The best hotels in Brisbane

Have you ever felt so sexy it hurts? That’s the risk you’re taking when you stay at Marriott’s luxurious and extravagant W Brisbane. Known as an eclectic 5 star hotel, this contemporary designer hotel in the heart of the city offers a stellar customer experience. From the 312 suites boasting Brisbane River views, the Living Room Bar with a cocktail-inspired menu developed in partnership with Paradiso Barcelona, the signature Three Blue Ducks restaurant, the wet deck to the AWAY Spa’s vitality pools and relaxation pods, you will be bathed in the finer things in life. Taking it up a further notch, the W Hotel’s ultra-blissful offerings include a 200m2 Extreme WOW Suite on level 33. Through this suite’s wall-to-wall windows there are panoramic vistas of Mount Coot-tha, Southbank and the Brisbane River. For the rich, famous, gorgeous, the influencers and yes, you – this is the ultimate must-do sunshine state hotel experience.

Inspired by the artistic design of W Brisbane and want to see more? Check out our guide to art in Brisbane

Does taking a dip in a 23m infinity edge pool overlooking the city and the Brisbane River sound like heaven to you? Southbank’s only luxury hotel offers this truly abundant and ‘extra’ experience making their customers feel like heaven really is on earth. The hotel’s river-facing suites also offer uninterrupted views of the Brisbane River and Brizvegas itself. The exquisite experiences on offer include a progressive dinner, starting at the rooftop and ending in the hotel piano bar with a nightcap, stay-and-play golf packages, helicopter experiences, and premier suites include complimentary local transfer in the hotel’s Maserati Levante. As if we need more cherries on top, but of course there are. The hotel’s approach to customer service is called the Three E’s – ease, effectiveness and emotion – making for an exemplary customer experience. The Emporium Hotel South Bank is the first Australian hotel to be EarthCheck design certified. So if it’s a 'yes please', sign up for all of the above.       

For a dose of the outdoors, check out our guide to the City Botanic Gardens which are a mere 11-minute walk from the hotel.

Enjoy the ultimate sun-soaked, lazy days and feelgood, serene and languorous nights at the Calile Hotel. Sitting poolside soaking up the sun and sipping a refreshing smoothie you would never know you are nestled amongst the city’s dynamic James Street cultural precinct. The Calile has 175 generous rooms, including nine suites and two premier suites designed with your comfort in mind. The hotel's dining options include Hellenika, Lobby Bar, Sushi Room and SK Steak & Oyster. There’s also a wellness spa and on-site boutique shopping on offer. Or you could try an energetic session in the fitness centre with an in-house trainer and later slow down at the in-house spa. This hotel experience will definitely leave you feeling relaxed, vital and totally energised.

Pull out the selfie stick and start snapping because you’ll want to be posting your Insta-worthy Hyatt Regency hotel experience at every turn. Offering views of Brisbane City and the Brisbane River and exquisite guest rooms and facilities, this premium 5-star hotel will put you in a sunshine state of mind all year-round. The hotel has 292 guestrooms and two food and beverage experience options: Lennons Restaurant for breakfast, all day classic bistro and bar, along with the Hibiscus Room on level four for aperitifs, cocktails and that ‘extra’ vibe. After a hard day at work or buzzing around the city you can pop on your bathrobe and slippers and unwind in the meticulously designed rooms with walk-in-showers, marble dining tables and leather dining chairs. Or if you’re not quite ready to relax then work out in the 24-hour fitness centre, or dive into the 20-metre infinity pool. 

Want some more Insta-worthy content? Our guide on 10 ways to be a little different in Brisbane is sure to contain some photo-ops.

Bathe in your artistic and cultural wildest dreams at the chic Hotel Indigo, nestled riverside at North Quay. It showcases the sights, sounds and flavours of Brisbane neighbourhoods with a myriad of unique art and design features. From the six-metre high red entrance doors to the murals and artworks by local artists this hotel experience tells the story of contemporary Brisbane. The hero art piece by local artist Blends is a large- scale blue wren positioned 16 storeys high on the hotel’s exterior facade. The wren is an homage to Brisbane author Trent Dalton’s novel Boy Swallows Universe. From the exterior to the interior, the 212 guest rooms have been designed and curated with artworks and textures that nod to Brisbane’s mix of unexpected treasures. The hotel’s food and beverage offerings include the graffiti-covered Tuk Nook coffee cart and the signature restaurant Izakaya Publico for authentic Japanese dining with locally sourced seasonal produce. Pop in after to 1603 for local beer, wine and sake inspired cocktails. Get ready to be sparked by curiosity in the absolutely stunning Hotel Indigo.

