Amora Hotel Brisbane Review

Smack bang in the middle of Brisbane’s busy CBD (central business district) Amora is a recently renovated upmarket hotel which appeals to business travellers, couples and families alike. Light and spacious with little clutter to detract from its pure design, it has 296 guest rooms, of which the top, fourteenth floor offer balcony suites. The Dapl restaurant offers hearty but refined modern Australian cuisine and is a must-try for any guest. The Luxury Editor’s Simon recently reviewed the hotel, so read on to discover more.

Renovated back in 2023, the 14-story Amora sits slap-bang in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD (central business district). An equidistant and short stroll from the Central Railway Station, Howard Smith Wharves and James Street high-end fashion precinct alike, its non-cluttered, almost minimalist approach to interior design is best shown off in the reception, which promotes a spacious breeziness and a natural sprightliness. Calming grey crazy paving stretches beyond reception, past a resting area with a cabinet full of raw but elegant clay pots, past a staircase about to twirl, to the hotel’s Lobby bar which is a hard-cornered slab of marble. The space is accentuated with varying-sized heights and clumps of green palms, which coordinate with the monochromatic, large, tropical rainforest tableau behind the check-in area.

The lifts are found around the corner next to Dapl, the breakfast/dining space, have touch screen pads and are large enough to fit a surf board in. I know this because a French man brought one with him when I arrived. It took a bit of manoeuvring for all concerned but we made it work. I’m staying on the top floor in a Premier Balcony room. The room is smart and the themes established in reception continue. The bathroom is tiled with a kind of porous, soft grey stone.

The thick carpet is also grey and the same kind of tropical rainforest tableau, which on closer inspection looks inspired by antique etchings, decorates the wall behind the kingsize bed. A small beige sofa rounds off the far corner and gold trimmings, shower heads, taps, faucet, table legs, not so much for bling factor but a pleasingly shiny warmth, accentuate the room.  

Staying in a Premier Balcony room means two things. Firstly, the minibar is complimentary. The content is refilled and seems to change on a daily basis but is predominantly, if not exclusively, of indigenous content. Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc are provided by South Australia’s Oxford Landing. Prosecco is provided by South East Australia’s Dunes & Greene while Brisbane’s very own Revel Brewing Company provide the clean, crisp and refreshingly light lager and the fruity but equally refreshing Pacific Haze. The ginger beer is alcoholic and a vodka, lemon and lime pop is decorated with a koala bear. The koala out of its tree; with a large moustache it carries a golf iron and a pressure pump gauge which doubles as a Viking style drinking horn. The koala wears a green jacket and sports a small red hat with an eye on it. The koala looks happy. Non-alcoholic drinks are also provided as are a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar. 

Secondly, no prizes for guessing, the Premier Balcony room comes with a balcony, which turns out to be an absolute delight and one of the hotel’s unexpected highlights. With enough space to fit two people on chairs and a small table, it overlooks the pool but faces away from the city’s CBD. With less branded, residential buildings nearby and conservation park mountains in the background, the view could be one from a European city; Sarajevo or Cluj Napoca, maybe. The sun sets slowly, romantically, magically. The sky turns into an Ed Ruscha painting. Gradations of salmon pink turn into electric blue and then a darker, more midnight blue. Black stretched out clouds flitter like skeletal animals in a hurry, legs stretched, arms reaching. With a gentle refreshing breeze, night suffocates all the sky’s character and a few raging embers glow against the dying fire. It’s a hypnotic sight and well worth taking the time to witness.

Dapl is long and thin. Carpeted floor and marble tables fill it out. A coloured tableau of local exotic plants and shrubbery overlooking a seascape dominates the end of the room nearest the entrance. More palms sprout throughout.

Breakfast is buffet style and includes everything from fresh fruit, gluten free options, fried assortments, yoghurts, a selection of deli meats and a wide range of bakery products. I hedge my bets and go for healthy and gluttonous. My oatmeal compot is soaked with raisins, coconut strands, almond slices and goji berries and is tasty if dainty. My American diner-inspired, self-imposed heart attack – pancakes and crispy bacon soaked in maple syrup and topped with fresh cream- is naughty but nice. 

I should head straight to the fitness centre but ignore the cardio and weight training equipment and head straight into the hotel’s sauna instead. There’s no notice about what to wear as there is in many European saunas, but one imagines trunks are obligatory. After a cold shower, I head outside to the pool, which is oblong and surrounded by wooden decking and with less than a double handful of loungers. Get there early and grab one whilst you can. Two palms stand erect at one end of the pool and five opposite, edging a terrace which looks ideal for open-air cocktail soirées and has fairy lights criss-crossing it in a pentagram shape. As well as the hotel, another glass building stands tall above it, which means sunbathing is limited to later morning until mid-afternoon, at least when I’m there in early March. 

I head back to my room for a few balcony hours of sun before returning to Dapl for dinner. In much smaller lettering, almost as if an afterthought, the words ‘modern Australian’ can also be noted. If this seems misleading for breakfast, the dinner menu more than justifies this claim by having Bush spiced Kangaroo, Infinity Blue Barramundi, Australian cheeses for dessert and a few dishes which include wattleseed on the menu. Not surprisingly, lighting has changed from breakfast; is subdued and more atmospheric. I choose a Butterscotch Espresso Martini to start the evening. Even if it is over-powered by coffee and chocolate, it’s still a winner, practically deserving a place on the dessert menu; heavy but delicious.  

Our waitress, Laura from Madrid, brings European hospitality to the table, and I end up accepting each of her recommendations. The Sea Scallops are grilled on the top and bottom but are succulent in the middle. The addition of aniseed sauce, mulled wine and cranberries make for an exotic and pleasing entrée. My friends have Glazed Pork Belly with parsnip crisps and Confit Lamb Shoulder which especially, stands out. Strips of tender, juicy lamb are condensed together in a cylindrical fashion on a base of crunchy bacon bits, surrounded by peas; it’s both a surprise and a mini feast.  

For mains, the Five Founders Beef Eye Fillet is chunky, thick and, at medium rare, suitably pink. It comes with red wine jus and a small bunch of cherry tomatoes which my friend says work poetically with the steak. The Wattleseed Braised Short Rib (only one but large in size) melts in the mouth as if it’s been braised forever. Served with onions, mushrooms and a thick, rich gravy, dots of carrot purée enliven its presentation for a hearty, and heavy but enviable dish.

The Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake, Chocolate and Wattleseed Fondant and Apple Tart Tatin deserts are all unified by split strawberries still with calyx and are more than worthy companions to what’s gone before. Unable to resist another Espresso Martini, I end the meal with a Bounty one.

It’s another filling cocktail served with Malibu and white chocolate liqueur, is presented with a squiggle of chocolate syrup and strands on coconut which literally sit on the martini, it’s that dense. It’s an opulent way to end an opulent meal and a highlight of the stay.  

Amora Hotel Brisbane is featured in our guide to the best hotels in Brisbane.