The amenity-packed transit
lounge is unique in Australia
and evidence that Next has put
plenty of thought into how best
to please guests.
Scroll through the Next app
on your Samsung smartphone
(supplied in every room) to discover
all the perks and practical stuf the
hotel ofers.
Breakfast ($29.50) is a hybrid
afair of bufet (chia puddings,
granola) and hot dishes including
banana waes and eggs Benedict.
It’s served in the light-filled Lennons
Restaurant, which turns into an
on-trend eatery for lunch and dinner
serving the likes of bone-marrow
ravioli and parrilla meats. The poolside
terrace serves tapas, pizze and
burgers with sunshine.
Minibars are stocked with beer,
cider, soft drinks and snacks;
guests can consume four items a
day free of charge. Head to the pool
terrace for cocktails, or Lennons for
craft beers and fine wines.
WHERECBD.COST
From $189, without
breakfast.AT A GLANCE
304 rooms and suites,
adjoining rooms; bars,
restaurant, rooftop pool,
gym, paid valet parking.
IN ROOMFree WiFi,
Samsung smartphones,
smart TV, cofee
machine, pillow menu,
free minibar, Biology
toiletries.BEST ROOMS
There’s not much
diference between
room categories – aim
high for expansive city
views and river glimpses
from Deluxe King rooms
on floors 17-26.NEXT HOTEL BRISBANE
The location couldn’t be better – bang on Queen Street
Mall in the heart of Brisbane – and the refurbished
rooms, while modest, feature custom-made beds, cofee
machines, free movies and (partially) free minibars.
But what really sets Next apart is its generous array of
guest amenities. Witness the fourth-floor In Transit Zone,
a workspace and playground with 20-metre pool, café,
bar, library, sleep pods, gym, showers and workstations
for guest use before check-in, after check-out and while
in residence. Supplied smartphones with WiFi hotspots,
and free local and cheap international calls are inspired
innovations. For everything else there’s the Next hotel
app, which controls your entire in-house world.72 Queen
St, Brisbane, (07) 3222 3222, nexthotels.com/brisbane
The bygone elegance, style
and spaciousness of the suites,
coupled with their location just of
bustling James Street, makes them
an ideal Brisbane base.
You’re a stroll away from the
water so take a walk or jog
along the Brisbane River, flanked
by clifs and trophy homes.
Highlights of breakfast, served
in the main hotel’s balconied
dining room, include fresh fruit with
creamy yoghurt and house-smoked
salmon on charcoal brioche. Lunch is
easy pickings such as a salmon poke
bowl, or duck and green mango salad.
Antipasti, charcuterie and cheese
boards are available throughout the
day, and high tea is a daily ritual.
The frangipani-fringed house
bar, newly furnished with sofas,
armchairs and throws, operates on
an honesty system. The surprisingly
strong showing of Champagnes is an
indication of a wine list worth lingering
over, and minibars, too, exhibit equally
good taste. Anyone for Ruinart?WHERE2kmfrom the CBD.COSTFrom $289, with breakfast.AT A GLANCE
17 rooms and suites; bars, restaurant, free parking.IN ROOMFree WiFi, smart
TV, Bose sound system, bath, cofee machine, Appelles toiletries.BEST ROOM
All suites are of similar (generous) size and amenities, but only number seven
has a balcony and access to the rooftop garden where herbs and bees thrive.SPICERS BALFOUR HOTEL
It’s not that we have anything
against the original Spicers
Balfour Hotel, a converted
Queenslander of nine rooms.
We just prefer the newer suites.
Housed in a handsome 1940s
building three doors from the
hotel, Spicers’ eight suites are
spacious and elegant, with a
luxe retro vibe. Guests enter
a sunroom floored in geometric
tiles with desk, wicker armchairs
and table and a ’50s-style dresser
fitted with fridge, cofee machine
and minibar. Two double doors
lead, respectively, to the bedroom
with monochrome detailing,
soothing blue contrasts and king
bed, and a tiled bathroom with
freestanding bath. Head to the
hotel restaurant for meals, and
to its terrace bar for striking
Story Bridge views.37 Balfour
St, New Farm, 1300 597 540,
spicersretreats.comBrisbaneGOURMET TRAVELLER 169In Transit Zone.Suite 11, Spicers
Balfour Suites.