Our thanks to Visit Brisbane for hosting our stay so we could write this detailed report about our experience.
G’day! If you’re following along with my family’s epic trip to Fiji and Australia (I’ll list all of our trip reports and hotel reviews down below), this is Part 10. We left off after just touching down in Brisbane and visiting the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
But first of all, I should tell you why my wife and I chose to visit Brisbane. Brisbane doesn’t get nearly enough attention as other Australian capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne but it’s about to since the city is hosting the upcoming 2032 Summer Olympic games. That may seem far away but in reality, it’s just around the corner and will be here before we know it. Plus, the city and state of Queensland are incentivizing U.S. carriers to fly there so more nonstop flights from the U.S. will definitely be a draw.
I’ve been fortunate to travel to Brisbane several times and have enjoyed each and every visit. In some ways, the city reminds me of San Diego, though warmer (it has a subtropical climate), and minus the tasty Mexican food and culture. In the past, I used Brisbane as a jumping off point to get to the Great Barrier Reef or other incredible destinations like Frasier Island.
But this time, we chose Brisbane largely because our kids love the Australian animated series Bluey, which was created in Brisbane and the much-anticipated Bluey’s World, an immersive experience, was newly opened. You can read our full review here. I figured that since we were just an hour flight away, why not make the kids’ dreams come true? After all, Bluey’s World had literally had just opened a week or two prior to our visit, which meant we could be among the first to visit. I also knew that we could do some other amazing things in Brisbane, including petting a koala, something that’s illegal in New South Wales, the state within which Sydney is located.
We only had two full days and because our Qantas flight was delayed by almost three hours, it really put a dent into our plans to explore the city. Arriving at 7pm makes it too late to do anything with little kids since you still need to collect your bags and drive to downtown, about 20 minutes. Plus, there’s also a one-hour time change so it’s really an hour later.
I made the rookie mistake of relying on our driver to take us to the right hotel. It never occurred to me that there could be two Adina Apartment Hotels in the city. It should have since I’d actually stayed at one of their excellent family-friendly and long-term business traveler’s hotels before in Berlin, back in 2013. So naturally, I was kicking myself when the check-in agent at the hotel said, “Sorry, we don’t have a reservation for you.” Tip: Make sure to always double check the name of your hotel and the exact street address.
Fortunately, getting an Uber in Brisbane is no problem. One showed up in less than two minutes and it was less than a 10-minute drive to the right hotel. But after lugging all of our heavy suitcases up and down stairs, my back was killing me and the kids were sleeping. Not a great combo.
Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane
The Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane (171 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000) is a beautiful hotel in a heritage-listed building and features contemporary studios and apartments.
The ground floor lobby space is gorgeous and celebrates the building’s Art Deco origins.
There are three dining options at the hotel: Donna Chang serves up Cantonese food while The Boom Boom Room serves Japanese cuisine with the local produce of Australia. St Marks Road Co., located in the lobby of Adina Brisbane and open daily, serves up coffee and pastries for breakfast.
We had a spacious two-bedroom apartment with two full bathrooms, a living room and a complete kitchen. It was perfect for our family of four and we loved having lots of room to spread out.
When you’re traveling with little kids (and even if you’re not), a washer, dryer and small kitchen are incredible amenities to have.
And then there’s the hotel’s prime location overlooking the Brisbane River. You can easily explore the local area using the city’s public transport, with convenient access to major train stations, bus stops and a CityCat ferry terminal nearby. At night, especially on a somewhat cloudy one, you can really see the city’s light show reflected in the clouds.
It’s walking distance to dozens of shops (including Target, which, despite its nearly identical logo, branding and offerings, is not affiliated with Target in the United States), restaurants, a major grocery store, cafés, museums and ferries.
Part One: Flight review: Our 11-hour flight on Fiji Airways from Los Angeles to Nadi
Part Two: Getting from Nadi International Airport to Castaway Island in Fiji
Part Three: Hotel review: Castaway Island Resort Fiji
Part Four: Hotel review: Nanuku Resort Fiji
Part Five: Flight review: Fiji Airways from Nadi, Fiji to Sydney, Australia
Part Six: Roar and Snore at the Taronga Zoo: Hands down the coolest place to stay in Sydney, Australia
Part Seven: Flight review: Flying Qantas between Sydney and Brisbane, Australia
Part Eight: Bluey’s World is a fun immersive experience the whole family will love
Part Nine: The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia is a must-visit experience you won’t want to miss
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