New hotels in Brisbane

Brisbane's hotel map has shifted fast since 2020, with five verified new openings and pipeline projects anchoring different parts of the river city: Hotel X Brisbane in Fortitude Valley, voco Brisbane City Centre and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre on the CBD's North Quay, the five-star Star Grand Brisbane inside the Queen's Wharf precinct, and Kimpton Hotel Teneriffe, Queensland's first Kimpton, planned for 2028 in the riverside Teneriffe Banks precinct. First-timers and business travelers do best in the CBD; families and pool-seekers gravitate to South Bank or Queen's Wharf; nightlife-focused stays suit Fortitude Valley. Brisbane's 2032 Olympic buildout keeps reshaping the skyline around all of them.

What to do

A weekend in Brisbane

A short break in Brisbane runs on foot and by CityCat ferry. Start on the south side of the river at South Bank Parklands, home to Streets Beach — Australia's only inner-city, man-made swimming lagoon — the free Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA/GOMA), and the Wheel of Brisbane observation wheel. Cross the pedestrian Neville Bonner Bridge into the Queen's Wharf precinct for the 100-metre-high Sky Deck and its casino, restaurants and bars, then walk into the CBD for Queen Street Mall shopping and the riverfront promenade. In the evening, a short trip to Fortitude Valley covers Brunswick Street Mall, the Chinatown Mall and the bars and live-music venues that make the Valley Brisbane's official entertainment precinct.

A full week

With a full week, add the neighborhoods that reward slower exploring. New Farm Park and the Brisbane Powerhouse arts venue sit on the river east of Fortitude Valley, reachable by CityCat ferry, with the Merthyr Village dining strip and art deco streets nearby. West End, across the Kurilpa Bridge from the CBD, is worth a day for Boundary Street's cafés, independent galleries, street art and the Saturday Green Flea Markets at Davies Park. Budget half a day for the Queen's Wharf precinct itself — its roughly 50 dining venues, heritage buildings and riverfront lawns take longer to cover than a single evening allows — and keep an afternoon free for a CityCat run along the full river loop to see how the CBD, South Bank, New Farm and West End connect by water.

Neighborhoods

CBD (Brisbane City centre)

The central business district is the default base for a first visit or a work trip: Queen Street Mall, King George Square and the river walk are all within walking distance, and the CBD connects to South Bank on foot across the Victoria and Kurilpa bridges. The North Quay riverfront strip inside the CBD carries two of Brisbane's newest hotels: voco Brisbane City Centre, a 194-room upscale property with a rooftop pool that opened in June 2022, and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre, a 212-room boutique hotel that followed a month later in July 2022. Both sit close to Roma Street station, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre across the river, and the CBD's main shopping and dining strip — the practical choice for anyone who wants a central room without booking inside the Queen's Wharf precinct itself.

Queen's Wharf precinct

Queen's Wharf is Brisbane's newest riverside district, a 26-hectare development along William Street built around restored heritage buildings and new towers, linked to South Bank by the pedestrian Neville Bonner Bridge. The precinct houses the city's casino, roughly 50 dining venues, a 100-metre-high Sky Deck observation platform, and the five-star Star Grand Brisbane, a 340-room hotel that opened in August 2024 with river-facing suites, an Isoletto Pool Club (three infinity-edge pools, sauna and steam room), and restaurants including Sokyo and Fat Noodle. It's the closest Brisbane comes to a resort-style precinct without leaving the CBD, and further hotel rooms are still due to open in the district through the rest of 2026 as the wider development is completed.

South Bank

Across the river from the CBD, South Bank is Brisbane's cultural and family hub: South Bank Parklands runs along the water with Streets Beach, the free QAGOMA and GOMA galleries, the Wheel of Brisbane, and the Fish Lane dining strip. It's the most family-friendly base in the city, walkable to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and connected to the Queen's Wharf precinct by the Neville Bonner footbridge, making it a practical choice for river views and green space without needing a car. No new-build hotel has opened here since 2020, but its position between the CBD and Queen's Wharf keeps it within easy reach of all four of Brisbane's newest properties.

Fortitude Valley

Immediately northeast of the CBD, Fortitude Valley is Brisbane's designated nightlife precinct — the country's first government-recognized Special Entertainment Precinct, with around 30 venues licensed until 3am and the BIGSOUND music conference held there every September. Brunswick Street Mall and the Chinatown Mall anchor its pedestrian core, while the neighboring James Street precinct adds boutique shopping, cinemas and upscale dining. It's home to Hotel X Brisbane, a 146-room boutique hotel that opened here in February 2021, a location suited to couples and groups who want to walk to bars and restaurants rather than book a car or rideshare.