Enjoyed the murals and hungry for some more art? Check out our guide to some of Australia's most exciting visual artists.

The Inchholm luxury boutique hotel in Spring Hill will transport you to an era of sophistication. You’ll feel like you are in a cool salon where Kate Bush, Banksy, David Bowie and Lady Gaga rub shoulders. Perched high on Wickham Terrace, the site dates back to the 1880s with a neo-Georgian façade while the interior offers visitors a contemporary vision. This includes the uber-cool loft suites located on the top floor with floor-to-ceiling city views. Dining on edible dreams or blissing out on a beverage at the Inchholm Bar is bound to make you feel spesh after exploring the luxury accommodation’s world of tiny treasures, curiosities and eclectic art. There’s even a Martini hour, so grab your seat and add this venue to your top spot of your places-to-stay list.   

Learn more of Brisbane's history at the city's best museums, collated in our guide.

What better way to celebrate life than by staying in Brisbane’s happening Southbank precinct in the customer-obsessed Novotel Brisbane? Situated in the heart of Brissie’s cultural hub, it has easy access to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and delectable dining experiences. Besides the great location, Novotel’s design brings local elements to the hotel, such as the greenery of Musgrave Park in the lobby and restaurant. The rooms are also designed with Brisbane’s uniqueness in mind. Staff have an amazing ability to deliver personalised service at every single point of interaction making you feel like your wealth, health, love and abundance planets have aligned. So go ahead and treat yourself to an absolutely amazing stay in Brisneyland’s creative heartland at the 4.5 star Novotel Brisbane.

Need a nightcap? We've got you sorted with our guide to the best bars in Brisbane.

Brisbane baes, beaus and boos and décor-loving divas, the Constance has a distinctive style and extraordinary history that led to it becoming the street art hotel that it is. From its beginnings in 1955 as home to the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (that’s right, an old freemason lodge) and then semi demolished and derelict for five years, it became the perfect place for Brisbane street artists to cover inner-city urban walls. When the new owners discovered the art they tracked down all four artists Tyrone Everfresh (Rone), Brad Eastman (Beastman), Fintan Magee and Elliot 'Numskull’. Each artist was commissioned to create artworks for a separate level. Match the street art with some distinctive designer decor in the 65 boutique rooms, private courtyards, internal spas and themed artist rooms and you have a hotel reflecting the character, comfort and sophistication of the corporate and cultural hub of Fortitude Valley. The small down to earth team at the Constance are waiting for you so don’t hesitate to book in.    

Want to learn more about street art? Check out our guide to a short history of street art in Melbourne.

Is staying in a rockstar suite fitted out with a round cocktail bar on your bucket list? At the Ovolo the Valley you can do just that and choose between the INXS and the AC/DC rooms. Situated close to some of Brisbane’s best live music venues, rooftop lounges and art galleries in Fortitude Valley, the venue pays homage to the eclectic culture and iconic history of its surroundings. The gorgeous blending of art, music and pop culture creates a unique experience at every turn. Marry that with fresh interior designs, a bar and restaurant and you’ll never want to stay anywhere else again. Book directly and receive complimentary breakfast. What’s not to love? 

Looking for an outing? Queensland Art Gallery is just 6km away.

The “little black dress” of apartment hotels. That was the inspiration behind the first of what’s planned to be a series of properties around Australia from womenswear designer Alex Perry. And he’s pretty much nailed it: the 140 rooms are a timeless, unfussy combination of practicality and understated luxury. There are two styles: blonde and brunette. The latter is the pick, its dark, textured wallpaper adding a nice flourish of charisma to the hotel. As you might expect, the experience is aimed at female travellers in particular, with every room featuring ghd appliances and satin clothes hangers. The executive apartments come with a kitchenette and boast balconies, garment steamers and high-speed internet included in the room charge. Upstairs, the rooftop terrace and its heated pool have some of the better views you’ll find in Brisbane. Downstairs, Delfina’s Bistro doubles as the hotel’s restaurant, but for something different the Emporium precinct is just across the road while buzzy Fortitude Valley is a five-minute walk away.

Time Out tip: Instead of the Valley, head towards the river to try Green Beacon and Newstead Brewing Co, two of Brisbane’s best brewbars. For breakfast, Nodo Donuts — gluten free doughnuts baked, not fried — is just around the corner.

