Transcontinental Hotel

The Transcontinental Hotel is a historic pub located at 482 George Street opposite the Brisbane Transit Centre. Open from 10:00am until late each day, the complex offers restaurant, bars and a pokies gaming area. Renowned as both a live music and dance venue, as well as a great place to get cheap eats, the Trans, as it is locally known, has been a Brisbane pub institution for a number of years. I do not, however, believe the hotel currently offers accommodation.

The Transcontinental Hotel has quite a long history with Brisbane. It was constructed in 1883-4 as a first class hotel for the city's gentry. It originally contained 27 bedrooms, seven public rooms, billiard room and a private bar over four levels, with the lower level being below street level. It was reputed to have one of the largest bar trades in Brisbane, with only the best liquor carried. Over the years, although the facade has remained largely intact, the interior has had significant remodelling.

Today, the trans has several theme nights, changing from pub sports on Monday, music jam night Tuesday, funk and R&B Wednesday, university night Thursday, office Friday and differing varieties on Saturday and Sunday. The crowd is a mix of backpackers and tourists, the office set, and students, depending on which night you go. During happy hours the beer is cheap and flows regularly, and their pub meals are quite good value.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Inchcolm Hotel

The Inchcolm Hotel is a boutique hotel located at 73 Wickham Terrace. A part of the Quality Hotel chain, the hotel offers standard and deluxe suites, "Seasalt" restaurant, conference and function facilities, and a rooftop pool with views back down to the city. In 1999 The Inchcolm was transformed from a heritage listed medical chambers to its current reincarnation. There are 35 suites in the hotel, and these are unique in that they are named after significant people or places of interest in Queensland history.

Wickham Terrace is significant for its relationship to the medical profession. This particular site has been associated with the profession since the 1880's. The original building contained private consulting rooms and then became a private hospital. In 1930 the current building was created in Georgian Style. Internally the building was divided into suites of medical offices, accessed via a narrow central corridor on each level. These suites now form the basis of the hotel. In refurbishing the building as a hotel many of the original features were kept including the silky oak wall panelling and doors, the original brass fittings and the 1920s New York style cage lift which still services the hotel today.

I love the look and feel of this hotel. The red brick rendering, overall faced, and the lettering pronouncing the hotel all give it a certain charm which harks back to the 1930's. The lettering in particular is deceptive, grabbing your attention because it appears out of focus - even though it isn't. It must be a trick of the camera as well! Although I haven't had the pleasure of staying here, I think it would be a great place to take a break.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Hotel Orient

On the corner of Queen and Ann Streets at one of the main roadway entrances to the CBD is the Orient Hotel. Located at 560 Queen Street, the building was originally erected as the Excelsior Hotel in two stages during 1875 and 1884. The Orient is one of a handful of surviving 19th century hotels in central Brisbane. The Hotel has experienced a number of refurbishments over the years, but the basic three story structure has remained over almost the past 100 years.

Today, the hotel has basic accommodation on the top floors, but its main attraction is its public bar and restaurant food. There is casual dining on the street level, with sit down lunch time and evening meals on the first floor. They also have poker machines and a TAB section for those gamblers amongst us. Bands play on Friday and Saturday night, and Thursday night is the night for discounted drinks.

Its great that the Orient is one of the few old pubs to have survived the development frenzy and midnight demolitions that claimed so many heritage buildings in the city centre during the 1970's and 80's. People often associate the building as a much smaller version of the flatiron building, although that isn't that peculiar to triangular blocks of land. I've eaten, drunk and gambled here a few times and always found it quite pleasant.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Victory Hotel

The Victory Hotel is located at 127 Edward Street. A well known watering hole for beer, it has been a meeting place for after work activities for many years. It has allegedly the only open air beergarden within the CBD, and has six different bars at which you can partake of amber fluids, amongst other beverages. They also have poker machines, and a bistro.

Open until late most evenings, the big nights are generally Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They have live music in the beer garden most evenings, and on Sunday afternoon's you can chill out and relax, usually to reggae music. Then there is the Garden Grill, where you can order and eat out in the beergarden during the day at lunchtime, or for an early evening meal.


I don't actually get to The Vic that often, and although I like to watch other people screw up royally with Karaoke, I'm yet to do it myself. It is great to sit out in the beer garden and watch the world go by under the palm trees, or watch the kids singing all the songs I grew up with sung by 80's cover bands!

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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The Manor Apartments

The Manor Apartments are located at 289 Queen Street. Acting as both permanent and hotel accommodation, the Manor offers apartments for the weary traveller and corporate clientele. Officially known as Newspaper House, the building has also been known as the Colonial Mutual Life Building. The building was constructed between 1930 and 1931 for Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society (CML). To compensate for the site's narrow frontage of a small 10 metres, an agreement was made between the Commonwealth authorities, who administer the adjoining GPO, and Colonial Mutual Life to allow a "right-of-way to extend the full depth of the building".


The building is 10 storeys high with a very narrow frontage to Queens Street. There are several sculptured ornaments adorning the building. The style of these on the building facades is influenced by American Art Deco buildings of the 1930's. These included sculptured lions like those seen in this photo, and at the top there are a number of eagle gargoyles which gaze down at those on the street below.

I love the architecture of this building. The depth and the sculptures make it visually attractive as part of the streetscape. The heritage elements also make it unique. It is beyond those buildings of the late 1800's, yet still reflects a time between the world wars where different influences were coming in to play.

Cheers, I Love Brisbane, Wes.

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