Exclusive first look at new hotel The Star Grand Brisbane

After nearly a decade of anticipation, it’s time to peek into the first completed five-star hotel rooms at The Star Grand Brisbane, at the city’s hottest new destination, the $3.6billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct.

The penthouse bathrooms are the stuff hotel dreams are made of.

Walking into the hotel through the barricades around the William Street porte-cochere, home to a 21-metre glass oculus, you’ll find yourself amidst a sea of hard hats and high-vis vests.

Inside, a lineup of mattresses looks like the queue for a Taylor Swift concert as the 340 rooms are transformed from construction sites into luxury havens.

The lobby at The Star Grand Brisbane is coming together with bespoke hand-made Lasvit glass lighting, plush seating, and commissioned art set against a Brisbane River backdrop. Floor-to-ceiling windows (you’ll see plenty of these) showcase empty chairs eagerly waiting to be filled at Chef Alex Yu’s Sokyo, the ground-floor restaurant that promises award-winning Japanese cuisine.

Up on level 16 (the hotel occupies floors eight to 17 over two river-facing towers), just below the 250m rooftop runway of restaurants on the Sky Deck 100 metres above the river, the first completed rooms await inspection.  First to reveal its glory is the glamourous River City room. As the door opens, curtains magically peel back on the curved, floor-to-ceiling windows in the 40-square-metre space to showcase a panoramic Brisbane view. 

Outside the window, the Wheel of Brisbane spins and the Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge stretches over the river, giving The Star Grand a unique link between the CBD and South Bank. Feeling daring? Go right to the edge and look down on kilometres of riverfront parkland with some of the 2,000 trees and nearly 60,000 plants used to landscape the precinct.

Imagine waking up to this in the morning or, even better, sinking into the plush plum armchairs fortified with your favourite tipple in hand. Enjoy a fiery Brisbane sunset silhouetted against Mount Coot-tha and the Scenic Rim mountains, followed by a dazzling display of fireworks lighting up the night sky during the Riverfire festival.

The décor, crafted by the international design studio Hassell, draws inspiration from the ripples of the Brisbane River. It features sophisticated shades of subtle blues, dusky pinks, tans, and striking Calacatta Viola marble accents.

It’s all at your fingertips, and you can customise everything from lighting and drapes to room temperature. The opulence continues in the bathroom with dual rain showerheads and Karl Lagerfeld products.

Elevate your hotel suite experience with The Star Brisbane’s glamorous suites. There are 60 rooms ranging from 75 to 113 sqm, including spacious open-plan living areas and luxury freestanding bathtubs.

If serious luxury is on the agenda, only one of the four 217 sqm Skyline Penthouse Suites on the top two levels will do. These suites boast a spacious open-plan lounge and dining area with a powder room. Each has two private guest bedrooms with its own ensuite; however, only one features an oversized bathtub, perfect for two, offering one of Brisbane’s best views. Additional amenities include dual vanities with oversized mirrors, a shower room, a walk-through wardrobe, and a high-tech toilet seat with an instruction panel.

Designed for entertaining with a large dining table, the suite has a kitchenette and a well-equipped butler’s pantry that caterers will love. A separate staff entrance makes sky-high, seamless entertaining a breeze.

Need an accessible room? The Star Grand has got you covered with dedicated Accessible River and City King rooms, ensuring every guest can enjoy the luxury.

Hotel bookings go live tomorrow, July 15th, but bookings are already flooding in for The Star’s expansive state-of-the-art 3,500 sqm Event Centre, which will host events from early September. It also has a 2,000 sqm pillarless ballroom, set to be Brisbane’s largest.

Restaurants opening at The Star Brisbane in August include celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle, which serves easy Asian street food, a showstopping Sports Bar equipped with 100sqm LED screens, entertainment venue LiveWire, and Cherry, a cheeky cocktail bar.

Italian diner Cucina Regina, Latin-American-flavoured Azteca, and Black Hide Steak & Seafood by Gambaro will open throughout the rest of 2024, with more to come on the Sky Deck.

Also, hold off on packing that swimsuit. The Star Grand Brisbane's three stunning pools won't be ready by August, but they will be making a splash just in time for summer.

With its sophisticated design, breathtaking views, and lavish amenities, this hotel is set to become the premier destination for discerning travellers. Bookings for The Star Grand, opening on August 29, begin at 10 am on July 15. Don’t miss the chance to be among the first to experience the unparalleled luxury of Brisbane’s new star.

Need to know

•   Prices start at $558 per night and skyrocket to $5,118 for one of the four top-level Skyline Penthouse Suites.
•   The 4.5-star Dorsett hotel and Australia’s only ultra-luxury, 6-star Rosewood hotel are scheduled to open in future phases of The Star Brisbane.
•   7.5 hectares of public space surrounding the precinct, including Neville Bonner Bridge, the upgraded Bicentennial Bikeway, Miller Park, Sky Deck viewing platform and Leisure Deck on Level Seven will open progressively from August 29. 
•   The Landing green space opens after Riverfire on August 31.

Originally published as Exclusive first look at new hotel The Star Grand Brisbane