The centrally located Royal Exchange, situated on quiet, broad and leafy Argent Street, is a charming art deco boutique hotel whose restored vernacular exterior conceals the elegance of the completely renovated interior. The hotel has the charm of a bygone era while incorporating all the refinements of a modern, first class establishment. It is the ideal base - whether one is visiting for business or for pleasure - and occupies a prime location close to most attractions as well as public transport, shops, banks, post office, travel agencies, tourist information, car rental offices, the Entertainment & Convention Centre, cafés, restaurants and the town's nightlife with its innumerable pubs and clubs.

The impressive public areas are all on the ground floor. Guests may relax in a large, handsomely furnished lounge, divided into intimate fire-placed nooks by Tasmanian oak columns over drinks from a small bar. Large windows provide views of a delightfully furnished courtyard, which may be entered from the lounge. On the other side of the lounge is the breakfast room where full buffet breakfasts may be enjoyed. Small conferences and seminars can be organised with all the necessary technical equipment. Secure parking is available for guests travelling by car while transfers can be arranged for those arriving by train, bus or air.

The hotel's twenty-four bedrooms on the first floor - many with their own balconies - are of the highest standard in Broken Hill and cater to various budgets. All are fitted with heavy drapes and carpets and are extravagantly equipped with modern amenities such as en-suite private bathroom, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, refrigerator, mini-bar, coffee and tea making facilities, colour television (all Australian and several international channels), personal safe, hair-dryer, iron and ironing board and laundry valet service. Business people - and others - will be delighted that all bedrooms have data ports for fast Internet access and International Direct Dial telephone connections. For guests not carrying a laptop computer, a small business centre is available featuring a computer with Internet connection, popular software and a laser printer.

Guests may relax in a large, handsomely furnished lounge, divided into intimate fire-placed nooks by Tasmanian oak columns over drinks from a small bar.

Historic Information

The hotel was originally transported to Broken Hill from Parramatta ( where it was also a hotel ) by means of a bullock wagon and re built in Broken Hill in 1888. The original hotel was a rudimentary timber and iron structure, rebuilt in 1941 it was completely rebuilt to the Art Deco style that you see today. The hotel was then completely renovated from late 2001 and throughout 2002. Reopening as an accommodation venue only (no longer a licensed hotel) in October 2002.

The Royal Exchange Hotel is now one of country and outback Australia's finest boutique hotels.

About Broken Hill

Broken Hill, a man-made oasis known as the “Gateway to the Outback”, is a place of green parks and gardens located on the Barrier Ranges in the far west of New South Wales, close to the border with South Australia. The outback comes right up to the town making it an ideal base from which to explore the region. Visitors who venture out from Broken Hill will have the opportunity to see kangaroos, wallabies, emus, eagles, pelicans, cockatoos and other wildlife. The weather throughout the year – dry summers, mild winters and minuscule rainfall – is magical, making Broken Hill an ideal place for outdoor sports. Several golf courses in and around town await the eager golfer while the enthusiastic tennis player can chose from innumerable tennis courts.

Broken Hill is readily accessible from Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne by air, road and rail. The Indian Pacific train passes through Broken Hill on its way between Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, thus giving travellers the opportunity to break their journey and to savour a taste of the outback.

The town is a thriving art centre as a result of the initiative of the Brushmen of the Bush. Not only is there a plethora of galleries, one of which, the City Art Gallery, founded in 1904, is Australia's second oldest art gallery, but the streets are graced by public murals and outdoor sculptures. The International Sculpture Symposium, on the fringe of Broken Hill, consists of sculptures carved form local sandstone by twelve renowned international sculptors. In the outlying areas of Broken Hill, beautiful opals are found which can be purchased at reasonable prices in the many shops in town.

Several of the outstanding heritage listed historic buildings, which make Broken Hill a living museum are on Argent Street, close to the Royal Exchange Hotel. Some of these are the red-brick General Post Office, the rambunctiously ornate Town Hall and the Courthouse to name just a few. All were built in the late 1800s during the gold rush.

A short drive northwest of Broken Hill is atmospheric Silverton, which, with its wide streets, restored old buildings and beautiful scenery, is the epitomy of an outback town. Silverton has featured in many movies including A Town Like Alice, Mad Max 2, Mission Impossible and Priscilla Queen of the Desert as well as a background for innumerable commercials.

Excursions to the outback abound and the hotel can arrange a variety of exciting one to five day coach or four-wheel drive trips. Some visitors might prefer to make these excursions by boarding a light plane. Incidentally, Broken Hill is home to two uniquely Australian institutions, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air, which provides education from a distance to the children across the vast outback. Both establishments offer tours for visitors.

The most rewarding excursions are to the five diverse National Parks in the area, the most famous being Mutawintji National Park to the northeast of Broken Hill and Kingchega National Park to the southeast with the well-known Menindee lakes. In the former, an outstanding collection of aboriginal rock-engravings, paintings and stone arrangements dating 40,000 years back will excite, while fascinating scenery with secluded gorges and quiet waterholes, home to a profusion of wildlife, will delight. Many water birds can be seen in the freshwater lake system in Kingchega National Park which is also a splendid recreation area with excellent facilities for sailing, swimming and fishing. This is Broken Hill's “beach resort”.

What a pleasure after a visit to the outback or a day of business to return to the cool comfort of Broken Hill's finest accommodation, the Royal Exchange Hotel.

* Valid 01 April 2005 to 31 March 2006

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