Alex Hotel in Perth, Australia

SD › Perth Hotels › Alex Review
Updated: January 6, 2022

Essentials
• Location: James Street, Northbridge.
• Hotel website: alexhotel.com.au
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)8 6430 4000
• Check prices for Alex

Review of Alex Hotel in Perth, Australia.

The good value Alex Hotel offers comfortable rooms close to downtown.

Alex – Extremely convenient, arty, and affordable.

The Alex stands tall on a quiet corner along a dead-end street in a fashionable part of inner-city Perth. The hotel is very relaxed, funky, and personable, and is much more appealing than most large international brands in downtown only minutes away on foot. Rooms are very comfortable and feature a contemporary, even minimalist, décor that includes hand-crafted furniture, and a few have balconies with views of the numerous cultural buildings nearby. Adding greatly to the appeal are the ground-level café, communal bar and lounge with a terrace, and free bicycle rental. And with no pool or gym, the rates are low.

See Also

Alex – The Location

  • Address: 50 James Street, Northbridge. Where the street merges into James Street Mall (a pedestrian street).
  • Area: Likable and quiet area with the state library, art gallery, and museum within a short stroll, as well as a few nightclubs nearby. About 10 minutes on foot from the city center.
  • How to Get There: Confusingly, there are 4 terminals across the separate (but nearby) international (17 km) and domestic (13 km) airports. Main options are door-to-door shuttle buses by Perth City Shuttle or Just Transfers and taxis for about A$50. (See ‘Local Transport’ below for more information about taxis and ride-shares.) Also, express public buses (45-60 minutes) #380 (for Terminals 1 and 2) and #40 (for Terminals 3 and 4) stop at the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station, accessible by the free Blue Cat bus (1 km). Free shuttle buses operate 24/7 between the 2 airports. Note: Always double-check which terminal the flight arrives at/departs from.
  • Nearest Transport: Bus – Perth Busport (350m), Train – Perth/Perth Underground (500m).
  • Handy to: Western Australian Museum. Art Gallery of Western Australia. State Theatre Centre of WA. State Library of Western Australia. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Alex Hotel – The Basics

  • Guests: Probably appeals more to younger guests. Not for families, but great for business people.
  • Pets: Only service animals (e.g. guide dogs) allowed.
  • Views: Decent views of the streets and heritage buildings nearby because there are just a few high-rises alongside the hotel.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Certainly not expected (or provided) at this sort of inner-city boutique hotel.
  • Extras: Free bicycle rental.
  • Parking: Ask management about discounted and secure parking next door. Otherwise, park along nearby streets, but fees and time limits apply.
  • How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
  • Phone: +61 (0)8 6430 4000
  • Email: hello@alexhotel.com.au
  • Website: alexhotel.com.au

Alex – Amenities

  • Pool & Spa: Not expected (or provided) at this sort of inner-city boutique hotel.
  • Fitness Center: None on-site, but unlikely anyway at such a small hotel.
  • Other Facilities: Laundry/dry-cleaning.

Alex – Food and Drink

  • Restaurants & Bar: The street-side Lobby Café offers a likable bohemian vibe similar to the rest of the hotel. The bar upstairs has a fabulous terrace and uses an ‘honor’ system where guests serve themselves and pay when checking out. At the back of the hotel is the stylish Shadow Wine Bar & Dining Room.
  • Breakfast: Not included in the rates but available for an extra cost. Guests rave about the variety and taste of the homemade items.
  • Room Service: Limited service available during café hours (7 am to 7 pm).

Alex Hotel – Rooms

  • Room Types: Double Rooms • List of all Rooms
  • Smoking Rooms: No smoking allowed anywhere on the premises.
  • Best Room: Most rooms are similar. The best are on the higher floors as they are more distant from the (quiet) road and offer better views.
  • For Families: Not really set up for families. Better options elsewhere, e.g. the nearby DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

Alex – Local Transport

  • Walking & Cycling: With flat streets and plenty to see, Northbridge is a pleasant area for walking. Guests can rent bicycles from the hotel for free, but with busy streets and sidewalks, Northbridge is not great for cycling. Far better is the fabulous 27km-long Perth Discoverer trail that meanders through the massive Kings Park, around the edges of the city center, and along the foreshore of Swan River.
  • Buses & Trains: The excellent public transport system includes free Blue CAT bus service that loops around Northbridge and connects to the city center and Elizabeth Quay every few minutes daily from 7 am to 7 pm (until later on Fridays and Saturdays). The hotel is also close to the highly-organized Perth Busport terminal (350m) which offers bus services across Perth, including to Scarborough Beach. Trains run from Perth Station (500m) to the rejuvenated port and seaside district of Fremantle.
  • Taxis & Ride-shares: There are plenty of taxis along the city streets, or organize a pick-up through the 2 major companies: Swan Taxis (phone 131330) and Black & White Cabs (phone 133222). Ride-shares are also available through Uber, Ola, and DiDi.

