Customs House Hotel

Rooms and decor

There are around 30 renovated rooms here, and a good number of them look out over the harbour or Parliament House next door. Every room comes with a mini-fridge, tea and coffee gear, and a TV, so the basics for a self-sufficient stay are covered. They run on the smaller side — the trade-off for sleeping in a building that has stood since 1846 — but the appeal is the feeling of staying inside a place that has lived through nearly two centuries of the city's story. Guests score the rooms 8.5/10, which lines up with what you get: comfortable and updated rather than spacious or brand-new.

Food and amenities

Downstairs you'll find a restaurant and bar serving seafood, steak, and pub plates every day, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on the menu. The value clincher is the free continental and cooked breakfast every morning, which genuinely helps in a city where eating out isn't cheap, and it's a big part of why guests rate value at 9.0/10. You also get a 24-hour front desk, an ATM, luggage storage, and free Wi-Fi. What you won't find is a pool or a fitness centre, since facilities here are kept basic.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits right on the waterfront on Murray Street, against Sullivans Cove and next to Parliament House — the old Customs House the hotel takes its name from. From the door it's about a 4-minute walk to Salamanca Place and roughly 5 minutes to Constitution Dock, so the best of the harbourfront is on your doorstep. It's no surprise the location scores 9.4/10 with guests, the highest mark the hotel earns.

Things to know before booking

It's a pub hotel, so rooms close to the bar can catch some noise in the evening; ask for a floor further away if that matters to you. The rooms are compact, in keeping with the heritage building, and facilities stay basic, with no swimming pool and no fitness centre on site. None of that surprises at this price, but it's worth knowing if you want resort-style extras over character and a harbourside spot.

Our take

Customs House Hotel is at its best for travellers who want a historic waterfront building without paying a premium. Real guests rate it 8.7/10 on Trip.com, with rooms from around $101 a night. If you value character and a harbourside location more than brand-new rooms, this is a charming, good-value choice that puts Salamanca and the docks a short stroll away.