Hilton Brisbane {AUS}
Nov 16, 2020, 4:51 am
Full Buffet Breakfast - gold extra $10 or complimentary for diamond
Parking;
Myer centre $6 weekends / one entry and one exit - book online otherwise $8 drive up.
Hilton carpark - not suitable for large SUV, it's very narrow entry & exit. multi entry and exit, it's $26 per day - not a public deal, can assist flyertalk members to arrange.
Dec 11, 2020, 4:56 pm
Exec lounge still closed, Elites get free drinks and a snack platter 5pm-7pm.
Breakfast buffet is back but like QF lounges somebody behind the buffet serves you.
Room service menu is still rubbish, cut-down bar menu. They're pretty good about delivering some plates and cutlery to your room though so you can have a decent Uber Eats experience.
Dec 13, 2020, 6:29 am
Exec lounge still closed, Elites get free drinks and a snack platter 5pm-7pm.
Breakfast buffet is back but like QF lounges somebody behind the buffet serves you.
Room service menu is still rubbish, cut-down bar menu. They're pretty good about delivering some plates and cutlery to your room though so you can have a decent Uber Eats experience.
Last edited by cblaisd; Dec 14, 2020 at 4:10 pm Reason: [Removed off-topic remarks]
Dec 16, 2020, 8:28 pm
Dec 26, 2020, 12:55 am
Last edited by DC9; Dec 26, 2020 at 1:13 am
Jan 24, 2022, 2:59 am
- Buffet breakfast is almost back to full steam, but still doing wastrel hours (doesn't open until 7am).
- Lounge remains closed, drinks + "snack plate" (a couple of samosas, some seafood thing, crackers and cheese). There is a limited selection of free drinks for lounge guests, but as a diamond I had two guests with me and we didn't pay a cent for anything.
- Vintage restaurant is effectively closed - dinner service in the bar with a limited menu, room service also pretty limited. Uber Eats is the way to go.
- Pool has been refurbished - only one lane marked now and the old tiles gone, a plastic or fibreglass insert has filled it.
All up pretty good, by Australian standards during the hypochondria pandemic - a lot of hotels have downgraded service standards to a terrible extent.
Apr 8, 2022, 7:52 pm
Happy to say, everything feels as it did when I was here just before.
Buffet is normal. Lounge is open and was busy last night with the usual lounge snacks. Upgraded to the executive floor with the usual room.
Full buffet is free for Diamonds and a $10 upgrade for golds. This bucks the trend that Australian Hilton's were changing pre-pandemic, which the hot breakfast was an upgrade for everyone. We will see when I hit the DoubleTree in Melbourne if they are back to full buffets there too.
The room could probably use a refresh at one point. Looking at the TV (32") is a bit funny in this modern time and the lack of power points near the bed is always a funny thing at this property.
Overall, it feels like nothing has changed.
Nice to be back
May 25, 2022, 8:07 am
Hilton Brisbane
Hilton Brisbane
190 Elizabeth St Brisbane, QL AU 4000
Good location and friendly helpful staff (29 Photos)
Hilton Brisbane
I had 2 separate stay in this property within a weeks time. This is the only Hilton property in the area, although in the CDB area, there are few other properties with the same hotel category (or higher). During my stay, the hotel was close to fully booked by the looks of room availability and categories.
Location
The property is located in the middle of the CBD area, with the main shopping street (including some high end brands and department stores) just next door to the property. The hotel is a huge complex and at least to me one of the biggest I've seen in Australia..
All the main tourist attractions (not tha many in Brisbane) are within walking distance. For anything else, it will have to be either with public transportation or by car. In my opinion, the public transportation in the area is not the best (especially now the free city ferry service is out of service due to the storms earlier this year), so having a car is not a luxurious choice. Howver it looks like the Brisbane City coucil is sadly not a car fan as parking especially during the work week has to be one of the worst nightmare I've encountered. Street parking is close to non-existance anywhere close to the heart of the CBD area, and those outside of the area, it's either limited to a 2-3 hours and worst is that you can't pay in advance the night before, as meters are shut off. Therefore parking at one where the meter start at 7am, means you need to get to your car/meter to pay before it is activated for the day.
An alternative is to use the app - which is not an opion if you do not have an Australian number. Parking in the hotel's garage is the only feasible option for those that want it easy - but be prepared to pay some serious money for it. From Friday to Sunday evening, there are a couple of city council parking garage within walking distance (which you can overnight - weekdays no overnight is allowed) for a reasonable price.
Check In
I arrived at the hotel close to the official check-in time, to a rather empty lobby/front desk, so I was helped immediately. I was given an option to do a digital check-in which I did not use, though I already noticed that I was pre-upgraded to a King Executive floor. (I also did check on availability of other room types and saw that no Suites were available - on both occasions). On my 2nd stay, I selected a room on the executive floor itself (25th) and facing the other side of the building. [the hotel basically has rooms on either the left/right side]
On my 1st check-in I was initially informed that my room was not ready - and I was offered the option to leave my bags at the hotel. I however requested if I could wait in the lounge which was granted. I was given a key to access the lounge (and elevator). I had to wait for about 20-30 mins before the front desk associate brought the key up to the lounge. I was also given a run down of the different facilities and the situation of the lounge and breakfast.
