My relationship with most hotels is a marriage of convenience.
I vow not to be too unfaithful with my affection for other accommodation, as long as the hotel I choose vows to be true to its publicity.
Hotels, for me, are rarely love at first sight on the internet.
But the “chemistry” between us – that certain je ne sais quoi attraction that catches my eye – usually has something to do with location, price, and proximity to public transport or the venue/show I’m attending.
Of course, how I feel in their company also plays a part in the big decision. Standards, previous experience, friendliness and surrounds are all important traits to tick off the list.
But I think I’ve found “The One”: at least the one for when I am staying overnight in Brisbane for a special occasion.
“The One” that can give me all I need and then some, whether I’m visiting the Howard Smith Wharves “playground”, the Valley nightspots, a city show or celebration.
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“The One” that can wow me yet make me feel like I can be myself and relax.
“The One” that embraces me as an individual and yet puts me on a pedestal.
Crystalbrook Vincent may be the one for me.
It allows me to eat, drink, play, stay and discover in style and at my pace.
Before I even knew the six-storey hotel’s name, the rooftop lap pool was love at first sight as I started out on a Story Bridge walk. A real head-turner.
A lunch with travel buddies and sleepover weeks later sealed the deal for our happily ever after.
I wrote at the time on social media that the five-star Crystalbrook Vincent, formerly The Fantauzzo, was a destination in itself – a place to surround yourself in the exotic, where all your heart’s desires are within reach, and sophisticated enough to feel like you have indeed “arrived”.
So, this is my love letter to this unique hotel with the quirky geometric exterior and its fabulous location: carved into a soaring cliff face on the picturesque curve in the Brisbane River at Petrie Bite, set within the new Howard Smith Wharves cultural and entertainment precinct.
The luxury hotel with 166 rooms is as city chic as it is comfortable, living up to its “brave and bold” catchcry.
Waking up from a blissful, uninterrupted night’s sleep on the king-size bed of our River Room and opening the curtains to find the golden glow of sunrise sending blinding sunbeams on to the mirrored exterior of city buildings is a sight to behold.
The hotel’s commitment to sustainability isn’t just a bandied-around buzzword, either.
Crystalbrook Vincent follows Crystalbrook Collection’s philosophy of Responsible Luxury. Travelling with a lighter footprint means it boasts a 100% waste-free bathroom, and a single-use-plastic-free environment, for example.
The hotel aims to be 100% paperless. Even managers are business card-free, preferring to share their contact details more personally on emails or phone messages.
The hotel has replaced plastic key cards with 100% recycled wooden key cards.
But now you can be even greener and go totally digital.
With the Crystalbrook Vincent app, you can check-in, head straight to your room and tap your phone against the lock. That’s one less card to carry and you’ll never get locked out again.
Even fresh towels and pillows are just a phone tap away.
Walking the hallways and lingering in the foyer, admiring more than over 180 artworks and 500 giclée prints, makes you feel like a connoisseur of art in a hall of one of the world’s renowned museums or galleries.
The works are all by Vincent Fantauzzo, the recipient of the Archibald People’s Choice Award on four occasions, whose magnificent land and seascapes are matched by hyper-realistic portraits you’ll mistake for larger-than-life photographs from afar.
Among the celebrity set are actors including the late Heath Ledger and TV series Offspring’s Asher Keddie (Fantauzzo’s wife in real life), politicians such as the late PM Bob Hawke, and sporting legends from AFL’s Ron Barassi to seven-times surfing World Champion Layne Beachley.
Lean against the southern edge of that rooftop lap pool and try to take in every fascinating nuance of the epic panorama of river life unfolding before you. You’re sure to feel a quiet invincibility.
Lunch in the open air on the patio or sip colourful cocktails in the very sociable setting of Fiume Rooftop Bar and you’ll switch gears into holiday mode (even if you’re on a work trip!).
