Wondering what it’s like to stay at the The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill aka the famous Priscilla Queen Of The Desert Hotel? That’s right, you can stay where the movie was filmed and so we went all out and stayed in THE Priscilla Suite.
Just wait until you see this unexpectedly awesome hotel in the middle of the NSW outback!
And you know the best part? It’s not changed a bit since the iconic Aussie movie was filmed! Be prepared to literally walk into a movie set!
Situated on Broken Hill’s main street, this stunning hotel has a unique and eclectic style and colourful history, I can’t recommend it enough! If you are a fan of the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert then you absolutely must stay in their Priscilla suite for a full 90’s movie experience.
Step into a Priscilla Queen of the Desert scene
Yes, that’s right, this eclectic style pub is THE outback pub in the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert!
In the film, the drag queens take a road trip from Sydney to Broken Hill, not too dissimilar from our route you can read about here. When they see the unique and eclectic style, Hugo Weaving’s character famously declares “Oh, tack-a-rama. Who the hell does all the painting around here?” and Terence Stamp replies “Someone with no arms or right foot, by the look of things.”
The hotel has not changed since the 90’s film was released, so you will recognise all the iconic scenes in the bar and can even join a game of drag bingo on Tuesday nights.
Stay the night in THE Priscilla suite
One of the best parts of this experience for any film fan is that you can stay in the actual room they stayed in the film and the decor has not changed! The suite boasts 2 bedrooms, a glittery bathroom with free standing bath, lounge area, mini bar TV with DVD player, and exclusive access to the hotel’s wraparound balcony. The DVD options you ask? Well, Priscilla of course!
As a huge fan of the film myself, it was incredibly exciting to enter the Priscilla suite and recognise the main bedroom in the movie! At night, we downed the complimentary pink dressing gowns and watched the Priscilla film. How many times in your life are you going to be able to watch a movie on the actual set where it was filmed? A bucket list tick for any movie buff!
The hotel offer 48 rooms to choose from including pub style rooms, budget backpacker dormitories and family rooms making it the best Broken Hill accommodation you need to stay at when you visit the area.
Be blown away by the floor to ceiling murals
In the 1970’s, Mario Celotto, an Italian immigrant, bought The Palace Hotel Broken Hill and made it into the iconic destination NSW pub it is today. Mario started the Palace Hotel’s unique interiors by painting a copy of Botticelli’s Venus on the ceiling and bravely offered $1,000 to anyone who could match his painting in the blank space next to it.
Indigenous artist Gordon Waye was up to the task and ended up painting a mural in every blank space, the only requirement was to picture a water feature in each scene.
I was blown away by the incredible detail in each mural and you can’t help but look up in wonder at every inch of wall and ceiling painting.
Dine in a Grandiose Restaurant
Downstairs boasts a huge side bar and pavilion room restaurant complete with the stunning murals, retro juke box and recognisable Priscilla movie scenes. The menu offers all the pub classics with some delicious Asian flavours, I would highly recommend the hot spring rolls.
Have fun in The Front Bar
The front bar again boasts the characterful murals and features in the Priscilla film (iconic scene in which Terence Stamp drinks a vocal local under the table) and you can enjoy cold drinks including the world winning gin by Broken Hill Distillery, also included in our Broken Hill Guide. The front bar includes a pool table and a glittery stage for events.
Watch the sunset on The Balcony
One of the beautiful aspects about this building is the huge wraparound balcony complete with white banisters. If you are staying in the hotel, you can order drinks and food on the balcony and watch the outback sky turn into the stunning orange and pink tones of the sun setting.
I absolutely loved opening the doors from the Priscilla suite right onto the balcony and relaxing into their retro sofas to watch the sunset here.
Play Two Up any day of the year
Believe it or not, The Palace hotel is the only venue in Broken Hill NSW to hold a license to play Two Up any day of the year. If you have joined in on this tradition on Anzac day and wish you didn’t have to wait a whole year to play it again, then add this hotel to your adventure list!
Pick up a souvenir from their Gift Shop
Only a hotel worth writing home about has a gift shop and The Palace Hotel Broken Hill is for sure one of them. Filled with fabulous locally made gifts, LGBTQ+ paraphernalia, Priscilla merch and Palace Hotel t shirts, you will be sure to find something glamorous to remember your trip!
Attend the Broken Heel festival
Broken Hill is so proud of their feature in The Priscilla film that they created a Broken Heel drag festival to celebrate the 21st birthday of the film in 2015. The three day festival has been running every September since and The Palace Hotel is the start and finish point for this diverse outback experience. Book your tickets now for a weekend of comedy, cabaret, drag parades, Priscilla activities and much more!
Find out more about booking your Broken Hill accommodation at The Palace Hotel here.
A big thanks to Destination Broken Hill for supporting our stay at The Palace Hotel.
Check out our other Broken Hill Guides
Interested to read more about Broken Hill? Here are our other Broken Hill guides for you to check out so you can plan your getaway using our tips!
3 Sydney to Broken Hill Road Trip Options You’ll Love
15 Best Things To Do In Broken Hill
13 Things To Know About Hiring A Camper Van With Travellers Autobarn
The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill Review
SAVE FOR LATER AND PIN BELOW
This article is written by Londoner In Sydney team member, Amii Freeman.
Hi I’m Amii! I’m from Darlington in the North East of England. I moved from London to Sydney in 2019 for a slower pace and to be by the coast, without having to give up my love of cities. My passion is in film and TV, I screen-write and act as much as I can. In my spare time I love trying new food, exploring new places, kayaking, hiking and cycling. Follow me on Instagram @amiifreeman!
