As I bask in a deckchair, poolside, margarita in hand, with nothing but shimmering blue water, cloudless sky and swaying palms filling my sunglasses, I feel I could be at a swanky, tropical island resort but in fact, I’m in the heart of Brisbane’s big, bustling CBD, ensconced at the under-the-radar Amora Brisbane, one of the city’s growing number of top-end hotels.
One of three Amora hotels in Australia and completely refurbished and relaunched as a five-star hotel last year, the Amora Brisbane offers plush but affordable city accommodation for leisure and business guests, with an impressive abundance of amenities to ensure you extract maximum value from a stay here.
We are greeted on arrival by a speedy check-in at the 24-hour reception, smiling staff and a sleek, serene, light-infused lobby with soaring windows and chic, eclectic furniture, but more importantly for our steamy, summer’s day arrival in downtown Brisbane, we are met by refreshingly cool breezes of very welcome air-conditioning. And it isn’t that what you want when you’re a hot, flustered and weary traveller? A five-star hotel that serves as a calming sanctuary – a place that embraces you and gently whispers ‘you’ve arrived, now relax’ !
About the Hotel
Boasting 296 rooms, the Amora Brisbane is sizeable but not too big so it never feels like the hurried city has come inside with people everywhere. The ambience is subdued and hushed with muted tones in the décor amplifying the soothing tranquillity. The lifts are speedy and prompt and there’s an inviting, uber-cool bar and lounge in the expansive lobby where you can chill for some time out.
What excited me the most here are Amora’s lifestyle assets – the amazing, over-sized, outdoor pool, lined with palms, that’s appealing all year round in Brisbane’s subtropical climate – along with its bar service. The big, well-equipped gym overlooking the pool is excellent as is the adjacent sauna, but even more impressive are the extra-long opening hours for all these amenities – 5am to 10pm – so you can work out and swim from dawn to late at night.
Dining and meeting facilities also impress as does the central location, a short stroll from everything in the Brisbane CBD, including Central Railway Station, Queen Street Mall, the Howard Smith Wharves entertainment and dining district, along with the James Street
high-end fashion and lifestyle precinct. And the airport is just 20 mins away but note that ubers typically drop off and pick up at the less glamorous rear of the hotel in Astor Terrace, requiring a little walk back and forth.
The Rooms
The top, 14th floor of the hotel is a ‘Premier Floor’ with all rooms and suites here boasting balconies. A King Balcony Room on this floor was our happy abode for our leisurely stay. And the balcony was indeed an appealing attribute with sweeping vistas over the city and dizzying views down to the pool far below.
Premier Floor rooms all have free mini bars as well, with a decent supply of complimentary snacks and beverages, replenished daily, for you to enjoy without the need to check the price list. Plus there’s luxury Elemis amenities in the bathroom for extra pampering.
Other room types are King/Twin rooms, King/Twin City View Rooms, Premier King/Twin Rooms and Balcony Suites.
All rooms feature coffee pod machines, complimentary, high-speed Wi-Fi, LCD televisions with in-room Chromecast and 24-hour room service.
Our King Balcony room was very spacious. What we loved were the super fluffy bath robes, extra benches for baggage (why do many hotels assume only one person is staying?), larger sized coffee mugs for your morning kickstart (instead of tiny cups you often find) and there was soft, gentle music playing on the TV when we entered which makes such a difference for a first impression. It’s a small but significant gesture that more hotels could replicate to help guests unwind and relax as soon as they enter a room.
The only downside was the room was very warm on entering but it soon cooled down once we flicked on the aircon. And we would have liked more towels but they came once requested, at risk of sounding like an eco-terrorist!
The Dining
The hotel’s signature restaurant is Dapl, an elegant dining room open for breakfast and dinner and serving modern Australian cuisine from locally sourced produce and native ingredients.
Our dinner in Dapl was a delicious, gourmet affair, with the Sous Chef introducing himself and sharing his admirable passion for fine fare. We indulged in a multi-course, culinary adventure with each dish more delectable than the previous one, including sea scallops with cranberries and pernod cream sauce, glazed pork belly with soy and sherry vinegar glaze, the sirloin steak, which my wife said was perfectly cooked and one of the best she had ever had, bush-spiced kangaroo and a decadent, palate-pleasing finisher in the form of chocolate and wattleseed fondant. Yum!
I needed a walk and a late-night dip in the pool to help digest such beautiful food.
Entrees were around $25, mains $45 and desserts $19.
We also ate breakfast at Dapl next day, with a wonderful buffet spread available with the option of ordering freshly cooked dishes as well at no extra charge. Very impressive was an entire section of gluten-free breads, pastries and cereals. Labels on the other foods and drinks to explain what they were would have been helpful though.
The hotel also offers a separate small café for casual meals and light lunches – the Two Donkeys Café. Not sure who the two asses were!?
Frequent Traveller
As a member of Amora Direct, you receive 10 per cent off all rates and packages, 10 per cent off selected food and beverages, a welcome drink on arrival, a late 12pm checkout and a bonus room upgrade (subject to availability).
Meetings and Conferences
The hotel is ideal for MICE events with no less than 11 modern and flexible function venues totalling 1148 sqm, bathed in natural light, accommodating meetings and social events ranging from two to 280 guests, indoors and outdoors.
Hot Tips
For a perfect evening in, enjoy a cocktail in the stylish and uber-comfortable lobby bar before sashaying next door to the Dapl restaurant for dinner. Be sure to order a bottle (or more) of Pucino Spritz, a zesty and delightfully refreshing limoncello prosecco which we enjoyed with dinner and on our balcony as we took in the city sights.
Bottom line – a laidback, well-equipped, five star hotel where you can relax, dine and live it up with flair without the hefty price tag that comes with many premium hotels.
* Rooms start at around $249 a night. Parking from $25 per night (check for latest rates). Bookable on all main platforms.
The Details
ADDRESS: 200 Creek St, Brisbane, 4000
PHONE: + 61 7 3309 3309
EMAIL: res@amorabrisbane.com.au
WEBSITE: www.amorahotels.com/brisbane
Disclaimer: The writer, Andrew Mevissen, stayed as a guest of Amora Brisbane at a reduced rate.