Alex – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

    A fabulous choice all over Northbridge. Most restaurants sell alcohol and all pubs serve meals.

  • Sauma – Spacious setting, long communal tables, and well-priced Indian food. Opposite the hotel.
  • Picabar – Casual outdoor seating (and some tables inside) for coffees, beers, wines, salads, burgers, and all-day breakfast. Attached to the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts along James Street Mall.
  • The Brass Monkey – Iconic pub dominating the corner west of the hotel. Huge areas inside, daily food/drinks specials, and live music. Sports bar with multiple TV screens.
  • Guzman y Gomez – Northbridge outlet of a chain of very popular and brightly-decorated Mexican eateries. Tacos, enchiladas, margaritas, and everything in between. (100m).
  • Old Shanghai Perth – Casual but vibrant food court along an arcade. Large menu of mostly Asian food, all inexpensive. Also a bar. (200m).

Nearby Shops

    Plenty of minimarts, banks, and other amenities for local residents nearby. For more serious shopping, head to Hay Street Mall (600m) and Murray Street Mall (500m), along which is a tourist information kiosk. These 2 parallel pedestrian streets in the city center are packed with boutiques, department stores, and cafés.

Nearby Attractions

Alex – The Hotel

The hotel is on James Street.

The Alex Hotel dominates the end of James Street in the trendy inner-city suburb of Northbridge.

The hotel has a modern design.

Surrounded by many old buildings, the design throughout the hotel is trendy.

Lobby Café has a street entrance.

With an entrance along the street, the Lobby Café in the hotel offers a range of wines, coffees, and meals.

Breakfast is served in the upstairs lounge.

Breakfast can be enjoyed (for an extra cost) in the bright and airy lounge area upstairs.

The hotel has an honesty bar.

The bar attached to the breakfast area uses an honor system where guests tally up drinks taken from the fridge and pay when checking out.

Each floor has a colorful lounge.

On each floor is a communal lounge full of colorful art and funky furniture.

Rooms are very comfortable.

All rooms are very comfortable and feature neutral colors.

Rooms come with handmade furniture.

Rooms could be described as minimalist and feature handmade furniture.

The hotel has a lot of windows.

An abundance of windows on every floor adds to the feeling of light and space throughout the Alex.

The hotel is located in Northbridge.

The hotel is in Northbridge on the edge of the city center. (This photo was taken from the State Library which is very close to the hotel.)

James Street Mall pedestrian street is close by.

The area surrounding the hotel is dotted with historic buildings. This is the James Street Mall pedestrian street, an extension of the road in front of the hotel.

The State Library is close by.

Among several cultural, artistic, and other government buildings near the hotel is the State Library.

Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts is opposite the hotel.

Directly across James Street Mall from the hotel is the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Picabar café and bar is opposite the State Library.

Part of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, opposite the State Library, is the Picabar café and bar.

The Brass Monkey is a huge pub and restaurant.

On a corner just 50m from the hotel is the huge pub and restaurant, The Brass Monkey.

Sauma is a stylish Indian restaurant.

Opposite the hotel is Sauma, a stylish and spacious Indian restaurant.

Old Shanghai Perth food court is on James Street.

Down James Street from the hotel is the Old Shanghai Perth food court.

Guzman y Gomez cafe is on James Street.

This colorful and popular outlet of Guzman y Gomez is a little further past Old Shanghai.

The hotel is close to the city center.

The Alex Hotel is in Northbridge, a pleasant and comparatively quiet suburb only a 10-minute walk from the city center.

There is a free CAT bus service in the city center.

The hotel is easily linked to the city center by the free Blue CAT bus service.

Perth Busport station offers several services.

Bus services across the city (including Scarborough Beach) leave from the highly-organized Perth Busport.

Northbridge is very pleasant.

Northbridge offers spacious communal areas that are pleasant to walk around.

Hay Street Mall pedestrian street is very popular.

The numerous amenities along the Hay Street Mall (pedestrian street) are a short stroll from the hotel. Check rates and availability: Alex Hotel

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