SD › Brisbane Hotels › Hilton Review
Updated: January 3, 2022
Essentials
• Location: Elizabeth Street.
• Hotel website: hilton.com
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)7 3234 2000
• Check prices for Hilton
The Hilton offers plush rooms with colorful furniture.
Hilton – Exceptional amenities, service, and views in a very convenient location.
The Hilton soars heavenwards among colonial-era buildings and trendy bistros in the middle of downtown. The intriguing design ensures that the lobby, restaurant, bar, and guest lounge are under a bright atrium – the highest in the country – and all rooms and suites provide extensive views of the city streets. The magnificent suites are twice the size of the standard rooms and feature two TVs, extended desk areas, and ‘hydra-baths’. The amenities and service are great at this renowned international chain, and the location cannot be faulted: seemingly endless places to eat, drink, and shop in all directions and very handy to the city’s amenities, attractions, and transport.
See Also
- Best Hotels in Brisbane
- Best Family Hotels in Brisbane
- Where to Stay in Brisbane
- Best Time to Visit Brisbane
Hilton – The Location
- Address: The main vehicle entrance is at 190 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane, and another pedestrian entrance more commonly used by guests faces Queen Street Mall. Reception is on the 6th floor, accessible by lifts from both entrances.
- Area: The hotel stretches between two vibrant streets in a perfect inner-city location for shopping, eating, and drinking.
- How to Get There: The Brisbane international and domestic airports are 15 km away. Taxis take 25-30 minutes and cost about A$50. Shuttlebuses ($20) direct to the hotel are available through Con-X-ion. Airtrain (20 minutes) connects both airports with Central station. (See Local Transport below for more information.)
- Nearest Transport: Bus – Mary St Stop 169 near Albert St (100m), Ferry – North Quay (900m).
- Handy to: Queen Street Mall.
Hilton – The Basics
- Guests: Caters well for those on holidays, but primarily for business people.
- Pets: Service animals (e.g. guide dogs) allowed, but no pets.
- Views: Extensive views of the city streets from both sides. Immediate area is less built up, so views are more impressive.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: None, but not expected at a hotel like this in the city center.
- Extras: Access to the Executive Lounge with free continental breakfast and evening drinks for those staying in the suites and executive rooms.
- Parking: Valet parking only. Secure, covered, and expensive.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +61 (0)7 3234 2000
- Email: brisbane.info@hilton.com
- Website: hilton.com
Hilton – Amenities
- Pool: Outdoors and heated, it’s smallish but should satisfy most.
- Spa: Not provided (or expected) at this business-oriented hotel in the city center.
- Fitness Center: A good size that should please users. Open 24 hours.
- For Families: Baby-sitting.
- Other Facilities: Tennis court (apparently the only one at an inner-city hotel). Business Center.
Hilton – Food and Drink
- Restaurant & Bar: The very classy Vintaged Bar + Grill specializes in Australian cuisine using the freshest possible ingredients. Spacious, fashionable setting, and exquisite service. Also, menu items for children and vegetarians, and a Wine Room for connoisseurs. The adjacent bar is popular for cocktails and packed with leather lounges.
- Breakfast: Continental breakfast at the Executive Lounge is included for those in the suites and executive rooms. Buffet breakfast in the Vintaged Bar + Grill is usually an extra cost.
- Room Service: Available daily from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.
Hilton – Rooms
- Room Types: King Hilton Deluxe Rooms • King Hilton Guest Rooms • Twin Hilton Deluxe Rooms • Twin Hilton Guest Rooms • King Hilton Suites • King Hilton Executive Rooms • Twin Hilton Executive Rooms • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: No smoking allowed anywhere on the hotel premises.
- Best Room: The King Hilton Suites are twice the size of the normal rooms. Very comfortable and spacious, offering the finest possible views. Also, a ‘hydra-bath’ and two TVs in each suite, and access to the Executive Lounge.
- For Families: Children can stay free in the same rooms as their parents. Extra bedding costs more. Some rooms have connecting doors.
Hilton – Local Transport
- Walking & Cycling: Within a heavily built-up area, so walking and cycling are not that pleasant. The exceptions are the paths in the City Botanic Gardens (see below), at South Bank (1 km across the river), and parallel to the river via Eagle Street Pier. Two companies – Lime and Neuron – rent electric scooters. However, there’s no obvious pickup point.
- Buses & Trains: Train and boat services are excellent, so buses are less useful for tourists. From Central station (500m), trains head to the airport (see above) and all over the city and state, including the Gold Coast via a connecting tram.
- Taxis & Ride-shares: Most taxis belong to two companies: Black & White Cabs and 13cabs. These can be hailed from the streets or arranged through the respective websites. Uber also operates throughout Brisbane.
- Ferries: Three companies operate boats along the river to the city and nearby suburbs: City Cat, the most extensive and frequent service; CityHopper, free and very useful for tourists; and Cross River Ferry, limited to Kangaroo Point. The most convenient terminals are Eagle Street Pier and North Quay.
