Swan Reach Hotel – Your Gateway to the Galaxy

Just two hours north of Adelaide’s CBD, Craig and Tammie Fromm, have big plans for the Swan Reach community.

The husband-and-wife duo are continuing the legacy built by Swan Reach Publicans and current business partners, John and Margaret George, since taking over management of the iconic riverside hotel four years ago.

“We were proud to return to Swan Reach. I was a local and grew up here. It’s been a great ride so far, fulfilling John and Margaret’s dreams for the hotel and reinvigorating it,” Craig said.

“The first thing we did was build a brand-new kitchen – I think that’s the lifeblood of any venue. The next project we have on the agenda is a new dining room to lift our overall goal of turning the venue into Australia’s premier ‘Darksky’ holiday destinations.”

The Swan Reach Hotel was originally a Homestead, built circa 1856 and has undergone many transformations in its 170-year history. But the most exciting addition is already underway!

“You wouldn’t believe it, but Swan Reach is one of the best spots in Australia, the world even, for star gazing, situated within the Murray International Dark Sky Reserve,” Craig said.

“We recently capitalised on the star gazing opportunity to build new apartments adjacent to the historic part of the hotel. We’ve affectionately called our new accommodation, Gateway to the Galaxy, which offers one and two-bedroom selfcontained apartments with kitchens, plus a dog-friendly and fenced outdoor area.”

“What makes Swan Reach unique are the cloudless nights we get, and being far enough from Adelaide, there is very little light pollution here, yet close enough to easily get here. It’s just an ideal spot for relaxing and watching the stars with the family.”

Speaking about the historic hotel, Craig said, “I’ve been lucky with staff. They were really good when it came to the changes we implemented. We are employing more locals but due to our industry’s labour and skills shortage, we’ve hired two non-locals, who we provide accommodation for.”

“What we don’t want to see here are similar situations that have happened in Victoria and New South Wales. I’ve been in the hotel game for over 20 years and in that time, I’ve seen many venues close interstate due to economic pressures. Some country towns have seen three pubs revert down to just one. CPI, red tape, and other taxes really make it hard for a family to run the front bar. I don’t like passing on costs to our customers, and I try my hardest to make sure that doesn’t happen, instead focusing on the experience. But our industry needs a break from high costs to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

“I just love being the on the river, taking people out the boat and showing them the spectacular landscape the Riverland has to offer. I want to continue doing that and providing new avenues for tourists to explore the region and other amazing venues and towns in the area,” Craig said.