Staying in an Ovolo is always a grand affair. From its 2010 debut in Hong Kong, the brand now boasts seven boutique properties dotted along Australia’s east coast, from Brisbane to Melbourne.
Far from cookie-cutter style, each property is unique and draws inspiration from its surrounding neighbourhood. We stayed in Brisbane’s Ovolo The Valley; a quirky, eclectic property which reflects its neighbourhood’s heavily gentrified, trendy and artistic aesthetics.
First impression
The hotel is a sight to behold. While unassuming and bland on the outside, from the second you walk through the doors you are confronted by bursts of colour, art and eccentric furniture.
Designed by architecture firm Woods Bagot in collaboration with art curator Kathleen Wilson, the hotel’s cheeky personality is accentuated by custom wallpaper, vibrant colours and illustrations.
It’s an Instagrammers dream.
Location
The hotel is smack in the middle of Brisvegas’ Fortitude Valley, with galleries, cafes and the all-important rooftop cocktail bars within walking distance.
Rooms and suites
There are five kinds of rooms, including medium, large, large spa, the Valley suites and rockstar suites. We stayed in a large, and let us tell you: it was LUXE.
From the leafy green custom made wallpaper to the magenta day bed, free snacks, free drinks and plush bed, we can’t tell you our favourite part.
That’s a lie, it’s definitely a tie between the exciting aesthetics and the freebies. Yes, you read that correctly, FREE SNACKS AND FREE MINIBAR. We were pretty bloody delighted to find a free bag of treats in our room, with a few little chocolates and sweets but nothing can really match the delight for finding out the minibar is free. While the selection was petit, with just a can of wine and a few beers on offer, it’s still a delightful inclusion.
Each room also features a large TV complete with Google Chromecast and Amazon’s Alexa cloud-based voice service, just in case you’ve got a burning question that needs answering and can’t be bothered reaching for Google.
Drinking and dining
A delightful cafe breakfast is included with the room (plus 24-hour room service) but if you feel like venturing out for dinner and a few bevvies, you don’t have to leave the hotel. ZA ZA TA Bar and Kitchen has got you covered.
The Tel Aviv inspired restaurant brings a blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes designed for sharing amongst friends. We couldn’t get enough of the delicious burek which was matched only by the baba ganoush which had us seeing stars.
If its an aperitif you’re after, each guest gets a free drink during happy hour, where you can sample delicious plantation rums and artisanal cocktails.
Services
The hotel also features free self-service laundry and a 24-hour gym, plus a beautiful rooftop pool with plenty of space for sunbathing and taking in the beautiful city-scape surrounds.
The property also features B.I.G for corporate travellers, seating up to 10 delegates, and the Grand Hall, with a ‘ballroom-esque’ Victorian-inspired wall panelling and a tropical mural with an adjoining games room.
Verdict: 8/10
Ovolo The Valley is different in every way. It dodges cookie-cutter aesthetics and bombards guests with playful design and loads of special touches.
We felt more like we were staying in a quirky aunt’s mansion, rather than a hotel, except instead of doilies and tacky watercolour paintings you’re met with youthful colours and patterns alongside cheeky motifs.
Did we mention the free snacks and mini-bar?
