I continued my Christmas tradition of booking into a Brisbane CBD hotel and my 2012 choice was the Brisbane Marriott Hotel.
The Marriott is located at the 'top end of town' where the CBD rises up a slope on its way to becoming Fortitude Valley. One side of the hotel overlooks the Brisbane River, while the other overlooks Spring Hill. It isn't smack-bang in the middle of the CBD and, if shopping is your thing, there isn't much around the hotel in the way of 'retail'.
However, a 10 minute walk will see you in the Brisbane CBD proper and all the shopping you might want. Walking into the CBD can be done either through the city streets or along the river. The streets are quicker but the river is prettier, especially at night. The river walkway is well lit and quite busy and, if you're out for a bite to eat, there are many cafes and restaurants along the way.
I suspect the Marriott might be where it is because it is located right next to Eagle Street, where Brisbane's financial district can be found. This doesn't mean the Marriott is all 'business' - it is a 5-star hotel and has all the trimmings you would expect from a 5-star hotel, such as fine dining, pampering, fitness and more.
All information and prices ($AUS) are as of December 2012.
All information and prices ($AUS) are as of December 2012.
*The photo above shows LtoR the front entry to the Marriott on Adelaide Street (even though the street address is 515 Queen Street), with part of the Brisbane CBD in the distance, and the concierge entry 'around the back' on Howard Street.
I have discovered that this post runs slowly if viewed on Internet Explorer. It's best viewed on Google Chrome or Firefox (not as fast as Chrome).
I have discovered that this post runs slowly if viewed on Internet Explorer. It's best viewed on Google Chrome or Firefox (not as fast as Chrome).
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| Riverside, in the hub of Brisbane's financial district. It can be reached by either the city streets or via the river walkway. |
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| The Queen Street Mall...shopping central in the CBD and around a 10-minute walk from the Marriott. |
The Marriott is also close to Fortitude Valley - around a 10 minute walk. The Valley, as it is known to Brisbane-ites, is technically a suburb but is halfway between 'CBD' and 'inner suburb', with elements of both. It has a seedy side to it but is quite funky/groovy, too, and this dual personality makes it all the more interesting. And like most seedy/funky/groovy areas of cities around the world, The Valley is very much the hub of Brisbane's nightlife.
There are lots of cafes and bars and, if Asian is your thing, then this is where you'll find Brisbane's Chinatown...
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| Chinatown in the heart of The Valley. |
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| The Valley Markets, open Saturday and Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Brisbane City Council) |
EXECUTIVE CITY VIEW ROOM
The 'Executive' rooms are all on the upper floors (we were on 25) and include access to the Executive Lounge, which covers most of the 26th floor (photos and information below).
The room itself...
- was spacious, easy to move around and clean
- had a large, clean bathroom (with separate bath and shower cubicle)
- had a large, easy-to-work safe in the hallway wardrobe
- had plenty of hanging space in the wardrobe
- had an iPod dock next to the bed that also acted as an alarm
- had an easy to use TV/remote
The room itself...
- was spacious, easy to move around and clean
- had a large, clean bathroom (with separate bath and shower cubicle)
- had a large, easy-to-work safe in the hallway wardrobe
- had plenty of hanging space in the wardrobe
- had an iPod dock next to the bed that also acted as an alarm
- had an easy to use TV/remote
If you are planning on staying at any Marriott, it is worth joining their Rewards Programme. This gives you points you can count to further Marriott stays and things such as free WiFi internet access ($19.95/day).
*Executive rooms also comes with free valet parking ($45/day).
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| My Executive City View room. |
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| The bathroom. |
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| The view from my room - across Spring Hill. |
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| Complimentary water and apple. Both were restocked as they were used, which can be very handy during a Brisbane summer. |
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| It was good to see a recycling bin in the room. |
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| And, for those who enjoy relaxing in their room, here's the TV guide. |
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| The hallway outside my room. I was directly opposite the lifts but couldn't hear a thing. |
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The Executive Lounge covers most of the 26th floor and is open from 6am - midnight seven days a week. The best way to describe it is to think 'airport business lounge' minus the gate calls and the distant rumble of planes taking off and landing. There are comfy chairs and tables placed around the room, magazines and newspapers available and canapes and nibbles, beer, wine and a limited range of spirits (rum/gin/vodka/whisky) on offer at certain times throughout the day and evening.
The Executive Lounge offers:
Continental breakfast served between 6 - 10am
Afternoon tea from 2 - 4pm
Evening canapes from 5.30 - 7.30pm
Evening drinks from 5.30 - 9.30pm
Coffee, tea and light refreshment throughout the day
Wireless and wired internet connectivity
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| The Executive Lounge. |
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| The canapes and nibbles area...but with a breakfast spread. |
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| Part of the breakfast buffet in the Executive Lounge - cold meats, cheese, fruits and mini-yoghurts at the end. |
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| The view down the Brisbane River from the Executive Lounge. The large group of yachts on the right are moored in front of the Brisbane Botanical Gardens and the two boats moored at far right are docked in front of the Riverside Centre. |
MOTION
The Marriott has a restaurant, Motion, which offers an a la carte menu and wine list. I didn't dine there (Christmas - family commitments) but here are some reviews. I did have the breakfast buffet one morning when the Executive Lounge was closed for refurbishment. This counted as the buffet breakfast we would normally have received in the Lounge.
The presentation looked great - photo below - and everything was delicious...although the Eggs Benedict were in a 'warmer' and the muffin base on the one I had was very hard. The bacon I also had, which can always be a bit hit and miss in breakfast buffets, was fabulous.
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| Entry to Motion. |
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| Motion. |
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| Motion. |
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| Motion has an outdoor area, too. |
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| Some of the breakfast buffet in Motion - cereals in foreground and fridges in the distance, with the likes of yoghurts, juices, pastries, cold meats and more. |
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| The main foyer looking through to Motion (on the ground floor) and with the reception desk to the left (where people are). |
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| M Bar is part of Motion but off to the side. It features an outside drinking area that affords you to get 'up close and personal' to the world passing by. This photo was taken Christmas night, so business was a little less than busy. |
ROOM SERVICE
Beverages - alcoholic
Beverages - non alcoholic
Lunch and dinner
There is a $4 delivery charge and lunch meals not served within 30 minutes, and dinner meals not served within 45 minutes, are complimentary.
POOL AND GYM
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| The pool is indoor/outdoor and overlooks the CBD and Brisbane River. |
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| The gym isn't huge but is ample. |
If you're in the mood to be pampered, there is also The Dome Spa Retreat.
Lastly...
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| This is a photo I took, which I like, of an internal staircase near the foyer. Don't worry - the Marriott does have lifts...I just found this stairwell off the foyer that goes up the first few floors and knew it would make an interesting photo. |
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If my post does anything to convince you to stay at the Brisbane Marriott Hotel, then please let me know...and enjoy your stay - TravelWithGiulio@gmail.com
Giulio
BRISBANE MARRIOTT HOTEL
Ph -
Fax - 61-7-3303 8088
See and read about more of my accommodation experiences/reviews.
ALSO, see my 'eat, sleep and see' page for more suggestions of things to do in Brisbane and SE Qld.
All photos and text by Giulio Saggin, unless otherwise stated.
© Use of photos and text must be via written permission
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