Discover Your Perfect Brisbane Staycation: Where to Stay in Brisbane to Match Your Personality

Plan your Brisbane staycation with ease! Explore our guide on where to stay in Brisbane, from boutique hotels to budget-friendly options. Find the perfect Brisbane hotel to match your personality and make the most of your visit. There are many new hotels to stay at in Brisbane, but these are my favourites.  They all offer something different and depending on whether you are staying in the city, South Bank or Fortitude Valley, you will find there is easy access to a wide range of activities.

Where to stay in Brisbane

Whether you like glitz and glamour, old school charm, L.A. cool or a business-savvy stay, Brisbane has a hotel that will meet your needs. Here is where to stay in Brisbane to match your innermost dreams and your city plans with tips from a local on how to pick the best hotel for your planned activities.

Above -Brisbane Hotel skyline with voco Brisbane City Centre 

Above: voco Brisbane City Centre has bed heads influenced by the Brisbane River.

You are playful – voco Brisbane City Centre

At Brisbane’s newest hotel, voco Brisbane City Centre on North Quay, you will find 194 premium guestrooms with an abundance of natural light, sustainable bedding, smart in-room technology, vibrant artworks, modern bathrooms and sweeping views over the city or river. Showcasing a warm, neutral palette, the rooms feature dark blue hues and bright pops of the signature voco yellow, hand-picked artworks and artfully placed furniture. Enjoy some rooftop pool fun in the sun or get serious in the 24-hour fitness centre. There are local craft beers, wines and cocktails to enjoy at Kraft & Co. During the day it is a bustling cafe but at night turns into an atmospheric lounge bar.

Why choose this Brisbane hotel? One of the closest hotels to Suncorp Stadium, this hotel is a great choice for footy fans.  It also has easy access to The Gabba.  The Brisbane River views are hard to beat and you have all of the delights of Brisbane’s CBD and Southbank on your doorstep.  Grab one of their free handcrafted bamboo bikes from Wyld Bikes and explore the city’s extensive cycle paths.

voco Brisbane City Centre rooms start at $290 per night (opening special) which includes breakfast for two.

Below: voco Brisbane City Centre bathroom

Sunset views from a Hotel X Balcony. Photo Justin Nicolas

You are a thrill seeker – Hotel X

X marks the spot for Brisbane’s newest five-star hotel, which elevates Fortitude Valley with a cocktail of ultra-cool art, Avant-Garde lighting, magical cityscape views and thrills, plenty of thrills. Hotel X promises somewhere decadent, somewhere different and somewhere wild, which is a good match to the Valley’s thriving night scene. There’s both a ground floor restaurant and bar, the quirkily named Bisou Bisou (‘Kiss Kiss’ in French), and a rooftop poolside restaurant and bar where the city views are panoramic. You can hand your keys over to a concierge valet and work out in an expansive gym. Top tier rooms feature artwork by Justin Nicolas, Dyson and GHD hair appliances and amenities designed by high fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. It’s not hard to find this hotel at night as Hotel X’s white geometric facade with its lighting system is a strong feature.

Why choose this Brisbane hotel? Minutes walk to James Street’s boutiques, restaurants and cinema, Brunswick Street’s night action and close to the bars and restaurants of Howard Smith Wharves and Brisbane city via bus or the Riverwalk.  Easy access to the city via bus or train.

Hotel X rooms start at $338.53 per night.

Below: Hotel X bedroom. Photo Justin Nicolas

Emporium Hotel, South Bank, Brisbane.

You wish Sex and The City never ended – Emporium Hotel South Bank

Walking inside this glamorous hotel is like stepping into another brighter, shinier world.  It’s a place where, even if you walk in frowning, you will leave with a smile. Hip design, the latest in-room technology, and personalised service are the Emporium Hotels Group’s new five-star Emporium Hotel South Bank star elements. Take your life in your hands with the roulette wheel of fate when it comes to the virtual shark which resides in one of the four lift wells, and ride to the sky and The Terrace bar for the best South Bank views of Brisbane.  Who knew the river city was this pretty at sunset?  Guests also get to enjoy the infinity rooftop pool, which aces every other hotel pool in Brisbane. The hotel’s ground floor piano bar and Signature Restaurant are also recommended. Next door on the ground floor, high tea at Belle Epoque is another special treat.

Why choose this Brisbane hotel? For South Bank action and a touch of luxury, this is the place to be. You also don’t have to go far to stumble to bed after a night at The Terrace bar.

Emporium Hotel South Bank  Room rates around $502 per night.

Below – bedroom and pool views at Emporium South Bank.