Look at a map and Spring Hill should be to Brisbane what Surry Hills is to Sydney. But it’s not. The suburb’s pretty cottages crowd around a high street that was long ago given over to government buildings and half-arsed developments. The Johnson is now looking to correct the narrative and activate the area, moving into one of those old government buildings: the hulking, heritage-listed, Karl Langer-designed former Main Roads Department. Like all Arts Series hotels the Johnson is aligned to an Australian artist. This time the abstract works of Michael Johnson are scattered about the place. Against the property’s ivory white walls, it creates a striking effect, the bold colours are just about right for a city very much on the up. That same treatment adds to the sense of scale throughout the property. Everything feels oversized here — even the reasonably priced studio suites. Outside, Spring Hill is still coming along but there are jewels — the heritage-listed Spring Hill Baths; the award-winning Alliance Hotel gastropub — and both the city and Fortitude Valley are within walking distance.

Time Out tip: Make sure you wander down the hill to the 480 Queen building on the edge of the city. On the ground level you’ll find Taro’s, often rated as some of the best ramen in Australia.

The first hotel in Australia to allow guests automated check-in and check-out, Next took over Lennons in 2014 and, with its focus on cutting-edge technology, brought an old-school lodge to the forefront of Brisbane’s accommodation market. The rooms aren’t huge but are excellently appointed — crisply modern, with plenty of dark wood and large comfy beds — all come with a smartphone that controls everything from the television to the air-conditioning. Perched at one of the highest points of Queen Street Mall, it has excellent views across the entire city, the open-air fourth level hotel bar allowing you to people watch on the shoppers below.

Time Out tip: Ask for a room at the southern corner to catch a glimpse of the river and South Bank beyond.

If it wasn’t for Spicers Balfour this would be the most quintessentially Brisbane hotel around, set as it is on the edge of the city, looking out over the leafy inner suburbs of Paddington and Red Hill, their hills crowded with heritage-listed Queenslander houses. It’s a terrific view if you’re staying at that end of the property, but there’s plenty else to recommend Gambaro Hotel: a darkly luxurious fitout of plush carpet, cool surfaces and warm lighting, an enviable location right on buzzy Caxton Street and an almost faultless attention to detail from the staff. The Gambaro family are giants of the local hospitality scene so the on-site restaurants, Gambaro Seafood Restaurant and Black Hide Steakhouse, are two of the better eateries in town. If you want to venture further, both well-heeled Paddington and the city centre are within easy walking distance.

Time Out tip: It’s hidden behind a curtain a couple of doors up the road, but make sure you find Seymour’s Cocktails and Oysters. Afterwards, dance the night away at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall.

The Rydges hotel brand is going through a major overhaul in Brisbane. The South Brisbane original was completely refurbished in 2016, bringing it into line with some of the best hotels in town, but the star is now a 2017 venue in the city’s Showgrounds precinct on the edge of the Valley. It’s a handsome little property with large, comfortable rooms, the themed details taking more than a couple of cues from sister brand QT. Outside, an urban hub is sprouting up around the hotel, neighbouring apartments bringing both a community and a series of exceptional food and beverage operations — see Banoi, the Lamb Shop and the city’s best French restaurant, Montrachet. The Valley is just a short walk away if you feel like getting crazy.

Time Out tip: The Tivoli and the Old Museum, two of Brisbane’s best live music venues, are both around the corner. Try to time your visit with a touring artist.

Spicers hits the big smoke. This popular luxury retreat brand started in Southeast Queensland, so it feels right to have a pocket edition in the state’s capital. It’s grown too: you can stay in the smaller, character-driven rooms of the original Queenslander, or opt for a Spicer suite in the Simla wing which opened in 2017. Occupying a leadlight-windowed brick terrace this space doubles down on the property’s Art Deco flourishes. Either way, you’re in the genteel inner suburb of New Farm, with bakeries, cafés and bars all within shouting distance; the city and Fortitude Valley are barely more than a 15-minute walk away too.

Time Out tip: It may lack the altitude of its competitors, but Balfour actually boasts one of the best rooftop bars in Brisbane, with spectacular views of the Story Bridge.

Brisbane is dominated by Queenslanders — the heritage- protected, stilted (literally) weatherboard houses that crowd the city’s inner suburbs. A clutch of them have now been rejigged into swank guest houses and this is perhaps the pick of the lot. The location helps. In New Farm, it’s close to the Powerhouse, a contemporary multi-arts venue, the Brisbane Riverwalk, a heap of excellent cafés, bars and restaurants, and Fortitude Valley, the city’s entertainment precinct. The former boarding house has been refurbed in crisp black and white, driving home its post-colonial charms. There are just three rooms, all decked out in moody greys and olive greens, and finished with sumptuous furnishings. The master suite reigns, its ginormous standalone tub a highlight.

Time Out tip: New Farm Park is a favourite weekend hangout for Brisbanites. Pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it.