So you may have noticed by now I’m a big of a fan of the QT Hotels and Resorts. After staying with them on the Gold Coast and spa-ing with them in Sydney, for our road trip through Canberra this Christmas there was only one choice when it came to booking a place to stay.
Review of QT Canberra
I simply love the style of QT properties – the décor is always stylish but playful, chic with a heavy dose of humour. Plus each property has its own unique touches that pay homage to the surrounding area.
At QT Canberra this means you’ll find psychedelic patterns of Tony Abbott in the hallways and street art style headshots of world leaders in the lobby.
You’ll be relieved to know there are no politicians in the guest rooms though. (There is a spectacled dog on a cushion in the corner but he fits in rather well.)
The standard rooms are not excessively large but have everything you need in a sensible and stylish way.
Rather temptingly, rooms come with the best stocked mini-bars I’ve ever seen in my years of hotel stays – I’m talking full size bottles of wine and champagne and multiple bottles of beer.
For snacks you’ll find everything from protein balls to Pringles and, in the usual quirky QT style, you can also purchase boxes of dominoes or an emergency bowtie. (I’d love to know how many guests have made use of that!)
As I’m a member of the hotel’s rewards scheme (sign up at Priority Guest Rewards – it’s free!) I was given a voucher for a free drink at the bar and save 20% off my food bills – pretty much all the incentive we needed to book in for dinner at Capitol Bar & Grill.
This turned out to be a smart choice, as proved by the well-dressed locals who flooded in for food and the delicious Italian cuisine we were served.
The steak and burger my partner and I ordered for our mains were good but it was the selection of meats on the shared plate we had for starters that really had us sighing appreciatively.
Afterwards we enjoyed our complimentary glasses of wine at the bar and snuck off for an early night before we were tempted to work our way through further bottles. (An extensive spirit collection is displayed around the central bar with a walk through wine cabinet right next to it.)
There is also a speakeasy bar on site called Lucky’s, which I have read is popular with the local fashionistas, but it was quiet during our visit as it was right before Christmas.
We slept soundly in the squishy bed and rose early for a big breakfast before our 8-hour drive to Gippsland.
The breakfast buffet is smartly selective. (I often get overwhelmed at breakfast buffets and find myself eating several types of carb just because I can.) The QT Canberra focuses on quality over quantity though. The chef is on hand to whip up your eggs whatever way you want them and the middle table has a range of breads, meats, cheeses and salmon to go with it.
I opted for an English breakfast muffin with roast tomatoes, bacon and avocado mousse and it hit the spot. I’d also recommend the fruit smoothies, fresh yoghurts and ordering a latte from the barista (charges as extra but worth it!).
Like the QT’s I have visited before it, QT Canberra has a small boutique in the lobby where you can purchase any of the items you may have fallen in love with during your stay. Alas, a giant poster of Obama was not available!
More info
Rates start at $155 a night for a standard room. Breakfast is from $29 a person. The hotel is situated approx. 3 minutes drive from the city centre. Secure parking is available onsite. Check out the QT Canberra website for special room-plus-food packages.
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