Brisbane’s newest hotel, voco Brisbane City Centre, has officially opened its doors and welcomed its first guests. As the first hotel opening for Vista Hospitality Group, the recently formed joint venture between Pro-invest Group and Next Story Group, this vibrant, new inner-city hotel is the first voco to open in the riverside city and the second voco for Queensland.
In collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts, the hotel’s opening promises a refreshingly different service style and all the bold, colourful characteristics of the voco brand. Each of the hotel’s 194 artfully designed premium guestrooms feature an abundance of natural light, plush, sustainable bedding, vibrant artworks, smart in-room technology, modern bathrooms and sweeping views over the city or river.
Designed by Sydney-based interior design studio, JPDC, the interiors of the hotel are heavily influenced by its riverside location, as seen in the bed head mural, to create an upscale, laidback look and feel.
Showcasing a warm, neutral palette that is both calming and inviting, the interior design of the new-look guest rooms features dark blue hues and bright pops of the signature voco yellow as seen in the hand-picked artworks and furniture which is artfully placed to create zones within the room. And with a fun loving flamingo as its mascot which represents the brand’s ‘voco Life’ philosophy where guests can meet and mingle in the vibrant social space, there are plenty of playful moments to be had when staying at voco Brisbane City Centre.
Guests can enjoy some fun in the sun and soak up those famous Queensland rays at the rooftop pool, work out in the 24-hour fitness centre and enjoy local craft beers, wines and cocktails at Kraft & Co, a chameleon-like space that transforms from a bustling cafe during the day into an atmospheric lounge bar at night.
According to Vista Hospitality Group Board Member and Pro-invest CEO, Jan Smits, the launch of the voco brand into Brisbane’s hotel scene signals an exciting period of growth for the city. “The voco brand is renowned for its charmingly fun attitude and we’re excited to be able to share this uniquely different property with guests while injecting some colour and personality into the River City,” Jan said. “This is the first hotel to open under the Vista Hospitality Group portfolio and we are proud to be a custodian of IHG’s fast growing voco brand. Sustainability is a key pillar for our group and we were naturally drawn to IHG’s voco brand as it places emphasis on green and sustainable practices which aligns with our 2030 Net Zero carbon strategy. We are excited for guests to experience the voco hospitality and interact with the spaces we have created and look forward to being part of the social and economic fabric of Brisbane”.
Matthew Tripolone, Managing Director, IHG Australasia & Pacific, said “Brisbane is certainly putting the heat on its traditional rival cities! 2022 has kick started an era of strong growth with brand new experiences for locals and visitors in Brisbane – and voco is no exception, with the opening of the new voco Brisbane, and with Hotel Indigo’s city debut to open soon. Since launching in Australia in 2018, the voco brand has seen tremendous enthusiasm, taking off in new cities across Australasia and the globe – including Melbourne and Auckland this year alone – with its expansion happening at a faster pace than any other IHG brand. We’re proud to be launching the latest Brisbane location with Vista Hospitality Group and look forward to developing into new destinations soon.”
The hotel also offers a generous 1,200 square metres of event space across 11 premium, sustainably focused meeting and function spaces from the renowned Grand Chelsea Ballroom (opening mid-June) which can host up to 600 guests for a conference or celebration to the more intimate meeting and board rooms that are scattered throughout the property.
And continuing with voco’s commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly approach, voco Brisbane City Centre’s conferencing spaces have been named after Queensland’s National Parks to pay homage to the locations that are home to many Australian native birds and wildlife.
With a strong commitment to looking after the planet, voco Brisbane City Centre is implementing a number of sustainable initiatives such as aerated shower heads that reduce water and usage, plush bedding filled with 100% recycled materials, large refillable Antipodes amenities, all designed to reduce the impact on the environment. In addition, guests can enjoy free access to handcrafted bamboo bikes from Wyld Bikes which are easy on the environment and encourage guests to ‘tread lightly’.
