Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 3.5/5 – Great location
Services: 3/5 – Not as refined as expected in a 5-star hotel
Bedroom: 4/5 – Top floor, good size, air conditioning controller was rather dodgy though
Sleep quality: 4/5 – Generally quiet, although sound insulation could be better
Bathroom: 3.5/5 – Fairly spacious, clean, dual basins
Breakfast: 4.5/5 – Good for Australian standard
Facilities and amenities: 3/5 – Swimming pool and gym were located in the Mercure Hotel wing; gym appeared dated and tired
Pros
- Great location in the centre of Brisbane
Cons
- Overall experience seemed comparable to staying at a 4-star hotel
Long review
Arriving at the Brisbane Airport, my family and I immediately hopped on the train because the hotel is located conveniently within a short walking distance from the Roma Street train station. The lobby was spacious, accentuated further by the high ceiling. The interior design looked great, and I particularly liked the elaborate ceiling. The reception desk was circular and appropriately placed in the centre of the space.
The compound had two wings. The one on the left housed the Mercure Hotel, while Pullman was on the opposite wing. Check in for both hotels were done in the same lobby. We arrived about half an hour earlier than the normal check-in time, which was 2 pm. The reception staff asked us to wait a little bit to ensure that the room was ready. We only needed to wait for about 5 minutes and was informed that the room was ready. We headed to the lifts and noticed a baby grand piano tucked in front of the lifts.
Our room was on the executive floor, which was also the top floor. The executive twin room was spacious at around 36 square metres. It was equipped with 2 queen beds. In addition to the standard amenities, the hotel webpage explained that guests staying on executive floors enjoyed complimentary wireless internet, luxury bathrobes and slippers, and a Nespresso coffee machine.
A welcome note and a plate of dessert, comprising a macaroon, a slice of red velvet cake, chocolate, and pieces of fruit were placed on a side table. The dessert was delicious. A bottle of still water and a bottle of sparkling water were provided throughout our stay.
Looking through the window, I could see the Roma Street Parkland.
Back to the room, the beds were comfortable. The room was mostly quiet at night, although sometimes I could hear noises from the neighbour and the street, indicating that the insulation could be improved. We did not use much heating or cooling because the room temperature was fairly comfortable without it. However, when trying to use the air conditioning unit, the wall controller seemed rather dodgy. I needed to press quite rigorously to adjust the temperature, and it was impossible to change the mode, for instance, from cooling to heating. Overall, we still had comfortable night sleeps.
The bathroom perhaps looked a bit outdated, but this was not an issue at all. I appreciated the dual basins and the bathtub. One of the taps on the bathtub was rather funny as I could turn it continuously. Again, a minor issue given that it did not affect its function.
Breakfast was served at the Goldfinch Restaurant, located in the Mercure Hotel wing. Guests from both hotels had their breakfast here. Breakfast was enjoyable because the dishes were delicious. The variety was pretty good for an Australian hotel. However, the overall experience was perhaps closer to an upper level 4-star hotel than a 5-star hotel. For instance, usually hot beverages were served for guests in a 5-star hotel, while here it was essentially self-service. For more breakfast experience, you can watch the video below.
The hotel also had a swimming pool and a gym. Both were located in the Mercure Hotel wing, so we needed to go to the ground floor or another floor which allowed us to connect to Mercure Hotel if we wanted to use the two facilities. The outdoor rooftop pool was on the small size, which was typical for Australian standard, but it had a nice sundeck. I don’t think the water was heated though. Even though Brisbane’s winter is generally very mild, the water was still freezing.
The equipment in the gym was adequate. However, the gym room itself needed some freshening up.
Its location was the best feature of the hotel. As I mentioned earlier, it was within a short walking distance from the Roma Street train station. The King George Square bus station was next to the hotel. Both provided convenient public transport options to explore Brisbane, including access to the ferry service. Brisbane City Hall, which housed the Museum of Brisbane, was also located next to the hotel. The Roma Street Parkland was again within a short stroll. Finally, the Queen Street Mall, a well-known pedestrian mall in Brisbane, was within a very short walking distance.
The service offered by the staff was generally acceptable, although not as refined as I expected given that this was a 5-star hotel. For instance, I requested for a 2 extra pillows in the morning, in which the reception staff said that they would be delivered promptly. I needed to call the reception again in the afternoon before the pillows were delivered. The staff in the breakfast area did not know that breakfast was already included in the room on the first day we went there. Then one day the room was not cleaned even though we left it in the morning and were back in the afternoon. The staff eventually came in the late afternoon, so we simply asked her to empty the bins instead of tidying up the entire room. Even the reception staff and concierge seemed on the slow side in serving the guests.
The video below gives some more highlights of the hotel. All in all, it was still an enjoyable stay, particularly due to the location of the hotel. Probably staying in the Mercure side is more strategic because it allows you to enjoy the same facilities provided to the Pullman guests with a cheaper price. We stayed in the Mercure side before, and you can read the experience here.
