Review: Hotel Novotel Brisbane Airport & Its Surrounding Amenities

5 May 2011, Brisbane, Australia – By the time we checked into the Novotel Brisbane Airport Hotel, it was already one something in the morning.  This 157-room hotel with three room configurations (Standard, Executive and Suite) is located only 5 minutes away from Brisbane International Airport.  Touted as the first hotel in the airport precinct that offers premier business and leisure accommodation, the hotel sits alongside corporate offices, retail outlets and specialty operations.  Service staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful during the stay.

This hotel has six dedicated meeting and conference rooms with a capacity for up to 120 delegates set in a theatre style.

As part of the Hotmail Katy Perry Experience, Microsoft had put me up in this hotel together with the winners from Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines for three nights.

During the stay, I had the chance to meet Alex Penklis, the General Manager of the property, where he upgraded me to the Executive room.  I was very impressed with Alex, when I saw him personally attending to guests arriving where he opened the doors of the vans, welcomed his guests, and then rolled their luggage into the lobby and checked his guests in.

Grabbing a bite or a drink within the hotel at Catalina Restaurant and Bar which are located on the ground floor next to the lobby.   The Restaurant operates from 5.30am to 9.00pm while the Bar operates from 10.00am to 11.30pm.

Hotel Novotel Brisbane Airport is located at The Circuit, Brisbane Airport, Brisbane QLD 4007, Australia.

Tel (+61)7/31753100
Fax (+61)7/31753199
E-mail reservations@novotelbrisbaneairport.com.au

Other Amenities near the hotel

The hotel is extremely convenient for hotel guests.   I walked across the road and visited DFO (Direct Factory Outlets).  DFO is where you can get up to 70% off over 120 brands.  The outlets are open 7 days from 10.00am to 6.00pm.    You’ll find familiar brands such as Puma, Oakley, Fossil, Nine West, Quicksilver, Shoe Warehouse, Billabong, Coutnry Road, Levi’s Mossimo, Portmans, Cotton On Kids, Industrie Kids, Pumpkin Patch and many more.

If you are a cost-conscious traveller and would like to keep your expenses low, you can pay a visit to Woolworths Supermarket.

Here you can stock up on your beverage, snacks, instant noodles in case you get hungry or even buy home some groceries that are not available back home.  I was amused by the variety of eggs that were available; from Range, Caged, Organic to Free Range.  Raw beef steaks were also absurdly cheap compared to what we get here in Singapore.  I was also quick to learn after a few seconds of shock that Dog rolls were not dog meat for human consumption but frozen dog food.    I picked out some juice, chewing gum, giant box tic tacs, Woolworths Select Nut and Fruit bars and Tim Tams.  For some strange reason, it was difficult to find honey-roasted macadamia nuts, though salted ones were readily available.

Woolworths Brisbane Airport is located at Village Centre, 1 Airport Drive, Brisbane Airport 4007.  Tel: (07)38605180.  Operating Hours are 7.00am to 10.00pm on Monday to Friday and 7.00am to 7.pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Dan Murphy’s your answer for your alcohol purchases.   Dan Murphy’s Brisbane Airport is located at 1 Airport Drive, Village Market, Eagle Farm, QLD 4009.  Tel: 1300723388.  Dan Murphy’s operating hours are 9.00am to 8.00pm from Monday to Wednesday, 9.00am to 9.00pm on Thursday to Saturday, and 9.00am to 7.00pm on Sunday.

Eateries

The Coffee Club has been declared for the third time, Australia’s best cafe franchise, according to the Australian Financial Review’s Smart Investor magazine, with plans in 2011 to open another 30 cafes in Australia, mostly across New South Wales and entering China, Vietnam, Egypt and New Caldedonia.

I had lunch with the winners of the Hotmail Katy Perry Experience from Singapore at The Coffee Club near the hotel.   I had a plate of Eggs Benedict and Ham toast and a cup of cappuccino which cost me A$22.05.

The ladies had pancakes and scrambled eggs.

The Coffee Club is located at Tenancy 10, The Airport Village, 1 Airport Drive, Brisbane Airport, QLD 4007, Australia.  Tel: (07)31147255.

Getting Around

Getting to town is also convenient.  You can get the shuttle bus 308 from across the road behind Woolworths that will get you to Toombul.  From there, take a 5 minute walk across the road to the train station where you can get to Central station.  Get yourself a Go Train card.  That’ll cost you a A$5 refundable deposit and top it up with A$10.   With this stored value card, you can save up to 50% on train fares.  Before the end of your journey back home, you can return the card and get back your refundable deposit.

Do check out the bus and train schedules as timing varies.  Bus 308 from Toombul back to the hotel ends at around 3.30pm.  You can still grab a cab which will cost you in the range of A$10 to A$12.

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Adrian Eugene Seet, editor of SUPERADRIANME.com, has long shared his passion for travel, destinations, and air travel. His childhood love for exploration has evolved into a thriving career, with his engaging content inspiring others to discover new cultures. Taiwan is his new-found favourite destination, and he dreams of visiting the Andes. Adrian's work is driven by his curiosity for travel trends and a commitment to lifelong learning.

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