Hotel check in - The luxurious Star Grand
The Star Grand Hotel, Brisbane, Australia
LOCATION
Brisbane, Australia
VENUE
Hotel
TREND
5 Star Luxury
MAPPING
A new level of comfort awaits in Brisbane
Three shiny $500,000 sports cars were strategically placed at the entrance of the Star Grand hotel as we arrived at the porte cochere. While I could never afford such a luxury car, I was fortunate to be able to experience luxury in this hotel. It's classy, luxe and tasteful, check in with me so I can show you through a Star Grand city king room.
The Star Club; this was a membership bargain
It doesn't happen often . . but time to time deals appear out of no where. In this instance; it paid to belong to the "free" Star Club loyalty program. Not only could I secure a good deal and experience a new hotel; it was an ideal opportunity to update my teacher currency by observing and experiencing new trends in hotels.
The Star Club was primarily a casino based rewards scheme, however the app was home to hotel information, dining promotions and it was the place to find deals. My advice would be to always monitor your email and avoid ignoring them as they could be holding a unique offer. I scored a room that was normally priced at over $450 per night for only $159.
An opulent inner city escape
The lobby oozed opulence, it was tastefully decorated and while it was decadent, it was not over the top. The reception was situated at one end and a comfortable sitting area was positioned in the middle of the lobby. The lobby was also home to Sokyo Japanese Restaurant and the Lobby Bar, both looked out over the expressway. The thought of an expressway view could appear unusual, but double glazed glass helped eliminate any traffic noise and it was actually quite fascinating to sit and watch traffic on the elevated freeway zoom by at eye level.
Room access was provided with the hotel key card. Room 1566 was located in tower "Star Grand 1".
An exclusive set of elevators was allocated at either end of the lobby, a set for each tower, Star Grand 1 and 2.
Take the Star Grand 1 elevator to room 1566
City King room with city and leisure deck views
Number 1566
Room 1566
The king room was spacious with impressive floor to ceiling windows. These created ample light and expansive views of the leisure deck, and to the city beyond. The comfortable king size bed was made well with neat tight mitres and faced a large wall mounted TV. The room was tiled at the entrance, with carpet covering the remainder of the room. The room's acoustics were mellow and calm with soft adjustable lighting adding to the ambience.
The bathroom was elegant with granite basin and brass fittings. There was a separate walk in shower and toilet and ample towels for two. There was also a set of face washers. Hotels. tend to omit these from bathrooms these days, possibly a cost saving initiative. Underfoot, the floor was surfaced by stylish coarse, but comfortable non-slip tiles. These really helped prevent a slippery floor. The Star Grand supplied Karl Lagerfeld toiletries that were lovely.
Spacious in room lobby!
Sitting area with views to the leisure deck
Karl Lagerfeld toiletries
Tea and pod machine, some mini bar goodies were free
The expansive leisure deck was on level 7 and was open to the public. It had spaces with beanbags to laze in while watching live footy matches on the big screen. There were popup stalls that served coffee, pizza and wine, I learnt these offerings changed often to accommodate current events or promotions in the hotel and casino. The space was very versatile and could morph into any theme to accommodate special events.
The breakfast
Breakfast was served in Sokyu restaurant. A day could not start better without a a great barista made coffee.
There was an a la carte menu rather than a buffet. I tried the hotel's poached eggs and avocado.
Stephen's Take
The Star Grand was an opulent hotel that provided a luxurious escape in the Queens Wharf precinct. The hotel had set the standard for future hotel development leading up to the olympics and if maintained well could continue to increase our city's tourism potential. The hotel lobby sat quietly beneath the two towers and was far enough away from the casino itself to prevent the kitsch nature of a casino to impact on the ambience and standards of the hotel.
Stephen
Unit of Competency Mapping
Prepare rooms for guests
Serve food and beverage
Source and use information on the hospitality industry
Please note; the purpose of this article is to introduce current hospitality trends. The content broadly applies to the units of competency listed. It is not intended that all content in this article maps directly to all performance evidence and knowledge evidence in the unit of competency.
Article and photos original by Stephen Duncan