By Ian Neubauer

Conference planners have a unique new venue to consider following the relaunch of the historic Port Lincoln Hotel.

The 111-room seven story over looking South Australia’s Boston Bay has reopened following a $55 million refurbishment by award-winning architecture firm Woodhead.

The resort-like property caters to conference delegates, tourists and visiting Japanese businessmen involved in the southern bluefin tuna trade. It has a 4-star rating and offers a certain level of luxury while staying true to its ‘wharfie’ roots.  

“We had to create a hotel with an authentic port town look and feel,” said Woodhead principal, Scott Ferris. “Remember this is a place where there’s a bloke whose job it is to get in amongst the pens and wrestle any sharks out by hand so they don’t get at the tuna; it’s a working port.”

The Port Lincoln offers bars, restaurants, conference facilities, gaming and recreational facilities, including a heated outdoor swimming pool and gymnasium.

Business needs are met with a glass fronted functions area that runs across the entire length of the building and is designed to create a versatile space allowing conferences to run simultaneously.

The conference areas have a large outdoor break out area that connects to the swimming pool and take in the long views north along the coast.

“One of our other main goals was to make the hotel very much a part of the public environment of Port Lincoln,” said Woodhead architecture associate, Sam Naim.

“So the building was set back from the street to create urban space and a public environment around the three historic Morton Bay fig trees already on the foreshore as well as to capture the views along the coast.”

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