Brisbane, AustraliaNew Farm
Spicers Balfour Brisbane
Boutique Queenslander townhouse
New Farm Brisbane, Australia
Opened
2010
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Heritage LocalOutside the door
The house
Spicers RetreatsBoutique Queenslander townhouse
It runs like a private home. Breakfast is served on wide timber verandas, and evening drinks overlook the Story Bridge.
What it’s good at
Notable
Rowena Cornwell interiors blend dark jewel tones with Asian antiques and leadlight glass.
Notable
A 1910s timber Queenslander residence stands alongside a heritage-listed 1920s apartment block.
Notable
Veranda dining and breezy frangipani courtyards capture residential Queenslander domestic living.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet residential streets surround the hotel, and the riverfront bars at Howard Smith Wharves are a short walk away.
The rooms
Suites in the Simla wing sit behind leadlight windows, while rooms in the timber house have dark jewel tones and Asian antiques.
Massage
Massage treatments and rituals are arranged on request, with tables set before open shutters looking onto courtyard gardens.
Rooftop Bar
Cocktails are served along the terrace counter, which looks straight out at the illuminated Story Bridge and downtown skyline.
At the table
The Balfour Kitchen & Bar serves French-Vietnamese dishes at candlelit tables looking out through frangipani branches.
How it began
Built in the 1910s as a family home, the timber house spent the post-war decades as a boarding house for returned soldiers.
Brisbane
More like this
The Johnson Brisbane - Art Series
“Modernist art tower”
The Inchcolm
“Neo-Georgian medical salon”
The Alva Hotel Brisbane, Vignette Collection by IHG
“Faceted boutique tower”
Ovolo Brisbane, Fortitude Valley
“Glam-rock playground”
Hotel Indigo Brisbane City Centre by IHG
“Laneway-inspired urban tower”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.