This was published 14 years ago
Hilton Brisbane review: In the heart of shopaholic paradise
High gloss ... the foyer of the Brisbane Hilton.
Nicole Bittar finds location, luxury and attentive service at Brisbane's Hilton.
All roads lead to the Hilton Brisbane from the shoppers' haven that is the Queen Street Mall, smack bang in the centre of town. Signposting from the Winter Garden shopping complex, owner of the five-star hotel, points the way back home for the disoriented shopaholic. Location and luxury: it's a winning combination.
Sartorially speaking, the seriously revamped Queens Plaza is in full bloom for the budding fashionista. As a proud adopted Melburnian, I can attest that the variety and accessibility of the shopping rivals the southern fashion capital and easily trumps Sydney's CBD.
Retail therapy aside, a visit to the Queensland capital is not complete without paying my respects to the impressive Gallery of Modern Art (the edifice alone is a work of art). Then there's the multiple exhibitions on show.
The China Project, 30 years' worth of Chinese contemporary art culminating in three exhibitions and a film program, is, in typical gallery form, exquisitely curated. Notables are a series of 36 bronze busts entitled Metaphysica 2007 by Ah Xian and a giant wall of blood-red posters. Even our gallery-weary six-year-old was energised by the wow factor of the exhibition, which closes on June 28.
Hot on it heels, the landmark American Impressionism & Realism exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, opens on May 30.
A stone's throw from the Met, the sexy postmodern curves of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum are evoked in the eighth floor balustrade of the Harry Seidler-designed Hilton Brisbane. Conference facilities with floor-to-ceiling windows, a sprawling guest lounge and the open-air, resort-style heated pool are on this level.
The glossy black granite foyer, with its 83-metre-high atrium, illuminates the reception level, Atrium Restaurant and Below 7 lounge bar with abundant natural light. Cabinet-lined walls are dotted with contemporary paintings by local artists, including Anneke Silver's Cezanne-inspired work in ochre tones with cerulean blue highlights, opposite three glass-encased elevators, which provide a glimpse of the high life for the non-vertiginous.
Built in 1986, yet timeless in design, the hotel's $6 million renovation of its 75 executive rooms and five suites, was completed in April this year.
Our room, overlooking the Suncorp clock and crane-dotted city skyline, while less premium, is predictably tasteful. It features an executive-style, glass-topped desk and ergonomic leather chair, comfortable king bed, marble bathroom, valuables safe, mini bar, 24-hour room service, high-speed internet, even a (user-pays) Sony PlayStation. The solitary non-flatscreen TV is a little too retro for my liking, however.
Dining options and quality produce inject a fresh tone. The weekend seafood feasts, laden with oysters, piled sky high, Moreton Bay crays and juicy Noosa prawns, set an exemplary standard in buffet dining.
The breakfast spread is signature Hilton Hotel: vast, regularly replenished and infinitely moreish. There's fresh and preserved fruits, shelled pistachios, petite pastries, cured meats, custom-made omelettes, bacon, eggs and all the trimmings, even a self-juicer.
Complimentary bottled water for the parched departing traveller is a standout touch. It is a fitting final gesture from a domestic hotel with truly international service standards. Humility, understated charm and an innate eagerness to please are the hallmarks of staff. Nothing is too much trouble -- from the attendant with our rollaway bed, and the provider of a dinner plate to the room for fresh fruit, to the maitre' d at the Atrium Restaurant, who was clearly uncomfortable about keeping me waiting while attending to a phone call.
My only gripe: the requisite fluffy bathrobes were absent from our room but were barely missed, such was the special treatment overall.
FAST FACTS
Getting there
Staying there
Hilton Brisbane
190 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4001
Tel: 07-3234-2000 Fax: 07-3231-3199
Rates are from about $195 for a deluxe room ($228 Hilton mini break, includes breakfast). The Met Stay and See mini break starts from $278, which includes accommodation in a deluxe room, breakfast, two tickets to the exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art and late checkout of up to 4pm on weekends.
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