STAMFORD PLAZA in Brisbane - Hotel Review with Photos

SD › Brisbane Hotels › Stamford Plaza Review
Updated: January 3, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Edward Street.
• Hotel website: stamford.com.au
• Hotel phone: +61 (0)7 3221 1999
• Check prices for Stamford Plaza

The pleasant Stamford Plaza hotel features elegant accommodations and a beautiful pool overlooking the river.

Stamford Plaza – Oozes so much style and elegance in the city’s finest location.

The Stamford Plaza is unrivalled for so many reasons. It’s in a quiet, historic part of the city. Most rooms face the river, with only a path separating the hotel from the water. The décor throughout is delightfully old-style – from the spacious lobby with a carpeted staircase to the wooden furnishings and marble bathrooms in all the rooms. The area is perfect for walking and cycling, and the resort-style pool overlooks the river and some rare gardens. To top it off, the Stamford is only minutes on foot from a ferry terminal, an inviting riverside cluster of bistros, and the world-class botanic gardens.

Stamford Plaza – The Location

Address: 39 Edward Street. At the end of the street where it meets Alice Street. Behind the mustard-colored old Port Office building.
Area: Fantastic position on the edge of the city center, facing Brisbane River and alongside an entrance to the City Botanic Gardens. Very quiet, historic, and scenic location.
How to Get There: The Brisbane international and domestic airports are 16 km away. Taxis take around 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 South Brisbane station. (See Local Transport below for more information.)
Nearest Transport: Bus – Margaret Street Stop 98 near Edward St (25m), Ferry – Eagle Street Pier (350m).
Handy to: City Botanic Gardens.

Stamford Plaza – The Basics

Guests: Mostly business people during the week; on weekends, usually those on holidays, often romantic getaways.
Pets: Not usually permitted, but ask anyway. (There doesn’t seem to be a strict policy.)
Views: Alongside the river, so most rooms directly face the water only meters away. Other rooms offer extensive views of the city streets because it’s a low-level area of heritage-listed buildings.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Not expected (or provided) at this sort of hotel.
Parking: Secure, underground parking for a reasonable daily fee.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +61 (0)7 3221 1999
Email: reservations@spb.stamford.com.au
Website: stamford.com.au

Stamford Plaza – Amenities

Pool: Large and like a resort. Outside, with plenty of space overlooking the river just below.
Spa: Not expected (or provided) at this sort of inner-city hotel. However, guests can book hotel deals that include treatments at Petrichor Day Spa, across the river by ferry.
Fitness Center: Plenty of state-of-the-art equipment as well as a sauna. Open 24/7.
For Families: Baby-sitting.
Other Facilities: Laundry/dry-cleaning.

Stamford Plaza – Food and Drink

Restaurants: The Brasserie on the River – superb position alongside the river with tables among tropical gardens. Focuses on seafood, and the weekend seafood buffets are regarded as the city’s finest. Also, a range of indulgent and healthy High Teas most mornings and afternoons. Reservations recommended for anything. • Kabuki Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant – meals cooked in the sizzling and flamboyant teppanyaki style. Open for lunch; reservations essential for dinner. Cooking classes also available for the young ones.
Bar: Within a spacious courtyard that backs onto the historic Port Office building, The Pav Bar is famous for its cocktails, wines, and beers. Also, light meals, shared platters, and big-screen TV sports.
Breakfast: Can be included depending on how the room was booked.
Room Service: Available during restaurant hours of about 9 am to 9 pm.

Stamford Plaza – Rooms

Room Types: Superior River View Rooms • Deluxe River Views • Junior River View Suites • The Plaza Suites • The Stamford Suite (one only) • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: No smoking allowed anywhere on the hotel premises.
Best Room: The signature Stamford Suite is on the highest floor and offers the best views. Very stylish, with abundant windows and even a grand piano. Fit for royalty.
For Families: Not well set up for families. One rollaway bed possible in any room/suite, but the best option is simply booking connecting rooms.

Stamford Plaza – Local Transport

Walking & Cycling: Nice area for walking and cycling, especially in the City Botanic Gardens (see below) and the riverside path alongside the hotel. 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 (850m), 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. There are two terminals at South Bank.

Stamford Plaza – What’s Nearby?

Fabulous choice of classy places to eat and drink within a 5-minute walk.

Best Nearby Restaurants

Moo Moo The Wine Bar and Grill – On delightful balconies in the original old Port Office building that backs onto the hotel. Award-winning steaks and extra-long wine list.
Cleberson’s Coffee – Beneath Moo Moo’s for light meals, cappuccinos, and serene tropical-colonial setting.
Olive & Angelo – Adorable Italian bistro with garden setting directly opposite the hotel entrance. Plenty of vegetarian options.
Walter’s Steakhouse – In a heritage-listed building on a corner opposite the hotel. Exquisite service, hearty grills, and a world-class wine list.
George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant – Spacious dining, river views, and cut-price specials. Among a cluster at the Eagle Street Pier less than 400m from the hotel via the riverside path.

