Look at Brisbane from a distance and the Meriton Apartment buildings dominate the skyline, the vertiginous Herschel and Adelaide Street towers bookending the CBD at its southwestern and northeastern ends. Many of the apartments are given over to private rentals, meaning that as far as hotels go these are pretty laid-back properties.
They’re also brilliantly located: Hershel Street is close to the city, Caxton Street and South Brisbane; the Adelaide Street property even better, slap bang between the CBD and Fortitude Valley, Brisbane’s entertainment precinct. A 42 square metre studio suite on the Adelaide Street building’s lower floors comes with a kitchenette and free high speed wi-fi. Designed more for business travellers, these rooms lean towards smart and sensible rather than anything luxurious, but they’re very comfortable. If you need more space, the one-bedroom suites at Herschel Street tend to be an even better deal.
Time Out tip: From the Adelaide Street building, stroll down to the 480 Queen Street development for Taro’s, often rated as some of the best ramen in Australia.