American Hotel, Echuca: Rooftop bar, BBQ and Nirebo Motel

The American Hotel, Echuca, offer a US-style barbecue restaurant, a rooftop bar and rather cool motel accommodation.

The American Hotel, Echuca, has got stiff competition when it comes to playing on heritage. The Murray River town of Echuca is practically overflowing with historic pubs.

Heritage is realistically what Echuca is all about. Once Australia’s biggest inland port, this Victorian town is now a tourist hotspot. You can learn all about the river port heritage at the Echuca Discovery Centre, go on an after-dark ghost tour and take a Murray River paddlesteamer cruise. There are also e-bike tours on offer.

American Hotel, Echuca: The rooftop bar

The American Hotel, Echuca, is part of the town’s historic fabric. But what makes it interesting is that it doesn’t rest on its heritage laurels.

A major part of the appeal here is the rooftop bar. This outdoor hangout aims for contemporary, cool and buzzy. It’s an unashamedly loud place, with share plates and DJs. The American Hotel rooftop bar makes sure you realise that Echuca is a living town, rather than an ancient relic.

Your Echuca checklist

Combine a one hour Murray River paddlesteamer cruise with lunch at Morrison’s Winery.
Book a nature-focused guided e-bike tour.
Or an extended three hour e-bike tour with a winery visit.
Find the best deals on Echuca accommodation.

American Hotel, Echuca: Barbecue restaurant

The American Hotel complex also plays host to Harry O’s, an American-style barbecue. Free-range meats sourced from Victorian farms are cooked over wood in a smoker custom-built for the premises.

Nirebo Motel, Echuca

Just behind the hotel, you’ll find the Nirebo Motel, which is a bit swisher than the average motel. There are 42 rooms, which offer a thoughtful mix of heritage and modern in the décor. There’s also a pool, which can come in very handy on a hot summer day by the Murray.

Other places to eat and drink around Echuca include the Morrisons Winery on the northern side of the river in Moama. There’s also the Echuca Distillery and the Rich River Golf Club.