Best Nearby Bar

Port Office Hotel – Renovated version of a classic suburban corner pub. Stylish décor, tables on the sidewalk, and family-friendly.

Nearby Shops

Not a great area for shops, so walk 750m to Queen Street Mall, an extended vehicle-free street that is shady and a pleasure to explore.

Nearby Attractions

The entrance to the magnificent old City Botanic Gardens is meters from the hotel. Plenty of lawns, tropical gardens, lagoons teeming with birdlife, and paths for cycling and jogging.
From Eagle Street Pier, a 3-minute walk up the riverside path, Kookaburra Showboat Cruises offers a range of fabulous trips along the river including buffet meals and live entertainment.

Stamford Plaza – The Hotel

The hotel is located in a historical neighborhood.

The Stamford Plaza soars above the attractive old Port Office building in a historical part of the city center.

The entrance by the post office is easy to miss.

Although the hotel dominates the skyline, the entrance alongside the colonial-era Port Office is easy to miss.

The V-shaped design ensures that most rooms face the river only meters away.

The lobby and guest lounge are very elegant.

The lobby and guest lounge at the Stamford are very stylish and elegant.

An old-fashioned grace rare among inner-city rivals is evident throughout the entire hotel.

Part of the Stamford, but with a separate street entrance, The Pav Bar nicely combines old-world charm with modern requirements like big-screen TVs.

The Brasserie on the River offers outdoor seating.

The Brasserie on the River at the Stamford offers a magnificent open-air setting overlooking the river.

Tables and chairs at The Brasserie on the River spill out alongside the riverside path.

Kabuki Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant is the hotel's second restaurant.

Also sharing the hotel’s outdoor area alongside the river is the Kabuki Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant, although most seating is indoors.

One of many attractions of staying at the Stamford is the large outdoor pool that overlooks the river.

The lounge chairs offer great views of the river.

Lounge chairs alongside the resort-style pool provide superb views of Brisbane River.

All rooms and suites are spacious and offer an elegance and style rarely seen at rival hotels.

Accommodations are packed with wooden furniture that exudes a delightful old-fashioned vibe.

The corner suites offer twice the views.

The suites were recently renovated and some have corner positions with twice the views.

Each room and suite features an exquisite marble bathroom, often with a large bathtub.

Most rooms and suites at the Stamford face the river and offer unobstructed views in both directions.

The old port office building is in front of the hotel.

The hotel is built directly behind the beautifully-restored Port Office building.

Moo Moo The Wine Bar and Grill has superb outdoor seating.

Upstairs in the restored Port Office building, Moo Moo The Wine Bar and Grill has delightful balcony settings (and tables inside) overlooking the hotel courtyard.

Cleberson’s Coffee is ideal for light meals.

On the ground floor of the Port Office building in front of the hotel, Cleberson’s Coffee is ideal for a caffeine fix and light meal.

Olive & Angelo Italian bistro is opposite the hotel.

Directly across the road from the hotel entrance, Olive & Angelo is an enchanting Italian bistro with a garden setting.

Port Office Hotel serves modern Australian cuisine.

On a corner less than 100m from the Stamford, the Port Office Hotel offers old-world charm and modern Australian cuisine.

Walter’s Steakhouse is a swish restaurant.

Just across the road from the hotel, the very swish Walter’s Steakhouse is beautifully positioned within a heritage building.

George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant is a sophisticated eatery.

Less than 400m up the riverside path from the hotel is a cluster of sophisticated bistros at the Eagle Street Pier, including George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant.

The neighborhood has several restored buildings.

The streets around the hotel are dotted with lovingly-restored colonial-era buildings.

Electric scooters and bicycles are very popular.

Two ways to explore the area is by electric scooter or bicycle along the riverside path near the hotel.

Eagle Street Pier offers boat connections to the city center and suburbs.

From Eagle Street Pier, less than 400m up the riverside path from the hotel, boats connect many places in the city and nearby suburbs.

Kookaburra Showboat Cruises leave from the pier close by.

Kookaburra Showboat Cruises also leave from Eagle Street Pier near the hotel.

Along Alice Street, which parallels the botanic gardens, more electric scooters can be rented.

City Botanic Gardens is just steps away.

The main entrance to the City Botanic Gardens is barely 100m from the hotel.

The botanic gardens has abundant birdlife.

In the botanic gardens are lagoons, abundant birdlife, tropical gardens, and paths for cycling and jogging.

Queen Street Mall pedestrian street is nearby.

Although in a quiet, historic part of the city, the Stamford is only 750m from the premier shopping area, Queen Street Mall.

The city center features old and modern buildings.

The city center, less than 1 km from the hotel, is a delightful mix of old and new.

South Bank is a great leisure and culture precinct.

About 1.5 km from the hotel is the fantastic leisure and culture precinct of South Bank, on the other side of the river.

Incredibly, within South Bank is this lagoon-style swimming pool with a ‘beach’. Check rates and availability: Stamford Plaza

Stamford Plaza Hotel in Brisbane, Australia

See Also