The Capri by Fraser hotel in Brisbane is the fourth in the line of Frasers’ suites and the first of the Capri brand in Australia. Frasers Hospitality has expertly converted a ground level bookstore and multi-level office suites into 239 stylish hotel suites with all the comforts of fully serviced apartments.
Enviably located just a short stroll from the Queen Street Mall, beautiful Botanic Gardens and riverside dining on Eagle Street Pier, Capri by Fraser is set in a trendy, yet quiet locale that features cafés, culture and convenience. In other words, you can enjoy a full, rich weekend away in sunny Brisbane within a few footsteps of the hotel.
After a short drive from Brisbane airport, I arrive at Capri by Fraser and am met by a sea of smiling faces and a very welcoming vibe. A warm and friendly greeting: check. The former life of the ground floor bookstore is represented by walls decorated with a bookshelf motif, featuring actual spines of books protruding from the walls. Capri has gone for a rainforest retreat kind of ambience, and the vertical gardens in the lobby immediately impart a sense of peace and relaxation on new arrivals.
Capri has also gone all out to impress guests on arrival and if the warm and friendly greeting from the staff isn’t enough to make you smile, then a quick visit to the resident Sensory Labs’ barista doling out latte art in some damn fine brews will surely get you going. Great coffee on arrival: check.
If the chic surrounds and bright and airy ultra-cool café vibe of downstairs is any indication of what is in waiting upstairs, then suffice to say, I am pretty excited to see my room.
And it doesn’t disappoint. First impressions: tasteful, very well designed by Singapore-based interior architecture gurus, Ministry of Design. My home for the weekend is a Studio Deluxe room, which is intelligently crafted and spacious throughout, making it the perfect size for a couple looking for a weekend room from which to set up a base to explore the vibrant Brisbane CBD scene.
The kitchenette comes fully equipped with microwave, Nespresso coffee pod machine, and all the mod cons you’d expect in a four or five star hotel. The bathroom is well designed and spacious with the right amount of glass and marble, beautifully lit and set off with a coloured tiled feature wall and a cavernous shower featuring rainfall showerhead as well as an adjustable jet/pulse nozzle. The Malin+Goetz toiletries are an extra special touch too, and make freshening up after my flight a nice little self-pampering experience.
The room also features an iPod docking station, touch lamps and button-activated curtains, alongside a huge Samsung flat screen TV showing all the latest releases, including films that have barely made it out of cinemas, as well as all the free-to-air channels I could ever need. Although being just a short walk to Queen Street Mall and some exciting riverfront culture, I’ll have very little need to stay in my room to watch TV.
One point definitely worth mentioning: the room is so quiet that I am convinced I am the only person staying on my level, which is pretty impressive considering the hotel is operating at over 90 per cent capacity. Oh, and if I have one complaint about the room it would be that the bed is so damned comfy that I don’t want to get out of it in the morning!
The hotel’s amenities include a full laundry service or, if you’re not a fan of airing your dirty laundry, you have full access to an onsite laundrette. But it won’t be time wasted, as you can play some table-top football or try your hand at Xbox on a huge screen in the Spin and Play room whilst you wait. There’s also fully-equipped gym and a pool area with change rooms, each housing its own sauna and steam room.
Wifi is reliable, fast and free, and there’s an iPad check-in facility for those who don’t wish to wait in line. There’s also a handy e-concierge service.
Sounds good right? Well I haven’t even made it to the restaurant yet …
The hotel is home to Asana by celebrity chef Pete Evans, so you needn’t leave the building to feast on award-winning cuisine. His Asana menu features a dash of Asian, Middle Eastern and modern Australian influence thrown in for good measure.
I am lucky enough to try a selection of his greatest hits, and a big ‘thumbs up’ goes to everything I scoff, including the zucchini lasagne, roasted barramundi and roasted salmon. The coconut panna cotta is a palette pleaser and I highly recommend you leave room for it – you won’t be disappointed.
And the best thing about walking out of Asana full and satiated is that you know you’ve got breakfast there the next day. And the breakfast buffet is, hands down, five-star standard, with cold cuts, fresh fruit, devilled eggs, fresh juice, chia pudding pots and the best gluten-free bread I’ve ever tasted – correction – the only time I’ve ever tasted gluten-free bread and actually liked it.
Capri by Fraser certainly raises the bar for stylish, tech-savvy accommodation, but it’s the attention to detail that sets a new standard. This hotel truly is the complete package.
From its perfect positioning to its chic, well-appointed rooms and the cheerful, relaxing ambience throughout the hotel, Capri does not fail to impress. Add to that the convenience of advanced technological features and slick, yet accessible amenities, an award-winning celebrity chef overseeing the cuisine and one of Melbourne’s finest coffee roasters providing your caffeine kick, Capri by Fraser ticks all boxes and is the perfect place to stay on your next Brisbane getaway.
For bookings or more information, visit the Capri by Fraser website.
* Leon stayed courtesy of Capri by Fraser
