Ocean Beach Hotel, Perth, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Ocean Beach Hotel is a large seaside pub on Marine Parade in Cottesloe, a beachside suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It faces Cottesloe Beach and the Indian Ocean, and it is one of the best-known places for a drink and a sunset on this stretch of coast.

The story behind it

Cottesloe grew up as a seaside retreat for Perth, a place where city people came to swim, stroll the foreshore and spend a long afternoon by the water. The Ocean Beach Hotel sits at the heart of that tradition. Known to locals simply as the OBH, it has long served as a meeting point for beachgoers, families and groups of friends finishing a day by the sea.

Its position is the main part of its story. The hotel looks west across Marine Parade to the sand, so the evening light and the ocean horizon are part of the experience. Facts about the building's exact construction dates and later changes vary between sources, so it is worth checking a local history source if you want specifics.

What to look for

• The broad frontage on Marine Parade, which shows how much the hotel dominates the Cottesloe beachfront.
• The view west over the beach and the Indian Ocean, which is at its best as the sun goes down.
• The line of Norfolk Island pines along the Cottesloe foreshore, which gives the area its distinctive seaside look.
• On a clear day, the low shape of Rottnest Island on the horizon, a good reminder of how close the island is to Perth.

Tips for your visit

• Allow an hour or so if you want to stop for a drink or a meal, or just ten minutes if you only want to see the building and the view from the street.
• Late afternoon into early evening is the best time, when the light softens and the sun sets over the ocean.
• It is a working pub, so you can go inside as a customer. Check current opening hours and any entry rules before you plan around it.
• Cottesloe Beach is directly across the road, so combine your visit with a swim or a walk along the sand and the foreshore.

See it on a quest

Pirates by the Sea - Cottesloe Beach, Perth is a good way to see the Ocean Beach Hotel in context. You reach it on foot as one stop on a longer self-guided route around Cottesloe Beach, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.