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Best place to stay in Canberra: QT Canberra

Neighbourhood

QT Canberra is set on London Circuit in the heart of the flourishing cultural precinct NewActon surrounded by trendy cafés, hatted restaurants, specialty bars serving liquid nitrogen and barrel-aged cocktails as well as a number of galleries and entertainment venues. My visit to QT coincided with Enlighten, an annual art festival that features projections on city architecture and a program of performances and cultural activations. During the festival artist Grant Stevens illuminated the side of the hotel with his digital art installation The Drift.

 

Walking distance to

The hotel is a short walk to trendy café Mocan & Green Grout, industrial style restaurant A.BAKER, specialty cocktail bar Black Market and numerous other eateries and drinking holes. The award-winning Nishi complex is also right on QT’s doorstep and houses Palace Electric Cinema. To the northeast lays the Jigsaw Theatre Company, City Hill, the Canberra Museum and Gallery and a mix of small boutiques and shops.

 

Size and style

Formerly a Lakeside Hotel the QT group has transformed the premises into a fun and quirky hotel with 205 guest suites fitted out in sleek QT style. A rotating art exhibition takes pride of place in the lobby along with a curtained wall hung with artistic impressions of world leaders and eccentric wallpaper featuring past Australian prime ministers.  The lobby leads through to Capitol Bar and Grill, a stylish, moodily lit restaurant with a signature antipasto table, swanky bar and a mix of seating options. The hotel’s rooms and suites are bright and minimalist with printed headboards and statement furnishings.

 

Guest profile

By day there is a mix of business and leisure travellers and families passing through and at night the lobby is filled with dressed up patrons dining at Capitol Bar and drinking at the on-site speakeasy Lucky’s.

Airport Transfers

No.

 

You need to know this

The hotel’s main quirk is the trendy barbershop with a secret door at the back that leads into Lucky’s Speakeasy, a dimly lit cocktail bar with a live DJ playing classic hits.

24 hour reception

Yes.

 

24 hour room service

Available until 3am.

 

On-site dining and drinking facilities

Capitol Bar and Grill: The hotel’s restaurant transitions from a buzzing breakfast buffet with an omelette chef in the morning to Italian themed lunch and dinner venue serving up wood fired meats, seafood, decadent desserts and the must-try Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

QT Lounge: This exclusive 15th floor lounge is an invitation-only member’s lounge offering up magnificent views over the city and a full service bar and snack menu. A visit to the lounge isn’t complete without trying the top-notch Negroni.

Lucky’s Speakeasy: The perfect place for a post-dinner cocktail and late-night dance. For Canberra locals Lucky’s is a weekend-night destination in itself.

On-site facilities

Parking

On arrival guests can arrange to have their car parked in the underground carpark for A$12 per day.

 

Pool

No.

 

Gym

No.

Wifi

Yes. Hotel-wide and free of charge.

 

Turndown service

Once per day.

 

Celebrity guests?

Over the years the building has hosted numerous prime ministers and politicians.

 

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