Panorama Hotel

Stayed here last night, really enjoyed it, Peter the new owner has some good ideas for the future. A work in progress and well worth watching. Great friendly staff, good meals and good rooms. And, best of all now it’s motor bike friendly with good parking. Go on have a look. Ray.

A lovely place to stay. Great service. The room was well-appointed and clean. Food in the Bistro was great too. Wish we had more time to stay and enjoy it.

Very spacious and clean rooms. Beds were comfy. Unfortunately there is no ventilation and a January night was pretty stuffy even with the provided fan. Hallway was a lovely temperature when I exited room in the morning. Breakfast was tasty and good value. Location and parking great.

I stayed here for a night and that was the very first day of the new owners, lovely family. Rooms are spacious with ample car parks. It has got a nice restaurant with a beautiful bay view.

In my room i could hear everyone not a very restful sleep had meals disgusting rubbery cold chef needs lessons could not eat it still got charged full expensive price for unedable dog food went to maccas not good at all

Avoid this hotel! It has been completely let go.
Room heater did not work on a very cold night. No electric blankets. No heater in bathroom. No cereal bowls for own breakfast. Sound insulation non existent - noise from next room & people in passage. Garden an over grown jungle. Poor lighting in car park is a danger to guests coming in at night. The only good thing I can say is that the rooms are a good size.
Try somewhere else!

We arrived 90 mins before normal check in time & were greeted at Reception by very friendly staff who were professional & courteous. We were able to check in early, which was great. Our waterfront room was very clean, heater was already turned on for us, which was very much appreciated. The views were beautiful & we had black swans swimming in the lagoon right outside our room. We had the added bonus of a spa bath which was a lovely surprise & relaxing. We ate at the restaurant & had the biggest lobsters. Our meal was outstanding. All the staff were super friendly. We would definitely stay there again. Thank you.

Not far from the sublime Bay of Fires and Wineglass Bay, St Helens hosts a flood of travellers on their way there. We, too, hung around town while staying at Panorama Hotel and got to try out their cross-cultural
bistro fare.

This was the first time seeing where a hotel had both Western and Thai kitchens in the same dining room. At first, it had me questioning the legitimacy and quality of the food but my negative presumptions swiftly dissolved like the sumptuous oysters in my mouth.

After hearing all about how magnificent Tasmanian oysters are, the hype was real with the natural dozen we had. Locally sourced from Lease 65, the oysters are sizeable, plump and fresh, ready to be savoured with a squeeze of lemon. It wasn't long till the twelve disappeared but the lush creaminess of each one was unforgettable.

Continuing on with the seafood train, the seafood chowder was a massive bowl containing the entire Tasman Sea. The rich, briny soup is swimming with clams, mussels, prawns and bits of fish, touching the depths of the soul with a hint of peppery paprika. Despite the side of Turkish bread being closer to hardtack, once dunked into the chowder, it is softened and nurtures the last drops of delicious decadence you don't dare leave behind.

We only ordered an entree from their Thai menu but the crispy calamari turned out to be a whole meal in itself! Loads of fried calamari are entangled within a coriander, onion and shallot salad that draws out an amazing aroma brightening the calamari. The calamari is lightly battered, wonderfully tender and not chewy at all. When dipped in the spicy Thai chilli sauce, the pure taste of the calamari is boosted with a sweet fishiness followed by a lingering yet titillating burn. A pleasant surprise that's now added to our growing Tasmanian seafood highlight reel.

All those entrees were clearing out the table for the showstopper to arrive. The mammoth pork knuckle flanked by roasted vegetables, buttery mash potatoes and sauerkraut to aid you on your quest of defeating such a behemoth. Before diving into the meat, take a crack at the glistening brown skin, which makes for an ultimate snack with an addicting crunch. For a giant hunk of meat, the pork is cooked well throughout without being too tough. However, it is quite bland as none of the seasoning has penetrated past the surface and needs to be rescued by the gravy. A bit underwhelming for a pork knuckle but the side dishes pull its weight.

