TexasLover
Google
I flew for Houston to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to take a crazy repositioning cruise headed for Seattle. I searched for and researched hotels in Brisbane for ease of access to public transportation and, of course, price. This was my first trip to Australia and I knew I would need to run into some helpful folks to get my bearings.||I picked this hotel based on the Tripadvisor reviews for a manager named Ray. I'm glad to say that Ray made me look like a genius for picking The Soho Brisbane. Ray communicated with me several times by email and assured me everything would be okay with my solo trip to the land down under.||I don't know if it's the norm in Australia, but it seems that quite a few hotels do not have 24 hour check in and customer service. That's the case at The Soho. The lobby opens at 8:00 a.m., but Ray unlocked the doors at around 7:30 a.m. The lobby was functional but cramped. There were several people that had flown in with me on a very early arriving flight. I met two other couples who told me that won't stay anywhere else but The Soho when they are in Brisbane. I knew I had made a good hotel choice.||Ray said the hotel sells out every night, but the hotel cleaning staff was already hard at work and he offered a free check in once a room of my type was ready. You won't believe this, but I was in a room by 9:00 a,m. Perfect. Far better than the 2 p.m. check in time. Ray saw that I was struggling with my luggage and he even helped me get my bags to my room.||That was great because there is a pretty good incline to get to the entry door and the entry door requires a code to get in. The room was nice and clean and the bed was comfortable. There was coffee and tea in the room. The barebones bathroom is old timey, but functional. PRO TIP for Americans: bring an electric outlet converter. Australian plugs only.||Ray was better than Google with area directions and public transportation tips. I got to walk over to the Financial District for shopping and dining. The Soho's restaurant was out of commission due to the severe tropical storm flooding the week before my arrival. There is a great park across the street from the hotel for a beautiful morning walk. No breakfast at the hotel, but tons of options within a quarter mile.||The hotel was perfect for me without Ray, but Ray made the stay special. He was gracious with all the guests and I hope he is there when I go back. Ray even helped me walk my luggage down to my Uber.||So, the area is great. the room was great