Emporium Hotel South Bank.

A sense of occasion, by the river.

Emporium Hotel South Bank brings a touch of glamour to South Brisbane. Every one of its 143 rooms is a suite, and the rooftop, with an infinity-edge pool and bar on level 21, is the place to be as the sun goes down over the city.

It is the second Brisbane hotel from the Emporium group, following the original in Fortitude Valley, and it sits right in the middle of the city's cultural precinct.

Come for the suites, stay for the rooftop, and keep an evening free for the restaurants downstairs.

Below the rooftop are two very different restaurants: Italian at Firma and a French-brasserie mood at Belle Époque. You can dine well without leaving the building.

In the heart of South Bank.

The hotel stands on Grey Street, in the middle of Brisbane's cultural precinct. The Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art are all within walking distance, as are the South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach, the city's inner-city lagoon.

Cross the river on the Kurilpa or Victoria Bridge and you're in the CBD, while riverside paths make for easy morning walks and rides.

Every room a suite.

All 143 rooms are suites, giving more space than a typical city hotel room. The most sought-after are the Poolside Cabana Suites, set beside the rooftop pool deck with their own patios and direct access to the pool.

Other suites look out over the city, the river or South Bank. If outlook matters, ask about floor and aspect before you arrive.

Two restaurants and a rooftop.

Firma is the hotel's Italian restaurant, while Belle Époque brings classic French-brasserie style. Both are worth reserving ahead at weekends.

Upstairs, The Terrace rooftop bar sits beside the heated, 23-metre infinity pool, the setting for a long afternoon swim or a cocktail as the city lights come on.

Koalas, islands and the river.

Brisbane makes an easy base for both city sightseeing and day trips into south-east Queensland.