Nestled under the Story Bridge, Crystalbrook Vincent is dark and moody. Photo: Kerry Heaney

My name is Bond – Crystalbrook Vincent

It feels like a scene out of a spy movie when you slink down the long corridors to reach the rooms at Crystalbrook Vincent on the edge of Brisbane’s CBD near the Story Bridge. This place is ultra-cool and perches on Brisbane’s hottest entertainment precinct doorstep.  Howard Smith Wharves has the bars and restaurants that have put Brisbane on the map for good times vibes.  The options are many and well patronised, perhaps even a little over-loved at times. Check out Felons, Greca and Mr Percival’s and don’t miss Crystalbrook Vincent’s rooftop bar.

Why base your Brisbane stay here? Having somewhere close by where you can dip into and out of this merry mayhem is a great way to enjoy a break. It makes a great Brisbane staycation as well.

Crystalbrook Vincent room rates are around $325 per night.

Photo below: Crystalbrook Vincent.

W Brisbane Lobby Bar. Photo: Kerry Heaney

Too cool for school – W Brisbane

From the moment you walk in the door of this hotel, it’s clear that this is a different sort of stay.  If the giant glitter thong (the food kind) doesn’t give you a hint, the multi-coloured mirror wall will. Head up to the fourth floor, walk past the food-inspired wall art with its Jazz crackers, Chicco rolls and Iced Vo Vo biscuits, and you’ll discover enough local sayings to keep you laughing for the rest of your stay. The five star W Brisbane has turned the old law court site at 300 George Street into something special. Inside are three bars and restaurants, including Three Blue Ducks from The Farm at Byron Bay. The design throughout the 312 guestrooms pays tribute to local Indigenous culture, with the river snaking throughout. The views stretch from South Bank to Mount Coot-tha, but the nighttime view over South Bank is the one to book. W Brisbane offers a delicious Eat Your Heart Out High Tea in the ground floor lounge bar.

Why make this your Brisbane stay? You’ll have good access to the top end of town, Queen Street shopping and it is an easy walk over the bridge to South Bank’s museums and art galleries.

W Brisbane Room rates around $400 per night.

The Calile, James Street, Brisbane

Got to have that LA feel – Calile Hotel

Beverly Hills luxe meets James Street cool poolside at the award-winning Calile Hotel. This seven-storey urban resort also is home to one of ‘the’ restaurants in town, award-winning Hellenika. Here the highly prized poolside seats are often favoured by the rich and famous. The adjoining micro-precinct, Ada Lane, has lips smacking with its eateries and bars.

Is this your Brisbane hotel? James Street is Brisbane’s upscale shopping street with plenty of ways to part you from your money.  The street is also lined with restaurants and bars for a feel-good, fun time.

Calile Hotel Room rates around $400 per night.

Room at The Calile. Photo: Kerry Heaney

Treasury Casino Junior Suite. Photo: Kerry Heaney

You like to do things properly – Treasury Hotel Brisbane

When it comes to old-world charm, one Brisbane hotel stands above the rest.  Crafted from the former state Treasury building, the Treasury Brisbane Hotel is the sort of place where the doorman remembers your name every time, even if it has been a while. The rooms are spacious with generous bathrooms and the sort of style that the Queen would love. Treasury Hotel also does a very fine Height of High Tea.

Why stay here? – You’ll have good access to Queen Street and city shopping. If you want to try your luck, the casino is just a skip away. For steak lovers, Black Hide by Gambaro is a real treat.

Treasury Hotel Brisbane Room rates around $250 per night

Ovolo The Valley. Photo: Kerry Heaney

Chill me in the Valley

Close to the action but with a little distance for sanity, Ovolo The Valley is a comfortable stay in Fortitude Valley.  Oversized rooms and bathrooms, extremely comfortable beds and friendly staff are highlights but let’s not forget the rooftop pool. It’s also home to dining sensation Za Za Ta which combines Middle Eastern flavours with top local produce and a Queensland feel.

Why stay at this Brisbane hotel? It’s dog friendly so you can take your pooch plus who doesn’t like free lollies in the lobby?

Ovolo The Valley Room rates around $280 per night.

Pet-friendly room, Ovolo The Valley. Photo: Kerry Heaney

I’m just after an airport sleepover – Brisbane Airport Pullman

For a pre or post-flight stopover, I suggest a stay at the Brisbane Airport Pullman, which is located within walking distance of the domestic terminal. Access to the international terminal is available via shuttle bus or train. Despite the closeness, you won’t hear a plane take off or landing. I promise.

Why stay here? You can work on your jetlag with a relax by the swimming pool and dining on local produce at the in house restaurant.

Brisbane Airport Pullman