Hotel restaurant Polpetta’s authentic Italian menu is a triumph of rustic flavoursome combinations , with many ingredients sourced from the Sunshine Coast, direct from the farmer – strawberries from Beerwah’s Ashburn Farms in Beerwah, raspberries from Paradise Fruits in Elimbah, edible flowers from Greenshed in Chevallum and herbs from Water Gardens in Yandina among them.
And with undercover self-parking on-site, and taxi and Uber drop-off right outside, you can’t beat the convenience.
Crystalbrook Vincent is in the heart of the Howard Smith Wharves universe and nowhere does Brisbane’s landmark Story Bridge loom larger.
The Heritage-Listed 777m steel cantilever bridge connects the northern and southern suburbs.
It took five years to build in the middle of a steel shortage period after 1935 and opened to traffic on July 6, 1940.
The bridge can hold your gaze for hours, especially as another glorious day of sunshine in Brisbane’s mild subtropical climate turns to sunset, creating a backdrop like a Monet palette.
Then the bridge lights appear like magic, stealing the limelight from the city skyline.
The Brisbane City Council’s Light Up Brisbane calendar of colours on the bridge tell their own story as they mark special events, milestones, charity campaigns and specific days of the year … blue, green and orange to support International Day of People with Disability on December 3 … green and gold to celebrate the First Test in The Ashes on December 8 … red and green to kickstart the festive season on December 13.
And as you take a bite or raise a glass at one of the many bars, cafes, restaurants, grassy chill-out zones or picnic tables under umbrellas at the Heritage-Listed wharves on Boundary Street, the much-admired grey giant is just out of reach but almost omnipresent – above, in front, behind or beside you.
The wharves are a vibrant new addition to Brisbane’s cultural and entertainment precinct: a 3.43 hectares playground with more than 80% devoted to public space.
Construction of the wharves began in the 1930s in conjunction with the Story Bridge as part of a state government project to provide local residents with relief work during the Great Depression.
The site was originally built as the Brisbane Central Wharves and leased by shipping company Howard Smith Co Ltd.
It’s hard to imagine that this jaw-dropping part of the 344m Brisbane River had been largely abandoned and derelict since the 1960s when the port moved downstream.
The area’s restoration was a priority project included in the Brisbane City Centre Master Plan 2014.
Brisbane City Council selected HSW Nominees, led by Adam Flaskas, to undertake the $110million transformation, working with Hutchinson Builders, to deliver construction and restoration of the new facilities and heritage buildings. Their brief was to link the maritime past and create the event, tourism, leisure, and food spaces and experiences the River City’s residents and tourists expect.
The redeveloped site was opened in late 2018, and has drawn thousands daily seeking good times or simply time out. The precinct has become so popular, the council is constructing a new ferry terminal to cope with visitors.
As a base, the Howard Smith Wharves connect to the City Reach Boardwalk via Boundary Street, creating an uninterrupted riverside route stretching past Eagle Street Pier and the CBD right up to the City Botanic Gardens. You can also discover New Farm Park and the Riverwalk, and the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and parklands.
But you needn’t venture far from Crystalbrook Vincent to sink a few schooners of Crisp Lager and listen to live entertainment at Felons Barrel Hall, soak up the fresh air and city skyline with an afternoon G&T while watching the sun set at Mr Percival’s, and dine in one of the atmospheric restaurants including Greca, Yoko and Stanley.
Late-night pizzas with a pinot grigio at Ciao Papi, looking at the spellbinding rainbow of colours on the Story Bridge on my birthday, might just be one of the most romantic nights of my life.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. So, I end this love letter with hope – hope for a long and happy relationship with “Vincent”.
- The writer was a guest of Crystalbrook Vincent but paid for other expenses.
CRYSTALBROOK VINCENT
5 Boundary St, Brisbane
Phone: 3515 0700
Visit: www.crystalbrookcollection.com/vincent
GALLERY OF MEMORIES
