When you travel, what is your accommodation preference? Traveling with my party of three (my daughter, husband and I) we always appreciate a little extra room and a kitchen, so where possible we opt for an apartment hotel.
So when planning a trip for the very first time to Queensland’s capital city Brisbane, Direct Hotels – Pavillion on Brookes ticked the apartment hotel box and so much more for us. It is a brand spanking new building consisting of one and two bedroom apartments with killer city views and a super inviting rooftop BBQ area.
LOCATION
Located in Bowen Hills, one of Brisbane’s newest inner city urban developments, it was just a 10 minute drive from all the major attractions we were after including the CBD and South Bank. Bordering the landmark RNA Showgrounds precinct, Pavillion on Brookes was also an easy stroll to Fortitude Valley, which is an absolute hub for cafes, restaurants and shops and we made full use of the convenient location by strolling in for dinner, coffee and snacks.
THE HOTEL
Lovely small development featuring brand new fully self contained apartments with secure undercover parking, the bonus of free wi-fi, Foxtel to all rooms, balconies and a rooftop to enjoy the superb Brisbane views, we really did not want for anything else during our two day stay.
Wherever I stay, I always ask hotel staff for local recommendations on places to visit and eat and most of the time I am disappointed with some very lack luster responses along the lines of, “It depends what you like” and then they hand me over a generic brochure. The staff at Pavillion on Brookes were brimming with lots of local tips and insider information and pointed us in the direction of many tasty options in the area including recommending doughnuts from the highly addictive Doughnut Time (which we visited three times during our stay).
Another service we took advantage of while staying at Pavillion on Brookes was the restaurant chargeback. The service allows you to dine at select cafes and restaurants (we were given a list at check in of participating restaurants that were all within walking distance) and chargeback the bill to your room, so you only have to pay once at the end of your stay.
THE ROOM
We stayed in one of the two bedroom apartments which was all lovely and new and came with two bathrooms – so no morning arguments when we were all trying to get ready for our days out in Brisbane.
When we opened the door to the apartment my eye was immediately drawn to the balcony at the end of the room. Not only did it allow natural light into the open plan living, dining and kitchen area it also had the loveliest view of Brisbane which for first time visitors to the city was very exciting to see.
Even though we only stayed for two days, I found myself making full use of all the features in our apartment. The husband had some work to catch up on so he used the study nook just off the living/dining area while my daughter and I had a little sleep in each day. Having a kitchen while on holiday always come in handy for us, as we tend to start the day quietly, preferring to self cater and eat breakfast in our accommodation. Since it was lovely and warm in Brisbane we went swimming and instead of packing up wet dirty towels and swimming costumes, I used the powder provided and washing machine and dryer in the main bathroom, so that meant no dirty washing for the next leg of our trip!
STAND-OUT FEATURE
sunrise view
Pavillion on Brookes is a great find for those looking to enjoy all the delights of Brisbane but with a little extra room to move and easy on the budget. We really enjoyed the space of having two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We all wake up and go to sleep at different times so it was so nice not to tiptoe around in a small hotel room trying not to wake the others whilst still being in a great urban location.
http://www.directhotels.com.au/pavilion/
24 Brookes St
Bowen Hills QLD 4006
Phone: 1800 258 388
*Sophia was lucky enough to stay as a guest of Direct Hotels – Pavillion on Brookes on her first night of accommodation and happily paid for her second night.