Our chic apartment at the Chester Hotel gets has a master bedroom that is more compact than luxe but there is a full-size kitchen and the lounge is big enough for dancing which (almost) makes up for the small bedroom. We would love to swap the queen size bed to a king but a larger bed probably wouldn’t fit in the room. However, you couldn’t ask for a better location. We are smack bang in the heart of the action in Brisbane’s fabulous Fortitude Valley.

We spend a lazy afternoon swimming laps in the heated rooftop pool at the Chester Hotel, enjoying stunning views of the Brisbane skyline as we soak up the sun. Later than night, we bring our bottle of wine to the communal rooftop entertainment area and curl up on a curved outdoor lounge that is big enough for two as the lights of the Story Bridge twinkle in the distance. 

There is a lot of quality and attention to detail throughout this 140 room hotel. There is no in-house restaurant, however the attractive rooftop barbeque area is free to use although it needs to be booked in advance. Someone has beaten us to it so we pop down to reception and have a lively chat about nearby drinking and dining venues with the staff.

We could choose from yum cha in Chinatown to the upmarket restaurants lining James Street and the Italian sophistication of Tartufo across the road. However, sitting under the stars with a takeaway pizza and a glass of red on the rooftop would also be a fine idea with that sparkling view. Given the lively nature of the surrounding area which parties until the wee hours, we were pleasantly surprised to discover how quiet the apartment was. The bedroom might have been small but the Chester Hotel delivered a superb night’s rest.

Disclosure: The writers paid for their stay at this hotel.

If you’re looking for accommodation in Brisbane, we have reviewed the Treasury Hotel, The Calile, The Alva Hotel, Ovolo The Valley, W Brisbane, Capri by Fraser Brisbane, Hilton Brisbane, The Johnson, NEXT Hotel Brisbane, Sage Hotel James Street, The Westin Brisbane, Oaks Brisbane Festival Suites, Royal on the Park, Ibis Styles Elizabeth Street, Sofitel Brisbane, Crystalbrook Vincent, The Inchcolm, Chester Hotel, and Pullman Brisbane Airport.