CHECKING IN: W Brisbane | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
When word broke that W was coming to town, I was working in the Santos Building at the time and I remember that every morning on my way to work, I would walk past the construction site picturing how amazing it would look. Let’s face it, Brisbane was in need of something like the W. Sure the addition of The New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites (now an Ovolo property) a couple of years back was pretty awesome but we needed something on a grander scale, something fresh and playful on the luxury hotel scene.
So, naturally, a staycation was booked pretty much as soon as the hotel opened its door to the public. W Brisbane takes up a prime riverfront location with dual-entrance on both George Street and North Quay, which means that out of the 312 rooms, chances are you'll get a room with a pretty decent view. Our staycation was on the weekend of the Riverfire and given the high occupancy; our room wasn't quite ready when we arrived. We took the opportunity to take a stroll to nearby Queen St Mall, had lunch and shopped before checking into our room on level 28. Being a Cool Corner room, the view was pretty spectacular, and it would comfortably fit a family of three as we had initially planned to bring Minibun George along, but he spent a weekend with yiayia and papou instead. The "Queensland" vibe can be found throughout the room, from the outback-inspired bathtub, the swirling sand patterns in the carpet, to the giant pink pineapple at the minibar and silver Mr.Crocodile by the bed. The bed was exceptionally comfortable not to mention that waking up in the morning felt like the best thing in the world when you're looking across the shimmering river and Southbank. The minibar was well stocked and if you're feeling thirsty, how about a Qld Martini that serves eight? You'll find the cocktail kit by the minibar. Oh, and W being W, you'll find a few cheeky products that you can purchase too...
After settling in, we decided to check out the WET Deck which unfortunately was swamped by kids with giant blow-up water toys. Given that we were on a staycation sans Minibun George, we decided to head to the spa for some tranquillity. The AWAY Spa provides a variety of sublime treatment options, and we enjoyed a 60-minute detox massage in the couple's room. It was heavenly. Afterwards, we decided to relax and unwind in the vitality pool which is available to both spa and hotel guests. We went back to the WET Deck at a different time, and it was a whole different scene; just a few couples relaxing on the sun lounges by the pool. Sunscreen, apples, fluffy towels and water were provided for guests’ comfort.
The hotel's signature restaurant - Three Blue Ducks, is an institution in its own right. We've been long-time fans of The Farm at Byron Bay and would always eat at the Three Blue Ducks every time we visit, so the restaurant's presence at the hotel is much welcomed. We had both breakfast and dinner here and staying true to its paddock to plate philosophy, the dinner menu here is very unpretentious and no-fuss. We found ourselves drawn to the sound of the grass-fed T-bone with burnt onions, chimichurri & jus ($60) and shared the succulent meat with a few sides: heirloom tomato, stracciatella, pangrattato & basil oil ($23), corn & lime miso butter ($9), carrots, citrus butter, honeycomb & salted ricotta ($12) and chargrilled broccolini, snow peas, almond cream & pickled chilli ($11). I had previously heard mixed reviews about the place, but I couldn't fault the experience, as every single dish was deliciously done. We loved it so much that we have since returned to the restaurant to celebrate my MIL's birthday. There's a menu for little ducklings too, which is always a bonus for us. The restaurant offers both a la carte and buffet options for breakfast. We had the full buffet breakfast as it was included in our package. The selection was pretty good - you can find all the familiar breakfast items from pastries, cold cuts & cheeses, to made-to-order egg dishes, although, I thought that they would’ve done better with the fruit station. Having said that, if you fancy something different for breakfast, they also have miso-glazed eggplant and corn soup as well as blood sausages, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
In addition to the Three Blue Ducks, we also had a great afternoon tea experience at the hotel’s Living Room Bar with some bubbles. The service was extremely friendly and the morsels were tasty, possibly one of the best afternoon tea experiences I’ve had in Brisbane.
Valet parking costs $58 per night which is slightly on the expensive side, but overall, our staycation at W Brisbane was pretty perfect, especially given that the hotel only officially opened not long ago. Would I go back again? You bet!
Bunnies’ Travel Notes
Bunnies’ room number: 2810
Room category: Cool Corner Room
Bath products: Bliss
Check-in/check-out times: 3pm - 11am
Time of stay: September/October 2018
