Emporium Hotel, Brisbane

When we reached our Brisbane hotel close to midnight, after a long day of flying, I was a little worried. The hotel sign was in neon and the lobby glowed pink from neon stripes on the walls. I haven't seen neon in a hotel in a long time, and didn't expect an elegant boutique hotel to have a pink lobby. I was half expecting the hotel to have a casino on the premises.

 

Then we enter our 4th floor room. Ooh! Nice! I like the modern eclectic design. I go around the room inspecting every little detail--the bathroom, the closets, every little amenity.

My favorite marble color of all time is white Carrara marble (with Emperador brown a close second) and this hotel uses a whole lot of it. I also get design ideas--look at the way they create the incline for the drain in the shower.

There's a full washer/dryer inside the bathroom, and behind closet doors in the bedroom is a little kitchenette that includes a microwave and a dishwasher! Since I'm such a fan of DIY traveling, I'm now wishing we could stay here longer so that I can use the washing machine, and picnic in the room so that I could use the microwave and the dishwasher.

And what's this on the bed?

Some welcome chocolates and a pillow menu. This is too confusing. The pillows they have on the bed are just fine--I don't know which ones they are. My doubts about the hotel faded as fast as I inhaled all the Lindt treats.

 

I still don't get the design theme though. The room looks masculine with the faux-ostrich leather headboard and the black and taupe striped wallpaper, but across the bed is this floral acrylic panel against an off-white wall. A bit of a design disconnect there.

In daylight the next day, I'm able to see the other public areas of this boutique hotel. There are still too many elements going on at the same time. But at least the lobby lights are off and I particularly like the chandelier in the bar.

The rooftop pool and a small gym are on the 7th floor. There are numerous restaurants around the hotel--and they all looked well-patronized. I particularly enjoyed our quick lunch at a place called The Buzz. The hotel is also surrounded by big home/furniture stores.

the view from the hotel driveway looking out at the shops and restaurants

The hotel is only 20 minutes from the airport, and also 20 minutes to downtown, making it very convenient. I actually enjoyed my stay here a lot that after awhile I even forgot there were pink neon lights in the lobby.


Emporium Hotel
1000 Ann Street
Fortitude Valley
Qld 4006
T + 61 7 3253 6999 or
1300 883 611 (Australian callers only)
F + 61 7 3253 6966