Have you ever stepped into a hotel room and immediately wanted to own all the furnishings? The New Inchcolm Hotel in Brisbane is styled how I want my home of the future to look – characterful, creative, quirky yet comfortable; modern, luxurious furnishings with a hint of vintage and a flash of gold.
The New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites is part of Accor’s MGallery Collection of unique, high-end boutiques. The property on Wickham Terrace was built in the 1920s and its heritage has been honoured in the recent renovations – Thomson’s Reserve Restaurant and the sophisticated Socialites Bar, in particular, reflect the glamour of the 1920s socialite scene and the meeting rooms have the names ‘Foxtrot’ and ‘Charleston’, so even business sounds like fun! At the heart of the building is a heritage-listed cage lift – originally constructed in New York in the 1920s – but modernised today with a glass door, which allows you a peak at the hallways as you ascend through the hotel. The lift’s story is revealed in a ‘please read me’ booklet hanging inside it, something my partner picked up and dug into right away.
But back to the room. The 50 bedrooms at the hotel have been carefully designed by Robertson Design Studio International. Artefacts, furniture and fabrics feel as if they have been specially curated (and created) for the hotel and it’s a pleasure for a guest to slowly take that all in. There are globes on the shelves, vintage luggage on the wardrobe and a never-ending and non-steaming mirror in the bathroom that altogether make you feel like you are somewhere special. As for the gold chaise lounge – where can I get one please?
Even the ‘maxibar’ is a real treat. Opening what I assumed was another wardrobe I discovered a full minibar, sink, Nespresso Machine and Delonghi kettle. There was also a teapot, which pleased this tea drinker, and 3 types of tea in the drawer. (I read you can request more from reception at any time.) The bathroom amenities are by Aussie brand Appelles, and with ingredients such as cedarwood atlas, juniper berry and patchouli, they make you feel as good as you smell!
Given the boutique a modern touch are the in-room iPads. All the details of the room and hotel facilities are stored on the hotel’s own app. Everything from prices for the minibar to timings for the restaurant can be found here. You can download the app before your stay in order to help make the most of your time at the hotel and I recommend you do so – we forgot to consult it regarding breakfast times and completely missed out on trying the Thomson Reserve’s French Toast.
The Reception area is as equally beautiful as the rooms. With a roaring fire and range of Appelles products you can purchase if you liked the ones in the rooms, it’s a cosy spot in the centre of the property. It may just have been the timing of our visit (we only stayed for 1 night) but if I’m entirely honest the service was a little patchy. With such a beautiful, luxurious hotel you expect the best but the hotel seemed short staffed on our visit. We visited reception 3 times to find no one on it and when we were informed just before 10am on Saturday that we were too late for breakfast we weren’t given any good alternatives to dine at in the area. (Don’t go to the nearest café on the corner – just saying! Try Jac & Hill on Astor Terrace instead.) The timings are all in the app but it would have been good to have been warned at check in that breakfast finishes at 10am on the weekend. Check out is not until 11am so we may not be the only guests stuck in this position.
That being said, we had a wonderful night. We enjoyed the wine and atmosphere in the bar before climbing into the sumptuous bed – a bed so deep and soft I sank right into it and didn’t want to leave.
The hotel is within easy reach of Brisbane Central and Fortitude Valley but is tucked away in a corner that feels discreet. If you’re a fan of the glamorous 20s but with the luxuries of the 00s, The New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites is the place to be in Brisbane.
Rooms at The New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites start from $299 AUD per night. For more information and to book visit www.mgallery.com.
My room was complimentary, all opinions are my own.
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That room would make such a nice apartment!
I know! I was ready to move in 😉
I love little quirky boutique hotels like this 🙂
Me too. This was my first MGallery experience but I’m keen to see more after this taster.
This hotel looks fantastic! We really like how many boutique hotels are moving toward chic design housed within an old building. The contrast between the two styles — in this case, the blacks, whites and yellows of the room with the rich wood of the hotel — is a tremendous visual experience.
Barcelona is moving toward this dichotomy and we really appreciate it. In the meantime though, if we ever make it out to Brisbane, we’ll be sure to stay at the Inchcolm!
My partner and I felt the same beautiful venue but service was lacking.