This Sunny Australian City Feels Like a European Town — and It Has a Celeb-favorite Hotel

“Are we still in Brisbane?” I asked myself.

Within an hour of checking into The Calile Hotel, I became fixated on the motley fashion spectacle unfolding in the lobby, made besties with the spirited staff, hit a pool scene reminiscent of Las Vegas, and found an American rock star on the neighboring balcony.

Growing up in New Zealand, Brisbane was a gateway to our Gold Coast vacations’ beaches and amusement parks. While I’ve returned since, it’s always seemed lackluster compared to my Sydney and Melbourne adventures — but I clearly hadn’t explored enough. It turns out the Queensland capital has long been having a moment, and with the multibillion-dollar new Queen’s Wharf Brisbane complex transforming the CBD, its star is only set to rise.

It’s in the hip arts, nightlife, and shopping hub of Fortitude Valley’s James Street Precinct, where I found all the fun. Dubbed Australia’s first urban resort, The Calile is named after co-owner Catherine Malouf’s great-grandfather Calile (originally Khalil) Malouf, who left Lebanon for Australia with his wife, Ada, in 1892. The Malouf family began developing James Street into a thriving hub in 2001, then shrugged off advice that a resort-style hotel wouldn’t work near the city.

While the $66 million hotel opened in 2018, it’s post-pandemic that The Calile (pronounced “kal-isle”) has cemented its “it” status, primarily helped by its trendy location, cultural programs, and superstar guests — which include Catherine’s 95-year-old father Calile Malouf, Sr., who lives on-site. “Yes, the Calile lives in The Calile,” she laughed.

As a lobby connoisseur who will happily laze or work away entire days in a lavish lobby, I instantly approved the multitude of seating options, buzzing bar, and sleek, minimalist design. Muted colors were sprinkled with lush greenery to accentuate the balmy oasis feel architects sought to create. At the same time, white brick, marble, and arches add a Mediterranean twist and honor the family’s heritage.

Plans to work from the lobby were thwarted as I became distracted by the captivating carousel of people and fashion passing through. Melbournians and Sydneysiders may be celebrated for their style, but the Lobby Bar proved a runway of its own, with clusters of women meeting for drinks in flamboyant summer dresses or chic office attire. Locals grabbing coffee in shorts and T-shirts and hotel guests strolling in from the pool in bikinis and robes created a style equilibrium reminiscent of Las Vegas resorts, where anything goes.

“If bars could speak, this one would say ‘welcome’ — whether you’ve crossed the planet to get here or merely the street,” the hotel’s media kit reads. It’s a testament to the community the hotel has built through social and cultural initiatives and bubbly staff like Tamara and Lou, who immediately treated us like long-lost friends.

“Our staff are young and enthusiastic, rather than seasoned hospitality professionals, and we’ve embraced that,” says Catherine. “We call people by their first names. Our culture’s very Australian — warm and genuine — which has created a luxury product that’s not stuffy.”

It’s as if the Soho Club ditched its exclusivity but kept its A-list clientele. Kourtney Kardashian and rocker husband Travis Barker had recently checked out, and after settling into our room, we wandered onto the balcony to find Matchbox Twenty’s Paul Doucette soaking up the sun next door (then promptly rushed inside to dial down the boy band tunes we’d been cranking). Before long, we ran into his bandmate, Rob Thomas, in the hallways and found guitarist Kyle Cook by the pool.

“Celebrities can slide into the experience without pomp and ceremony,” says Catherine. “The Hemsworths have lunch by the pool wearing caps and can be themselves. When Julia Roberts, George [Clooney], and [wife] Amal came, they sat at the Lobby Bar having wine for two-and-a-half hours and were left alone. Bono was really into the brutalist design and architecture. They all come for different reasons, but can integrate and enjoy what everybody else is enjoying.”

You don’t have to be a celebrity to feel like a Calile VIP, though. When I asked what lies behind the elevator’s locked seventh-floor button, Tamara and Lou promptly escorted us to the rooftop’s thriving herb gardens and magnificent views. Then, when I had a minor issue with my room’s bathroom, they offered a car service that made us feel like rockstars as we pulled up to Matchbox Twenty’s gig in a black BMW with “Calile” plates.

In Arabic, “khalil” means “friend,” which is what the hotel and its people felt like after three days. Never was that more apparent than when I looked over mid-concert and was overjoyed to find Tamara and Lou rocking out a few seats over.

Here’s my review of The Calile Hotel.

The Rooms

There’s something majestic about entering your hotel room through a striking arch (one of 213 throughout the hotel), and things only got better on the other side, where snug beds, bright spaces, and a party-starting “Calile Cube” cocktail kit awaited. A balcony overlooking the pool was the perfect place to enjoy the drinks.

