Ovolo The Valley

Ovolo Hotels isn't shy about its ambitions for Australia. The Hong-Kong based hotel company opened two venues in Brisbane in 2018 alone. First came Ovolo Incholm in April, followed by Ovolo the Valley in November of that year. Ovolo The Valley is a very different style of hotel, intended as a “whimsical oasis” inspired by its surrounds at the northern end of Fortitude Valley. It's a beguiling 103-room property in the site of the former Emporium Hotel.

And standing out front, it's almost unrecognisable. A striking green wall offsets the more austere elements of the wider Emporium precinct, the hotel’s public areas hidden behind cascading curtains.

Inside, the rooms vary wildly with vivid wallpaper, commissioned art pieces and richly coloured furniture. Five types of accommodation are available, ranging from neat executive-style “medium” rooms intended for shorter stays, to “rockstar suites” that pile on the luxury with a king bed, separate lounge, bar and dining area, a standalone bathtub, stereo, and original art pieces by Daniel R Watkins and Gerwyn Davies.

All rooms come with Google Chromecasts, USB wall plugs, iPads and Amazon’s Alexa voice service. As is the Ovolo way, there’s little in the way of the nickel and dime-ing that comes with a typical hotel experience; The Valley throws in free breakfast, wi-fi, minibar, happy hour drinks and a “loot bag” for guests who book direct through the Ovolo website.

Breakfast is served from the on-site cafe Société with in-room dining or for something more refined, head over to Za Za Ta, the Tel Aviv inspired Mediterranean restaurant downstairs.