On my 2nd check-in, I arrived rather late, close to 7pm, and this time checked in by the Asst. Front desk manager. Again a friendly check-in and the process was very casual yet formal. Both times checking into the hotel, the atmosphere was very pleasant and I felt very welcomed.
Room
My first room was on the 23rd floor, and on the same side as the executive lounge - this was with a view towards the Brisbane skyline but also the Brisbane river (partial view). On my 2nd stay, I selected a room on the other side - which in my opinion was a much better view - this was also facing the Brisbane skyline without any river view, however I felt it was much nicer as the buildings were not as close and gave a more "wow" effect in my opinion.
View from the 1st room
2nd room view:
Other than this, both rooms were well appointed and spacious. Along the hallway of the room, the wardrobe and the coffee/tea making facilities including an (empty) minibar was located. At the end of the hallway was the door to the bathroom. I guess for the executive rooms, there's the additional coffee cup machine - this was some generic brand. For my 1st stay, the machine worked fine, however on my 2nd stay, there was something wrong with it, as the coffee was just too watery and rather tasteless (even after informing and getting it supposedly fixed, the next day, the coffee still tasted too watery - which I suspect has to do with the pressure system of the machine).
There was the long usual long combined desk for the TV and drawers and at the end towards the windows is a working desk. There were sufficient electrical outlets available, but as usual, it's all Australia standard plugs. There was also a small seating area - against the wall on the opposite of the window - which was a comfortable chair to relax - and a long mirror.
Sleep quality was very good - with the bed again just right for me, not being too firm or soft. Climate control in the room was good - although the fan speed even at low was slightly more audible than what I like, although never became a problem in the end. The room temperature was well maintained (when initially entering on both separate stays, the room was actually freezing cold, so adjustment would certainly be needed). On both stays, I had zero issues with noise disturbance from inside or outside of the property.
Wifi speed was sufficient and stable - one good thing is that one time connection was sufficient for the whole stay. The TV was the only item which seems to be the item that might be the next item to be upgraded, it was on the smaller side, although still working fine. Programs were mainly Australian local options with a few international channels. (not an issue for me).
The bathroom size sufficient, with only a walk-in shower option available. Water pressure was good, the temperature control of the water was in general ok, although during certain times of the day, it did get a bit funky - becoming either cold or hotter than set for a few seconds. Toileteries were the usual Crabtree and Evelyn sets. Additional amenities were also available.
All in all, a well appointed and well maintained room facilities. on my first stay, I was given a welcome amenity, however on the 2nd stay, I did not get anything.
Executive Lounge
i guess I was lucky as the Executive Lounge was just opened quite recently during my stay. The lounge is opened from morning till late into the evening. The evening social hour starts from 6 till 8pm. Outside of these hours, the usual soft drinks and hot drink options are available for guests. The seating arrangements in the lounge was well appointed in my opinion, suitable for those wanting to work or relax. There was a few computers available for use and printing options.
During the evening social hours, the food options were in my opinion very good - a good mix of cold and hot options. Hot options were usuall fried items - spring rolls, fried dumplings, fritters, etc. There was also a cheese selection and some fruits/dessert available. From drinks point of view, outside of the beer selection, there was 2 reds and 2 white wine and an Australian Sparkling wine. For spirits and other simple mix drinks - this is ordered via the lounge associates.
The different lounge associates that I interacted with were very friendly - with a good balance between being casual and formal. The lounge on my 2nd stay was slightly much more busy (as there seemed to be some defence related gathering ongoing - so there were lots of American defence personel staying at the property for that whole week) - however I did still manage to get a table without issues.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served in the main restuarant. During weekdays, breakfast starts at 6.30am and on weekends, this starts at 7am. I would say that I was very impressed with the offerings from the breakfast - a very good selection of both hot and cold offerings, There was also a fresh juice mixer - which seems to be a the norm these days from my experience on this trip. One advantage of the Hiton breakfast is that speciality coffee options (e.g cappuccino, lattes, etc) are included (compared to Doubletrees) in Australia. These were very good barista made coffee.
Service level was again very good - even though in the early hours it was very busy (again due to the defense related gathering) and this time even with some Australian participants staying at the property. However service level was still on par.
Overall
All in all, a very solid property in my opinion - good service level and good hotel facilities - inlcluding an outdoor pool (it is on the small side) and even tennis courts. Furthermore, with only 3 lifts for the whole property, it was never a long wait for the lift (which to me has ot be one of the fastest lift I've ever been at a hotel).
I will certainly return to this property - even with the parking issues - if I need to be in the area. Hopefully the hotel might negotiate to get better parking rates or some special rates for elite members in the future. The only other complain (but this is generic for all Hilton's in Australia and lots of other business establisment) - as a guest paying with credit card you will need to pay for this credit card charges. I find this rather unfair, as all hotels have gone cashless, so you have no option but to pay with card, so it's more or less forced that you will need to factor in this additional charge. In my opinion, the business associate should lobby to the govt to make sure credit card issuers in Australia will not take advantage of their position and reduce charges.
