Adina Apartment Hotel, Brisbane

This grand building in Brisbane’s CBD opened in 1922 as a bank. Its latest incarnation? A 220-room luxury apartment hotel.

Grand: the foyer at Adina

It’s an impressive entrance, and hard to know where to look first. Down at the carefully preserved old “State Government Insurance Office” mosaic in the floor of the portico? Ahead at the timber heritage doors that open automatically, Get Smart style, to the grand foyer? Or up at the soaring ceilings, all carvings and grandeur in what used to be the banking chamber of one of Queensland’s finest buildings?

And that’s just the lobby. There’s also an outdoor pool, open-roofed but surrounded by four towering walls, one of which has been left gouged at intervals as a reminder of the fire escape that once stood here; the Boom Boom Room restaurant and bar in the basement, where disused bank vaults, their heavy doors firmly ajar, have been converted into private function rooms; and an old staircase, a lovingly refurbished wrought iron beauty that is often used as a backdrop for wedding photos.

Adina’s pool

“New and old” is a recurring theme in this impeccably restored building in Brisbane’s CBD, which has existed in multiple guises through its long life. Originally an eight-storey bank that opened in 1922, it has also housed a radio station and for a long time was home to government departments. Today, sitting opposite Queens Gardens and with close-up views of the Brisbane River, it hosts overnight and long-term visitors in its new life as a 220-room apartment hotel.

By day it’s an ideal spot from which to explore central Brisbane, with a popular cafe in one downstairs nook and bustling Queen Street Mall only a couple of minutes away. Border closures have kept many people – myself included – away from Queensland for much of the past year, and returning in early autumn reveals a city that is reassuringly familiar. Lush gardens are bursting with vibrant foliage, the food markets are thrumming on a weekday lunchtime, and across at South Bank the resident ferris wheel is making slow rotations high above the city.

The Boom Boom Room

But it’s at night that the outlook from the hotel is most spectacular. For those able to score a water view, the river and its surrounds are bursting with colour. The old Treasury building is aglow in pink beside the blue-edged Victoria Bridge, and all along South Bank buildings are illuminated.

Perhaps the most unique view comes courtesy of a two-bedroom suite situated on what was formerly the roof of the century-old building. As part of the restoration and conversion to a hotel, several extra levels were added. Spacious suite 806 sits on what was the original building’s roof level, and has a unique wrap-around balcony with views through the old sandstone pillars across the city. Like all rooms it contains a kitchenette, making it suitable for short and long-term stays, and like larger suites it also has laundry facilities.

Adina suite

My tenth-floor one-bedroom apartment is in the new section of the building and features rug-covered floors, a spacious lounge and dining area and a balcony ideal for al fresco dining (if you don’t mind street noise). Inside, with the windows shut and the curtains wide open, it’s quiet and comfortable, and akin to being in an eagle’s nest, ideal for staring out at the high rises and ongoing construction in a city that’s as bustling as ever – a comforting touchstone after a long and reluctant absence.

• Perfect for: A city stay.

• Must do: Just a couple of blocks away is one of the city’s best natural assets, the Brisbane River. Some of the city’s top attractions are dotted along its banks, from the Gallery of Modern Art and the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens to the newish Howard Smith Wharves, with their stunning views of the Story Bridge and the city skyline. The riverside is mostly walkable, and there are regular ferries.

Donna Chang Restaurant. Picture: Jared Vethaak

• Dining: Hotel restaurant Donna Chang (the name is a Seinfeld reference) is on the ground floor in an equally impressive corner of what was once the old Queensland Savings Bank. The modern Chinese menu features tasty classics such as roast duck pancakes and more contemporary desserts including an almond milk panna cotta with poached stone fruit and osmanthus honey, and a beautifully rich mango and cream-filled pancake.

• Getting there: The hotel is at 171 George St, about 25 minutes’ drive from Brisbane airport and a 12-minute walk from Central station trains.

• Bottom line: Rooms range from studios (from $175pn) to the three-bedroom penthouse (from $869). Premier one-bedroom apartment with balcony from $247. Limited onsite parking $30 per day.

adinahotels.com