Review of the Astor Apartments in Brisbane, Australia

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Links to my reviews of some Brisbane attractions can be found at the bottom.

It’s rare that an apartment hotel would wow anyone as most travelers would stay at a hotel. There are plenty of wonderful and well-appointed hotels in the world–I’m excluding luxury hotels as I am addressing the budget-conscious traveler. Be that as it may, most travelers might not even think to stay at an apartment hotel (apart-hotel, residence, etc.); however, my partner and I find it more affordable to stay at an apartment hotel–or a hotel with a kitchenette–as it saves money having to dine at a restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

On a trip to Brisbane, Australia, we had reserved a room at the Astor Apartments. We had just disembarked from a 28-day cruise, flew from Sydney to Brisbane, and we were looking forward to relaxing on terra firma. After taking what I thought was a “shortcut”, we eventually found the Astor Apartments. The lady at the front desk was friendly and welcoming. She explained that though there was free wifi on the property, we could only access it on the third floor, which also happened to be where the pool and sauna are located.

After taking the elevator up to our floor, we opened the door to our room (1103) and we were immediately impressed with the spaciousness of the living area which also comprised a dining area. Beyond the living area was a balcony with a view of the neighboring buildings.

Even the kitchen had a view. It too was spacious. The kitchen was well stocked, but there was no coffee maker nor a single drip coffee maker. If you are a tea drinker, there is no problem. Tea and instant coffee was provided, as well as sugar. The usual kitchen appliances were there: stove, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and even a dishwasher. There was also a pantry.

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Mind you, we were still floored as we kept exploring this apartment. The bedroom was a separate room, as it would be in an apartment. It was clean and rather chic for an apartment.

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Adjacent to the bedroom was a small laundry room, which, after a 28-day cruise, became our new best friend. And the Astor does provide laundry detergent. Right next to the laundry room was the bathroom which continued the theme of an actual apartment.

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The building was well situated to the CBD (central business district). It was about a five-minute walk right into the heart of Brisbane.

Now for all the wonderful details to get there.

You can take a taxi directly to the apartments, but if you take the AirTrain from the airport (domestic or international) you will find yourself at Central Station. There is a shortcut to get to the Astor, but it’s too complicated to describe. If you are a first time visitor, like us, you want simple directions because you want to get to your destination without getting lost. Here’s the easiest way to get to the Astor from Central Station:

Exit the Station on Ann Street and turn right to Edward Street.
On Edward Street, make another right.
Cross Turbot Street.
Keep following Edward Street and you will cross Wickham Terrace.
Continue until you come to Astor Terrace, then turn right.
Astor Apartments will be located on your right.

This is the entrance to the Astor. There is another entrance further down, but it is for offices.

Be aware that the staff hours on weekends are from 9am to 10 am. Just one hour for Saturday and Sunday, so make sure you are able to talk with staff particularly if you want to set up a taxi pickup for early in the morning as we did.

There is a flat screen tv in the living area, and the apartment even comes with DVDs with such family favorites like “The Godfather” and the entire “Aliens” collection.

If there is something I would like to see changed, it would be to add a plastic mat in the bath tub because it can be slippery in there.

This is really the place to stay in Brisbane if you want more bang for your buck. You are within walking distance (about 5 minutes) of downtown, as well as two grocery stores (Woolworths). The one Woolworths is located in the CBD in MacArthur Central. The one closest to the Astor is located on Turbot Street at Spring Hill. There is also a corner store near the intersection of Astor Terrace and Upper Edward Street in case you just need to buy a snack or something to drink.

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My partner and I really enjoyed our time in the city of Brisbane. It was made even more memorable thanks to our stay at the Astor Apartments which felt like home. We recommend this place to other travelers. In fact, if we revisit Brisbane–which we would love to come back for another visit–we would again stay here.