Aug 28, 2022, 2:17 pm
Public transportation is not amazing but it's usable and generally runs OK, so I don't think a car is necessary at all if you're staying within the CBD. There should certainly be as little street parking in the CBD as possible. If you want a car in order to travel further away, perhaps a city centre hotel is not the best choice. The hotel is easily accessed from the airport by train, although the frequency is only twice an hour outside of rush hours. From Brisbane Central station, go down the escalators, then into Anzac Square arcade where you walk diagonally (due south), then through Queens Plaza and across the pedestrianised Queen Street directly to the lifts which bring you up to the lobby. The train is kind of a ripoff though not that bad with 2 adults. With a small child we could not be bothered to take the cheapskate route via Toombul.
We were upgraded to a King Executive and did OLCI. Actual check in was a bit weird. Firstly they insisted that I tell them which room number I had chosen. I had not memorised the number, and the Hilton app is only on my UK phone, not my Australian phone, so I had to try to connect my UK phone to the wifi, which didn't work, meaning I had to then tether it to my Australian phone before I could retrieve my room number. This took a minute or so and was quite awkward, as they obviously knew the answer but refused to proceed with check in until I was able to tell them myself. (The exact same thing happened at the DT Perth, so I should have learned my lesson.) They then wanted the full names of my wife and son, but didn't ask for ID. They also wanted my Australian mobile number, which was used to text me asking for feedback.
There was no welcome amenity. The auto minibars are now back in use, and thus we could not use the fridge, as the tiny space remaining meant the risk of knocking something over was high. The water pressure from the sink tap was poor. Toilet paper was very poor quality, needed to use at least 36 squares for a Number 2.
The lounge was very crowded on Friday evening and not everyone could get a table immediately. On Saturday it was less crowded and on Sunday it was half-empty. The hot fried food was different every day but not particularly memorable; if you wanted to you could fill yourself up on it (some people did, but tactfully).
In 2018 I posted that I wasn't that impressed with the restaurant breakfast, but this time it was very good. There is an egg station with a wide range of omelette ingredients, lots of different pastries and multiple flavours of yoghurts and smoothies, in addition to the aforementioned fresh juicer. Some of the hot food alternates every other day and they have Chinese congee plus another varying Asian dish.
However I have a major criticism of the breakfast entry routine, with guests queuing for up to 15 minutes at some times because of the extreme inefficiency. This was the case on all three mornings. For example, after the greeting staff led some guests to an empty table, they would often then go and pour them coffee or tea themselves instead of delegating this to other waiters who were just standing around looking for plates to clear. This meant that the next guests were just staring aimlessly into space at the entrance for 2-3 minutes before the greeting staff came back. One of the mornings we had to eat quickly, and the people who had just joined the queue when we sat down, were just about to sit down when we left.
We used the pool. The main pool is supposedly heated but was still a little cold, but bearable. The smaller jacuzzi-type pool is a lot nicer during August.
Some extra photos that were not covered by nldogbert.
Finally, this card surcharge thing. Well, since cash is not accepted, it could simply be considered part of the rate that is advertised separately. Unlike in Europe, this "false advertising" is actually supported by the relevant Australian government agency. To be fair, at this hotel the surcharge is clearly advertised all over.
However - for my stay, the total cost that was shown on the Hilton app just before I pressed book, somehow went up by $5 after pressing book. The app then showed the higher amount and so did the confirmation email. On attempting a duplicate booking, the app still showed the lower amount, so something odd is going on. This was a prepaid rate and my card was charged within a few hours, a month before the stay.
To add insult to injury, after checking out, they then charged my card a further 1.5% "surcharge". In my 2018 stay, I was charged exactly what was shown on the Hilton website and I recall there was a message saying prepaid rates already included the surcharge - as back then there was the option to pay flexible rates using cash, while prepaid rates typically had to be paid by card.
This left a very bad feeling and makes me hesitate to stay here again, especially because the originally advertised price was already on the high side and only justified because I have no time to do mattress runs this year.
Jun 8, 2023, 1:36 am
Lounge offerings were decent overall, with 2 nights being very good and 1 night so-so. Decent red wines (2), 2 white wines, 5 or 6 different beers ( including Kirin and Heineken), spirits, sparkling wine.
Full breakfast buffet for Diamond, only drawback was the need to lineup which was slow to move (staff inefficiencies), and they would always try and seat you next to occupied tables (between 2 occupied tables with little space between the tables) even though there were plenty of available tables elsewhere with nobody adjacent.
Short walk to buses to go to various places, central railway station with connection to airport is 10 or so minute walk. Area is not noisy, plenty of places to eat nearby. 15-20 minute walk to Queensland Museum, less than that to river ferries.
Mar 11, 2024, 6:23 am
Not sure what is going on but I’d think if it was a refurb they would still be taking bookings.