Kalgoorlie is one of those places on everyone’s “bucket” list, but surprisingly, for such a popular destination, finding somewhere that doesn’t charge an arm or a leg can often prove rather elusive. Faced with several choices we eventually opted for 3 nights at the All Seasons Plaza Hotel, admittedly with less than total confidence, our ears ringing with the faint praise expounded by several recent less-than-happy reviewers. Well – just how wrong can people be, for our time, short as it was, was gloriously and overwhelmingly positive from beginning to end. This is not to say that we didn’t pick up on a few little items that needed attention, but never for a moment did we have cause to regret our choice of accommodation. To start with we were warmly and enthusiastically welcomed [with a smile] by the lass behind the reception desk, check-in was accomplished quickly and efficiently, and in a few minutes we were delighted to find ourselves in a spacious, bright and airy room, comfortably furnished, and with most of the amenities travellers desire. The bed was attractively made up and very comfortable; the TV provided a variety of entertainment choices; the functional ensuite was very clean and roomy and the room was well insulated against outside and adjoining noise and distractions. Wardrobe, bench and bureau space in the room was more than adequate, table and comfortable chairs served their purpose well, with a generous offering of in-room tea, coffee and especially milk [didn’t have to send down for a bottle or a jug]. Admittedly, our room was at the back of the hotel, so essentially our vista was dominated by rusty corrugated iron roofs, but 24 hours of touring later we realised that it wouldn’t matter on which tall building you stood, in that part of Kalgoorlie rusty corrugated iron roofs were the predominate architectural feature.
Given its size, one is never very far away from anywhere in Kalgoorlie, but we particularly liked the location of the Plaza, being just a block away from the Restaurants, Bistros, Shops & Museums found along main street [Hannan Street]. For dinner we headed one block out the back to Amys [on the basis of earlier enthusiastic reviews] only to find it had closed down, so we settled for the Irish Pub next door. It was a quiet night, so maybe we got extra service, but the food was delicious, the staff attentive to our needs, and the reasonable price meant that we could lavishly eat again another day. We later discovered the Tower Hotel, another gastronomic oasis with great ambience [for Kalgoorlie] and delicious meals, again without breaking the bank. Best to book early, as it was our experience the place filled quickly after 6 pm, and from observation seemed to be very child-friendly. Continental breakfast the following mornings at the Plaza were well presented, one could help yourself to your hearts content, and no-one chipped us about how many slices of toast and jam or helpings of muesli we devoured. Particular praise should be given to breakfast and bar staff - all of whom were graciously attentive to our needs.
For all its innumerable good points, there were a couple of matters where the Plaza let us down. We didn’t like the absence of easily accessible power outlets to service the numerous electronic devices that travellers now carry with them [in our case 2 mobile phones, computer, camera, and sleep apnoea device for him at night]. This oversight is not restricted to the Plaza – it’s a deficiency a lot of hotels need to correct if they are going to keep up with the times [a 4-way power outlet board installed somewhere near the TV would fix this problem in a jiffy]. Bathroom fan was a bit noisy [oddly noisier with the bathroom door closed than open] but the killer was the sliding door opening onto the room terrace. Maybe management didn’t want anyone stepping out to take the air on their terrace and so they super-glued the slider shut, because in our room, no amount of struggle, effort or prayer achieved any opening greater than 4 inches.
Notwithstanding, having experienced the Plaza once, we wouldn’t consider going anywhere else the next time we visit Kalgoorlie - he gives it 4.5 stars – so does she.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC