There’s no such thing as run-of-the-mill when it comes to luxury accommodation options in Brisbane.
You favour the personal touch: Spicers Balfour, New Farm
Tucked away in a quiet side street in New Farm, and housed across both a sweet Queenslander cottage and 1940s Art Deco apartment block, Spicers Balfour is more inner-city retreat than regular hotel.
Carefully curated antique furniture and jewel-tone velvet chairs are paired with sumptuous bedding, rain showers and BOSE speakers in each room.
But the real luxury here comes from feeling like you’ve been welcomed into a friend’s (expertly decorated) home.
Gourmet breakfast, in-room Nespresso machines, sunset canapes on the rooftop, wi-fi and parking are all part of the service.
Manhattan meets Brisbane: The New Inchcolm, Spring Hill
From the moment the glass doors of the beautifully restored Art Deco elevator close and you ascend to your room at The New Inchcolm, a feeling of calm washes over you.
The luxe decor, considered book selection surrounding the enormous flat-screen, and quirky touches like a stacked teapot and saucer lamp stand, all make this hotel feel anything but chain-brand.
While style is clearly the number-one priority, it’s these extra thoughtful additions that give The Inchcolm a more relaxed vibe.
Flamboyance in all the right places: Emporium Hotel, Fortitude Valley
If the Emporium’s walls could talk, they would have many a story to tell from almost 10 years of seeing Fortitude Valley’s new guard springing up around them.
This independent designer abode away from home is all Ferrari-red and flamboyant chandeliers, with the lobby bar serving up cocktails in long-stemmed teacups, and a sleek rooftop pool overlooking the city.
While the restaurant and shopping precinct within the Emporium complex is now more Guzman Y Gomez than Gucci, Tartufo is still its highly regarded Italian neighbour, and a short wander up the road will have you browsing Pottery Barn, sipping Campos coffee, and buying Ashton Kutcher’s favourite brownies at Dello Mano.
For the fashion-forward traveller: Alex Perry Hotel and Apartments, Fortitude Valley
When a fashion designer is behind the aesthetic, one would hope style would prevail.
In the case of Australia’s Next Top Model judge and Mr Sunglasses, Alex Perry, his first foray into hotels, Alex Perry Hotel and Apartments, Fortitude Valley, would surely secure the model tick of approval.
A GHD hair dryer and straightener sit hidden behind the mirrored bathroom cabinet, while a clothes steamer will have you red-carpet ready – after a stint at the rooftop pool, of course.
The apartments themselves are spacious and inviting in textural neutrals with lashings of pewter and charcoal.
From studio-style hotel rooms through to executive apartments, this is self-contained with style.
You want luxury, bush-style: Nightfall wilderness camp, Lamington National Park
Such is the secluded luxury of Nightfall wilderness camp’s handmade safari tents – positioned for optimal privacy beside gentle rapids and limited to only six travellers at any one time – that this campsite hidden in Lamington National Park books out months in advance.
The opportunity for a wilderness massage, days spent lounging around in hammocks slung between trees, or taking one of the Scenic Rim’s top walks through the Lost World Valley means you can be as active or passive as you please.
Luxury is ingrained from the wire-brushed timber floor, to vintage bathtub and organic cotton bedding.
You can self-cater or leave the menu up to hosts Heidi and Steve and enjoy their camp oven cuisine.