New Farm

East of Fortitude Valley on the river, New Farm is a quieter, leafier alternative built around New Farm Park and the Brisbane Powerhouse arts venue, a converted tramway power station that hosts performances and markets. The suburb's art deco streets and Merthyr Village dining strip earned it a reputation as Brisbane's "Little Italy," and two CityCat ferry stops give direct water access to the CBD and South Bank without needing a hotel shuttle. There's no tracked new-build hotel here yet, but New Farm's walking distance to Fortitude Valley's nightlife keeps it in range for anyone booked at Hotel X Brisbane who wants a quieter street to return to.

Teneriffe

A former riverside wool-store district just north of New Farm and Fortitude Valley, Teneriffe has spent the past two decades converting its heritage warehouses into apartments, restaurants and boutique retail along Vernon Terrace and the riverwalk. It's the site of Kimpton Hotel Teneriffe, planned for 2028 as the hotel anchor of developer Kokoda Property's roughly $1.5B Teneriffe Banks precinct, with a level-14 restaurant and an infinity pool positioned over the Brisbane River — Queensland's first Kimpton and the neighborhood's first tracked hotel opening.

West End

South of the CBD across the Kurilpa Bridge, West End is Brisbane's most multicultural and creative suburb, built around Boundary Street's cafés and restaurants and the Saturday Green Flea Markets at Davies Park. Street art, independent galleries and a strong café culture give it a laid-back register next to the CBD's business tone, and it sits close enough to South Bank and the CBD to reach on foot or by a short bus ride. No new-build hotel has opened in West End since 2020, but it's worth knowing as a dining detour for anyone staying across the river in the CBD or at Queen's Wharf.

Which hotel for your trip

Traveling with family

South Bank's Streets Beach and riverside parklands make it the easiest family base in Brisbane, with free galleries and playgrounds within a short walk. For a higher-budget stay closer to the action, the Star Grand Brisbane at Queen's Wharf pairs its 340 rooms with an on-site leisure deck and pool club, putting a five-star family stay a footbridge away from South Bank itself.

As a couple

Hotel X Brisbane's Fortitude Valley address puts a 146-room boutique hotel steps from the Valley's bars, live music and restaurants — a fit for a couple planning to walk to dinner and stay out late. For a quieter, more polished romantic stay, the Star Grand Brisbane's river-facing suites and rooftop-adjacent pool club at Queen's Wharf suit a higher budget and a slower pace.

For business and events

voco Brisbane City Centre and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre both sit on North Quay in the CBD, within walking distance of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Queen Street Mall and Roma Street station. Between the two, voco carries the larger dedicated event space, while Hotel Indigo leans boutique — both are the practical pick for a conference, meeting, or short work trip that needs a central room.

First stay in Brisbane

Either of the CBD's North Quay hotels — voco Brisbane City Centre or Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre — puts South Bank, Queen Street Mall and the river walk within reach on foot. If the Queen's Wharf precinct's casino, Sky Deck and dining are the main draw, the Star Grand Brisbane works as a landmark stay right inside it, with the CBD and South Bank both a short walk away.

Frequently asked questions

How many new hotels have opened in Brisbane since 2020?

Five new hotels are tracked in Brisbane: Hotel X Brisbane in Fortitude Valley (February 2021), voco Brisbane City Centre and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre on the CBD's North Quay (June and July 2022), the five-star Star Grand Brisbane at Queen's Wharf (August 2024), and Kimpton Hotel Teneriffe, planned for 2028 in the riverside Teneriffe Banks precinct.

What is the newest hotel to open in Brisbane?

The most recent verified opening is the Star Grand Brisbane, a 340-room five-star hotel inside the Queen's Wharf precinct that opened in August 2024, with river-facing suites, an Isoletto Pool Club and restaurants including Sokyo and Fat Noodle. More hotel rooms are due in the same precinct through the rest of 2026.

Is there a new Brisbane hotel with a rooftop pool?

voco Brisbane City Centre, which opened in June 2022 on North Quay in the CBD, has a rooftop pool overlooking the Brisbane River. The Star Grand Brisbane at Queen's Wharf also has a pool club with three infinity-edge pools, sauna and steam room, though it sits on a leisure deck rather than the roof.

Which Brisbane neighborhood is best for a first-time visitor?

The CBD and South Bank cover the most ground on foot: Queen Street Mall, the river walk, QAGOMA and Streets Beach are all within a short walk or a single CityCat ferry ride, and CBD hotels like voco Brisbane City Centre and Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre put you at the center of both.

Where should I stay in Brisbane for nightlife?

Fortitude Valley is Brisbane's designated entertainment precinct, with bars, live music venues and the Chinatown and Brunswick Street malls. Hotel X Brisbane, a 146-room boutique hotel that opened there in February 2021, sits within walking distance of the Valley's main strip.

How do I get between Queen's Wharf and South Bank?

The two precincts are linked by the Neville Bonner Bridge, a pedestrian bridge across the Brisbane River, so it's a walk of a few minutes between the Star Grand Brisbane at Queen's Wharf and South Bank's parklands, QAGOMA and Streets Beach.