Stayed here for the first time on a short business trip.

So different from the usual large 5 star hotels, a step back in time to traditional finery.

The staff are excellent, as was the size and comfortable elegance of the room. Food and drinks are in a cafe in the entrance to the hotel who serve great food which can also be ordered via room service.

Parking is available too on site for $22 per day, and, if full, the same rate is applied and the Myer Centre (now Uptown Centre) next door on Elizabeth Street.

TV with Foxtel and every other amenity available in the room, kitchen too. Not sure why there is still a media player which only uses the old 13 pin iPhone/iPod plug, making it useless, but that is my only small criticism.

This will be my go to hotel in Brisbane in future.

Highly recommended for those that don’t need the glitz of normal hotel/resort.

The recent reviews of this hotel on TripAdvisor are reasonably accurate and reflect our experience. The good bits:
Value for money
Pleasant heritage vibe, although a little worn around the edges
Large space - we had a two room corner suite
Adequate kitchen with all the usual utensils, including a coffee plunger
Decent Cafe on the ground floor, open for breakfast lunch and dinner
Reasonably fast lifts/elevators
Generally friendly staff and 24/7 Front Desk
Centrally located - one block from the Mall

The average to poor bits:
Glacial WIFI speed
Hot water is clearly centrally provided and takes FOREVER to reach the 2nd floor
Plumbing is NOISY - the whole apartment seemed to shake when the tap in the bathroom or kitchen is turned off
Air conditioning is temperamental - we thought that we had mastered the controls on the first day, only to find that after returning from shopping on day 2 the apartment was an ice box
Parts of Albert Street are a construction site for the CrossRiver Rail and new Albert St Station - noise is not the issue, simply busy, narrowed footpaths and visual pollution.

The Royal Albert Hotel is in an old building (1913) in central Brisbane, very handy for all the shops and the river. The reception is in a small arcade with a busy restaurant at the front so a little difficult to spot at first glance.

The reception staff were welcoming, and the desk is staffed for 24 hours a day although the main doors are locked from 8 pm. Your key card will give you access and also allows operation of the lifts.

My room was bigger than I expected, although I had not studied the pictures on the website closely. It was advertised as a queen room but was very big, with both a desk and a dining table with four chairs, as well as a sofa that turns into a sofa bed.

There was a well-stocked kitchenette and another surprise was the washer and dryer in the room which saved me having to find a local launderette. As well as a microwave, kettle and toaster, there was a small hob, iron, ironing board and hairdryer. No safe though. The bed was comfortable. The air-con / heater was set to 22 and there was a note on it asking that it not be changed. The temperature in the room was fine, although I could have done with a bit of boost to the temperature in the bathroom for my morning shower.

If I have any complaints it is about the water strength in the shower which was very very poor, I wash my hair most days and it was not strong enough to rinse the conditioner so I had to finish rinsing my hair over the sink. Not ideal.

My other complaint relates to the cleaning, the bed was made but some of the towels and face cloth had been taken and not replaced. This included the bath mat towel. And the cleaner had removed a small bag of rubbish from the bin but for some reason then abandoned it by the microwave.

I’ve seen reviews mentioning the noise, my room was adequately sound proofed, and faced onto an office block at the back of the building rather than onto Albert or Elizabeth Streets. I did hear some noise from the room next door late at night but it was very muffled, and not really an issue.

This is a well located hotel for anyone looking for somewhere to stay in central Brisbane, and the rooms are charming.