The Westin, located in Brisbane, is close to riverside bars and restaurants. Photo / Adam Bruzzone
The Westin, located in Brisbane, is close to riverside bars and restaurants. Photo / Adam Bruzzone
Bonnie Jansen reviews The Westin Brisbane and finds a breakfast to die for, scenery to swoon over.
Location: Very central in Brisbane and not far from restaurants and bars fronting the riverside.
Style: Fairly modern.
Perfect for: A romantic weekend in the city, and easy to get aroundand attend events.
First impressions: The Westin felt very modern and brand new on arrival. It was clean and well set up. The bar in the foyer seemed popular, and I was under the impression it was quite a high-end hotel.
Rooms: The rooms were spacious and included a large bathroom and a super-king bed. The room had an excellent view over the Brisbane River, which was great to see at night. Though the room was modern, it didn’t feel as brand new as the reception and other facilities in the hotel.
Unfortunately, there was an issue with my room not being fully cleaned. The staff at The Westin were swift and seamless in helping me move to a new room. They were apologetic and arranged for a complimentary bottle of wine to be sent to my room.
The guest rooms in The Westin are not only spacious but also provide captivating night-time views of the Brisbane River. Photo / Adam Bruzzone
Bathroom:
As mentioned, the bathroom was large, so much so, it felt like a completely different room. It has everything you need in terms of toiletries for a luxury hotel stay - from a toothbrush set to sanitary items and everything you didn’t know you needed. There were plenty of fluffy white towels and lush facecloths.
Food & drink:
The breakfast buffet was to die for. And as with many high-end hotels, there were far too many food options to choose from. As I checked in I was immediately drawn to the fresh, sticky, dripping honeycomb, before stumbling across a salad bar, cold meats and cheese fridge, as well as my favourite - cold, freshly made juices. They of course had all the classics like streaky bacon, eggs and pancakes. The breakfast room was bright and bubbly with sunlight flooding in. It made for a perfect workspace too.
Late afternoon, Westin Club was the place to be. Exclusive access is available to select member levels of the Marriott Bonvoy. There was a selection of food, treats and beverages. Fortunately, I was able to check this out; the service was excellent, and again there were too many yummy options to choose from.
A prominent feature of The Westin's facilities is the infinity pool, which gives a scenic view of Brisbane's skyscrapers and is heated for winter swims. Photo / Adam Bruzzone
Facilities:
The pool was a highlight at The Westin. Though it was the middle of winter, the pool heating was perfectly set for a Sunday afternoon lounge in the water - which was done on the large floating water beanbags. The infinity-style pool had views of the skyrise buildings in the heart of Brisbane. They also had an epic, and more importantly, clean, water bar at the back of the pool. Unfortunately, it was closed when I went but it was something that certainly drew me back to the place.
In the neighbourhood:
There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance. Alternatively, you can catch the CityCat ferry to get around. It’s conveniently located with plenty of shopping options nearby. Kayaking down the river, heading to sporting events or a day trip out to one of the many islands are also popular activities.
For select members of the Marriott Bonvoy, the Westin Club becomes a hotspot in the late afternoon, offering exclusive dining options. Photo / Adam Bruzzone
The facilities were wheelchair-friendly, helped by the spacious lifts. Guests can request a room with an accessible bathroom, complete with a wall-mounted shower bench, lever taps and sliding door. The swimming pool features a pool chair hoist.
Sustainability:
It’s hard to find a hotel these days that doesn’t practise good sustainability, however, The Westin had great environmental initiatives. The toiletries were nearly all in paper or cardboard packaging. One morning I was leaving early, meaning I would miss the breakfast buffet. The hotel arranged takeaway boxes of breakfast for my group so that, other than the cardboard, compostable lunchboxes, there was no extra or unneeded packaging that is typically found in packed lunches.
