Novotel South Bank overlooks expansive Musgrave Park and is a couple of blocks behind Brisbane’s vibrant South Bank. It’s also only a 10-minute stroll to trendy West End village and to Fish Lane’s popular bars and restaurants.

Novotel South Bank, Brisbane.

The place

This new 4.5-star hotel opened last May. It has an outdoor lap pool and gym on level one, and open-plan restaurant, bar and lounge on the ground, adjacent to reception. The best rooms overlook Musgrave Park and feature floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a classic Novotel, functional and bright, with friendly staff, two meeting rooms and (paid) underground parking. It’s the perfect base for conferences at Brisbane’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, as well as for holidaying families making the most of South Bank’s cultural precinct and  its riverside lagoon and beach. Wi-fi is free to Accor Le Club loyalty members, which is free to join.

Rooms

There are 238 rooms over nine floors, ranging from standard (king-sized bed, ensuite shower, small desk, smart TV) to 40 square metre junior suites (king-sized bedroom, separate lounge room, two smart TVs, mini bar and Nespresso coffee machines) and two executive suites (twice the size of the standard, with electric blinds, twin basins and bathtub in ensuite). Accessible rooms are also available for disabled guests.

Food and drink

The Spice Central Kitchen and Bar is an impressive and welcoming hotel food and beverage outlet, with a menu worth staying in for. Appealing dinner appetisers include seared prawns in a yellow-curry bisque with slaw and an Australian mussel pot, mariniere-style with chimichurri. Imaginative Asian-leaning mains include Lapsang souchong tea-infused barramundi and there is a range of steak cuts to please carnivores. The bar opens up into a lounge area, which is a good place to meet with friends or colleagues.

What guests like

‘Affordable price. The rooms above expectations. The greeting exceptional.’

‘Stayed in a spacious junior suite. Clean, modern and wonderfully quiet. Good selection of Foxtel channels available. Staff pleasant and friendly. Great if you are attending a venue in South Bank.’ – TripAdvisor

‘Travel for work. Lovely to arrive back daily to warm smiles, lovely spacious rooms and all the facilities you need. The chef is awesome.’

Novotel South Bank in brief

Who stays?

Business travellers and holidaying couples and families.

How big?

238 keys, ranging in size from king-sized standard rooms up to junior and executive suites, with lounge rooms.

Cost

Rooms from $AUD148.

Check in

2pm

Check out

11am

Highlights

Friendly staff and an appealing 20-metre outdoor pool.

Nearby

It’s 800 metres to Brisbane’s convention centre and a five-minute walk to South Bank’s happening cultural precinct beside the Brisbane River.

This review first appeared in Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.