Review: W Brisbane | Prince of Travel

During a trip to Australia, I bookmarked a few nights in Brisbane after enjoying my previous stays in the city. As I was planning out the trip, I was pleased to find a number of compelling hotel options for redeeming points.

The property that most caught my eye was the W Brisbane, which also appeared to have solid reviews across a number of platforms. Admittedly, I’d never had an extraordinary experience at a W property before, despite many of my friends and colleagues reporting otherwise.

I decided to check out the W Brisbane with the hopes that my fortunes would change with the brand. As I’d soon find out, one stay can make a world of difference, especially when there are multiple “wow” factors at play.

W Brisbane – Booking

Leading up to my trip to Australia, I combed through availability at a number of hotels. Much to my delight, the reward pricing at the W Brisbane tends to fall consistently between 30,000–40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night throughout the year.

When I compared the award prices to cash rates, it made for an even more compelling argument to book with points. Cash rates tend to fall between $400–500 AUD ($370–460 CAD) per night on the lower end, and upwards of $600 AUD ($551 CAD) per night during busier times.

Despite the favourable exchange rate, we decided to redeem 40,000 Bonvoy points for our stay. While we netted decent value when considering our valuation of Bonvoy points, I was also glad to see consistent award pricing throughout the year, where you won’t find many nights priced at more than 40,000 points.

There is also a strong argument to be made for using a Free Night Award for a stay at the W Brisbane. This effectively lowers the nightly cost to whatever the annual fee is on the credit card from which you earned the certificate.

If you’re looking for a cash rate at the W Brisbane, be sure to get in touch with an authorized travel advisor with access to Marriott Luminous, a preferred partner program that the W Brisbane participates in. You’ll pay the same as the best available flexible rate, but you’ll benefit from a number of extra perks, including a $100 USD property credit, free breakfast for two, a room upgrade (subject to availability), and more.