Other Hotel Furnishings

Heading For Australia? Three Cities Where The Hotels Match Their City's Distinctive Personality

by Don Grant

If a business trip or a vacation has you travelling to any of these three cities, you'll find that the local hotels do their best to mirror their city's personality. These are modest sized cities, not huge metro areas like Sydney or Melbourne. But, you will still find first rate city hotels with impeccable furnishings and excellent customer service.

Bunbury, Western Australia

Sitting near the southwestern tip of the continent, Bunbury, Western Australia, is an old mining town that was founded in the early 1800s.  Its oldest hotel dates back to the Victorian age and though it's been updated with modern amenities, the décor is delightfully vintage. City hotels in Bunbury, even though many are modern structures, embrace this old fashioned charm. Most hotels are located on or around Victoria St. and the downtown core, and are within walking distance of the beach and major attractions. The Bunbury Visitor Centre hosts a one hour "Walk Through Time" tour that features some of these properties.

Townsville, Queensland

Considered one of the gateways for Great Barrier Reef exploration, Townsville, Queensland, is very much a tourist town. Its city hotels, either downtown or along The Strand, face the sea, offering as many ocean view rooms as possible. The ones on The Strand are across the street from the beach, Strand Park and/or Anzac Memorial Park. Hotels in the city proper are clustered around Ross Creek, with one exception that is on the grounds of the waterfront casino. Choose from modern glass-walled hotel towers, former mansions turned luxury hotels or even a downtown oasis with its own tropically landscaped half-hidden lagoon pool.

Hobart, Tasmania

If your destination is Hobart, Tasmania, you might consider staying near Battery Point. This is the historic part of the city, dating back to 1818. The fort is gone, but the vintage lighthouse remains. City hotels in this part of town are low-rises and most have a nautical theme. Many are boutique properties offering personalised service and luxurious surroundings. You may find yourself staying in a former Victorian or Georgian mansion, filled with genuine antiques but still offering modern conveniences. Luxury bed and breakfast inns are one of the biggest draws in Hobart.

Since parts of Battery Point have pedestrian only roads, you'll find the bulk of the properties east of Sandy Bay Road. You're within steps of the historic attractions and only a few blocks from the beach. A few hotels are on the northern edge of Battery Point, adjacent to Parliament Square.

For more information about amenities and availability, contact a hotel like City Park Best Western Hotel.

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