Brisbane Hotels - Compare reservation websites and book online

Brisbane hotels come in all the shapes and sizes you'd expect from Australia's thrid largest city - the big names like Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton are all there, along with loads of independent establishments which range from fantasticly quirky to downright dirty. Like any bed where you rest your head, you get what you pay for. At the cheaper end of the scale, a perfectly comfortable room in a basic tourist hotel in the heart of the city like the Nomads will set you back about $80 a night at stand-by rates, while a two bedroom suite in the historical 5 star Conrad Treasury Casino  will cost you upwards of $220 if you are booking less than two weeks ahead - which is quite good for a five star hotel.

As with most online bookings anywhere in the world, you now have the choice of booking directly with the hotel, using a last minute discount service like Rates to Go, or booking with a room wholesaler like Octopus Travel. Each option has it's pros and cons, but here's a few of them (a booking comparison chart appears below).

• Book ahead with Octopus Travel - Travel companies like Octopus purchase bulk room nights across a wide range of hotels and get them really cheaply because of their buying power. In Octopus's case, they have thousands of rooms in hotels in 112 different countries, and there are plenty in Brisbane, so you can guarantee you'll get a good rate
• Book last minute with Rates to Go - If you can book your hotel within a few weeks of your stay you stand to get the best deal because hotels tend to drop their rates closer to the date (if they're going to be stuck with empty rooms they'd rather sell them off cheap and at least get something for them). Rates to Go even have a lowest price guarantee and a team monitoring the other last minute sites to ensure they have the best deals .
• Book directly with a hotel - booking direct with hotels is a great option for corporate travel because you can usually always wrangle a bulk discount on travel. However, if you are an individual traveller, or holiday maker, your chances of getting a discount are greatly diminished and you pay whatever the hotel can get out of you - especially in busy periods, and on weekends - we've published a list of addresses and phone numbers of Brisbane hotels if you feel like using the telephone.

Rate comparison chart between different booking websites

As an example of the price difference* within certain periods of the booking date, compare the following figures:

One night stay for two people at the Riverside Hotel in Southbank, two days from booking date (Standard room, low season, 4 star hotel, weeknight)

• Rack rate (equivalent to 'recommended retail price'): $195
• Cost at Octopus Travel: $167.50
• Cost at Rates to Go: $121
• Cost at the hotel's website: $157

One night stay for two people in Royal on the Park Hotel in Brisbane, one week from booking date (Deluxe room, low season, 4.5 star hotel, weeknight)

• Rack rate (equivalent to 'recommended retail price'): $450
• Cost at Octopus Travel: $175.50
• Cost at Rates to Go: $205
• Cost at the hotel's website: $195

One night stay for two people at the Riverside Hotel in Southbank, six months from booking date (Standard room, low season, 4 star hotel, weekend night)

• Rack rate (equivalent to 'recommended retail price'): $240
• Cost at Octopus Travel: $149.50
• Cost at Rates to Go: n/a
• Cost at the hotel's website: $165

* Please note these comparisons are indicative only and are subject to change at any time. Don't quote us, or the other websites on any of the figures, but you can at least get an idea of when you're going to get the best deal and who from. Be aware that booking fees sometimes apply and each website may have different inclusions.