Hilton – What’s Nearby?
Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars
-
So much to choose from, especially along Queen Street Mall (see below). Access via the lifts behind the restaurant on the 6th floor of the Hilton.
- Pig ‘N’ Whistle Queen Street Mall – One of several in a chain of British-style pubs providing good-value meals, TV sports, and regular entertainment. Open 24 hours in the middle of the Mall.
- Jimmy’s on the Mall – Iconic 2-story bistro/bar that’s airy and inviting. Halfway along the mall and open 24/7.
- Milano – At the end of the Mall for people-watching and casual meals, especially pizza, pasta, and breakfast.
- Café Mondial – With plenty of tables along a sidewalk, it’s a classic French-style café – though it features Egyptian art on the walls. On a busy corner 200m down Elizabeth Street.
- Embassy Bar & Kitchen – Next to the main hotel entrance on Elizabeth Street and in a heritage-listed building. Oodles of craft beers and very Happy Hours.
- Gilhooleys Irish Pub & Restaurant – Inviting décor, friendly staff, live music, and pub meals. Fun vibe all day and evening. 300m away via Elizabeth Street.
Nearby Shops
-
One of the finest shopping districts in Australia, Queen Street Mall is directly accessible by elevator from the hotel reception. This extended vehicle-free street is also shady, so it’s a pleasure to explore. Along it are Myer and David Jones, both iconic and historic department stores.
Hilton – The Hotel
The Hilton soars above heritage buildings within the middle of downtown Brisbane.
The main vehicle entrance is along Elizabeth Street.
However, many guests would probably use the entrance along Queen Street Mall, the prime shopping district in the city.
The Hilton has an amazing design featuring the highest atrium in the country.
Unusually, the reception area with the adjacent restaurant, bar, and guest lounge is on the 6th floor of the building.
The attractive Vintaged Bar + Grill is just across from the reception.
The super-swish (and pricey) bar and grill provides exceptional service and range of Australian cuisine.
With communal and individual tables, the Vintaged Bar + Grill also serves a vast buffet breakfast, usually at an extra cost.
It specializes in meats, but also serves a dish synonymous with Queensland: barramundi fish.
The pool is a decent size considering most guests are business people.
The fitness center is packed with state-of-the-art equipment.
The Hilton provides the only tennis court at any hotel in the city center.
It offers a range of comfortable rooms and suites.
All accommodations are attractively furnished and spacious enough for some funky furniture.
Rooms are certainly more spacious than those at many rival inner-city hotels.
Unlike some 5-star hotels in the city center, views are not directly obstructed and include the city streets and suburbs in the distant hills.
One definite attraction of staying at the Hilton is that it backs on to Queen Street Mall, among the finest places for eating and shopping in the country.
In the middle of Queen Street Mall, the British-style Pig ‘N’ Whistle bistro/bar is open 24 hours.
Midway along the pedestrian-only street is Jimmy’s on the Mall.
At the end of Queen Street Mall, still only 500m from the hotel’s back entrance, Milano is a casual eatery ideal for people-watching.
On an energetic corner about 200m from the Hilton, Café Mondial is a classic French-style eatery with plenty of tables along the sidewalk.
Just 300m from the Hilton is the fantastic Irish pub, Gilhooleys.
Next to the main vehicle entrance is the cozy Embassy Bar & Kitchen which specializes in craft beers.
Queen Street Mall is a very pleasant place to shop. This is the Myer department store, an Australian institution still in its original building.
About 200m along Elizabeth Street from the hotel is this cinema complex.
The city center is a delightful mix of old and new.
Among the high-rise office blocks and 5-star hotels are some old buildings, such as The Regent, a theater now part of the tourist information center along Queen Street Mall.
There are refreshing pockets of greenery in the city center.
Another way to get around the inner city is by electric scooter, available at several locations, including Queen Street Mall.
Several free bus services loop around downtown and connect with inner-city suburbs such as Spring Hill.
About 500m away via Elizabeth Street is the Eagle Street Pier from where boats and catamarans head to inner-city locations along Brisbane River.
About 1 km from the Hilton is the fantastic riverside leisure and culture precinct, South Bank.
Incredibly, within South Bank and about 1.5 km from the hotel is this massive lagoon-style public swimming pool with ‘beaches’.
The riverside paths along South Bank are the best place for cycling and bikes can be easily rented there.
Four blocks south of the Hilton are the extensive City Botanic Gardens.
The word-class botanic gardens about 10 minutes’ walk from the hotel provide plenty of paths for walking and cycling. Check rates and availability: Hilton
Read More
- Best Hotels in Brisbane
- Best Family Hotels in Brisbane
- Where to Stay in Brisbane
- Brisbane Hotel Reviews
- Best Time to Visit Brisbane
- Melbourne Travel Guide
- Best Hotels in Melbourne
- Best Hotels for Families in Melbourne
- Where to Stay in Melbourne
- Best Time to Visit Melbourne
Get All New Content
• My Travel Newsletter