Stay Here: We're Booking a Weekend Getaway at Australia's First Urban Resort ASAP
Since its opening in late 2018, we've seen hundreds of images on social media belonging to The Calile Hotel's long list of impressed guests. You can't book a stay here without memorialising the occasion with a few aesthetically-pleasing snaps. In fact, you could practically point your phone's camera in any direction and click to wind up with an Insta-worthy shot at this architecturally-designed paradise. The hotel has been dubbed as an 'urban resort' and is unlike anything an Australian capital city has ever seen before. With a focus on the pool rather than the conference room, Brisbane and its subtropical climate is a fitting location for The Calile, where an outdoor lifestyle is fostered and moments of discovery are inevitable.
Your priorities are bound to shift as soon as you arrive; self-care is high on the cards and the central pool is calling your name for a dip and a plate of fresh fruit accompanied by a refreshing cocktail. The Calile Hotel provides a full resort experience that includes a spa, fitness centre and library—all fantastic places to shake off the real world and bask in the warm glow that seems to radiate off the perfectly-smooth concrete walls here. Walking around the resort is an experience of its own, an opportunity to take in the incredible archways, sweeping curves and monolithic stone forms that hark back to Miami's pastel promenades. You're spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a room as well, with nine different variations that range from just the essentials to a luxe suite with a multi-level rooftop terrace to make you feel like a Queensland royal.
In what has become one of the country's most premium and well-designed lifestyle precincts, The Calile's James Street location couldn't be more fitting. Set amongst a leafy urban setting this pocket of Brisbane is brimming with the best in art, food and of course, shopping. All your favourite Aussie labels are here—Assembly Label, Bec + Bridge and St Agni, to name a few. Having seen the astounding result of architecture practice Richards and Spence's conceptual approach, it's hard to imagine anyone else leading the project. The architecture and overall aesthetic is recognisable to the practice which just so happens to work perfectly in this context. Known for bold and unexpected forms using bricks and concrete, they've managed to elevate this Brisbane gem into a world-class destination that's front-cover worthy and totally holds up in the areas of practicality and comfort, too. Using the area's tropical surrounds, The Calile Hotel is reminiscent of Mexico, Morrocco, California. I can't help but compare the response to Richard Neutra's Kauffmann House in Palm Springs. At the rate this resort is going, it'll soon rival the iconic mid-century icon as the most photographed piece of architecture. If you're looking for a place to get away and recharge, don't overlook this recently-completed accommodation option where blue skies and palm trees come standard.
Images courtesy of Richards & Spence. Photography Sean Fennessy.