W Brisbane

W Brisbane helped redefine Brisbane’s luxury-accommodation market when it launched in 2018. The city’s first five-star hotel opening in 20 years offers a gilded sensory experience; every feature and surface is designed to draw the eye.

There's gleaming glass and mirrored walls, custom Brisvegas-themed cushions, and boldly rendered artworks by Australian artists such as John Nicholson and Lucas Grogan. The entire property is themed around the idea of “a river dreaming”, with the Brisbane River subtly winding its way through different design elements.

The 312 rooms feature white VJ wall panels inspired by traditional Queenslander homes and 10-gallon Outback-style bathtubs. Each has a coffee machine, a GHD hairdryer and a generously stocked minibar designed for starting parties rather than staying in. Cleverly, all the digs face the river, so no one misses out on views of the performing arts precinct, South Bank and the mountain ranges beyond.

Downstairs there are two boozers – the glam urban jungle of Living Room Bar and the open-air Wet Deck on level four – along with a Brisbane instalment of iconic Sydney cafe and restaurant Three Blue Ducks.

Guests can detox at W Brisbane’s Away Spa, which offers a variety of treatments and features salt-inhalation chambers and aromatherapy steam rooms. There’s also an Edwards and Co hair salon and the in-house Becker Minty store, which offers a high-end hand-picked collection of homewares.