Contrary to the fusion confusions I thought might happen, the Western and Thai kitchens at Panorama work alongside each other with great results. The servers are always on their feet moving between the two kitchens and their service is commendable in doing their absolute best to get you what you need. While more expensive than what is served outside the hotel, I thoroughly enjoyed the days and nights I spent at Panorama even more with top-notch food.

Stayed three nights. Spacious and clean rooms. Ample parking. Very good location and only about 5 mins drive to Lease 65 oysters.

The deck is a fantastic place to sit, enjoy a drink and watch the sun go down. Head inside for a roaring fire and a delicious meal.

Our room was well appointed big clean and the spa bath was lovely. The hotel had a welcoming atmosphere and the fireplace in the main lounge was great meeting place for visitors.

Great place and excellent service. Great bar, good food options. As a caution, there is no airconditioning or ventilation in rooms or public areas.

No split system, wall heater not working although there was a portsble fan and heater in wardrobe. Exhaust fan in bathroom stuck on with sticky tape and noisy and of course the cheap nasty toilet paper and restrictions on water tap pressure and didn't need to use cold water tap in the shower. Bed very comfortable. The surrounding garden desperately needed to be weeded.

Nice view and big room, however, No mini bar or room service. Kitchen opens only with pre booking a table. Bar supposed to open all day but when I went 2pm was closed. Kitchen is open only with reservation (a huge dining room with a beautiful ouside sitting area empty). All this was OK, but.what we didnt like was there was no house keeping! Yes! There was a sign saying that house keeping is only available every second day so if you stay 2 days like us, forget your room to be make as not house keeping available and for the price we paid is not a good deal! Not getting back!

The bistro was wonderfull food, but that's where the good experience stops, the bed was so uncomfortable that we ended up sleeping top to tail as the mattress slacked something, worst mattress ever slept on, bar fridge rocked around so unsteady noisy, crockroch on ceiling, will never return to such poorly maintained complex.

The in house staff fantastic. Ate at both restaurants and enjoyed both. The room no. 32 needed a new toilet seat and tap in basin needs fixing. The pool area was very unwelcoming. Even though it was very peacefull and would visit again Im sure when you finish the maintenance it will be even nicer

A beautiful place. A very bike friendly hotel. However, it is not a pub. The restaurant charge restaurant prices with the service as if it were a pub. The Thai meals were beautiful. However, the meals were served as individual meals. No serving spoons or dinner plates were offered so you could share the meals. The oysters were served without entree forks. The price of the meals were extravagant. The staff are not trained in hospitality. Dragged off the street and thrown in the deep end to learn on the run. The room was clean. The view from the hotel was outstanding, hence the price. However, the beers and spirits were the cheapest we've had while in Tassie. A huge plus there. Overall a good experience.

Only room available in ST Helens after our booked accommodation fell through. Was neat clean and easy. Staff were helpful and friendly. The room was neat and clean

We had never stayed here before so this was a long awaited treat.
The quietness of not being near a highway was truly bliss.a truly wonderful, comfortable dream like bed was a bliss.
Our meals there on site were of great size and full of bursting flavour and we could set the bay from our table. Staff were so helpful and accommodating, ensuring our comfort of our stay.
Once we finished our meal we walked out the door on to this massive deck to view the rest of the bay.
We finished the evening with a truly relaxing sauna.

"If you're looking for a real-life Fawlty Towers experience, then Panorama is the place for you! The walls are so paper-thin, you can practically hear the Basil Fawlty impersonator next door muttering "don't mention the war" in their sleep.

And speaking of Basil, the customer service at this hotel is hilariously terrible! The staff seemed to take inspiration from John Cleese's iconic character and were about as helpful as Manuel trying to fix a broken lightbulb.

I wouldn't be surprised if the kitchen staff were taking tips from Polly's Aunt Gwladys on how to make a meal out of a tin of Spam and a can of sardines.

Overall, if you want to experience the chaos and mayhem of Fawlty Towers in real life, then give Panorama a try. Just don't expect to get any sleep or service worth mentioning! "