The hotel has 164 rooms across seven levels, plus 11 suites, two of which have private rooftop terraces suitable for small parties. Each room has been designed using ethical, sustainable practices, like swapping carpet and wallpaper for cork. Cork can be harvested without cutting down trees and has thermal properties that help keep rooms cool in Brisbane’s heat. In-room balconies further aid natural cooling.

Australian skincare brand Grown Alchemist provides delicious-smelling amenities in the bathroom. We were thrilled to find ample bench space for our mountain-like mass of makeup, toiletries, and hair appliances.

Food and Drink

Whether serving poolside Greek fare at Hellenika or breakfast at the Lobby Bar, The Calile prides itself on offering local and seasonal produce. When sourcing ingredients, the first stop is the rooftop garden, which features eight rows of arched planters featuring herbs like Italian parsley and sage. Bee hives produce honey for breakfast dishes like the Lobby Bar’s crumpets and cocktails like The Apiarist, made with spiced rum, gingerbread liqueur, and honeycomb syrup.

The Calile Spritz is another must-try at the Lobby Bar, where mocktails come with suggested food pairings. While English cook Nigella Lawson declared the bar had the “best croissants ever,” my friend quickly declared its pork and fennel sausage the “best breakfast sausage ever.”

The hotel also has a steakhouse and sushi spot, while Ada Lane (a cute laneway named after Ada Malouf) has more restaurants just outside. On the other side lies James Street, where we devoured late-night Peri Peri grilled chicken burgers at Ribs and Burgers Fortitude Valley.

Venturing further during a morning stroll, we found quaint coffee spot Agnes Bakery tucked into a homely old cottage. Its nearby sister spot, Agnes Restaurant, was named Australia’s 2023 Restaurant of the Year by Gourmet Traveller magazine.

Activities and Experiences

The pool is where the action’s at, with local DJs spinning Balearic beats, emphasizing the teal- and white-themed deck’s Mediterranean vibes. Guests can get into pool mode beforehand by listening to the hotel’s Spotify playlist. The scene even inspired Australian filmmaker Scottie Cameron’s short film “Poolside Attraction” about the universal resort struggle of finding a sun lounger.

The collaboration was part of Calile Culture, which celebrates artists and creators through events, partnerships, and curated conversations, such as a recent session with the creator of “Bluey.” The Australian children’s series was 2024’s most-watched show in America and spawned Bluey’s World Brisbane, a new immersive experience featuring play zones and photo opportunities.

The hotel also has a book club, an adorable library, and an amphitheater hosting everything from sunrise yoga to weddings. The Kailo Medispa offers an infrared sauna, couples’ room, and wellness pods, while fitness enthusiasts can book personal trainer sessions at The Gymnasium.

When it’s time to leave, The Museum of Small Things gift store sells a candle and room spray of The Calile’s signature scent.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The Calile’s website reads, “It may surprise you that the number one VIP guest at The Calile is not a celebrity. The sun is our most valued guest.” Sustainability and energy-saving initiatives have been prioritized. During our rooftop tour with Tamara and Lou, we saw the 90-panel solar array that powers A/C units and other devices. Composting bins also live on the roof.

Back indoors, if guests forget to turn off lights or A/C, eco-mode switches them off, then restores user settings upon re-entrance. Glass is used for drinks, each floor has a water station, and there are coffee cup recycling stations, which have turned over 52,500 disposable cups in three years. Balconies and open-air elevator lobbies naturally ventilate spaces. While it reduces power consumption, we soon learned it’s not conducive to noise control — finding ourselves politely escorted to the lobby when our “bit loud” late-night hallway conversations disturbed the sixth-floor peace.

Guests can book free e-bikes to explore without a car, and the concierge will even throw in a map of the best picnic spots.

The hotel also has eight ADA-compliant rooms.

Location

The Calile lies in the James Street Precinct in Fortitude Valley, a diverse, booming neighborhood where couples hit the cinema, shoppers browse boutiques, and the queue rarely wanes at the gelato shop.

“It’s like a little European city where people can slow down,” says Catherine. “It highlights Brisbane’s signature identity in that you can sit outside or lie by the pool any time of year. People used to come to Brisbane to launch to the Great Barrier Reef or elsewhere, but it’s given people a reason to stop and stay.”

The riverfront’s a 15-minute walk away, and further afoot are central attractions like Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, a sprawling new entertainment and leisure precinct with shops, hotels, trails, and the must-see Sky Deck — an 820-foot “rooftop runway” towering 328 feet above the river and lined with restaurants and bars. The area’s a 10-minute Uber away.

You’ll need a rental car, public transport, or a tour to visit places like the Australia Zoo or the Gold Coast.

How to Get the Most Value

Download the Friends of Calile app to join the hotel’s “friends with benefits” program, which offers exclusive room rates, dining benefits and a complimentary Calile Spritz on arrival. Shopaholics will love the 90-plus discounts offered at James Street retailers, while members also get 10 percent off spa treatments and personal trainer sessions.