Looking for somewhere stylish to stay in the heart of Fortitude Valley? In this review, we take you inside The Alva Hotel Brisbane, one of the newest additions to Brisbane’s hotel scene.
The Brisbane Travel Guide acknowledges the Turrbal and Yuggera people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the Alva Hotel is located. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging, and recognise their continued spiritual and cultural connections to the Country. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.
Elegant, sophisticated and right in the heart of the action, The Alva Hotel Brisbane is one of those hotels that makes a night or two in your own city feel like a proper getaway.
Located on Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley, the hotel puts you within easy walking distance of some of Brisbane’s best dining and entertainment precincts, including Howard Smith Wharves and James Street – so you can check in, leave the car behind and make a weekend of it.
Inside, The Alva oozes understated elegance, with beautiful contemporary interiors, stylish rooms and thoughtful touches throughout. Head upstairs and you’ll find one of the hotel’s biggest drawcards – something still surprisingly rare among Brisbane hotels – a rooftop swimming pool and rooftop bar, with fabulous views across the city.
Add French-inspired dining at Bisou Bisou downstairs and Spanish-inspired food and cocktails at Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant upstairs, and there’s plenty of temptation to stay put too.
If The Alva sounds unfamiliar, you may know the property by its former name, Hotel X. The Fortitude Valley hotel was relaunched as The Alva in July 2026 as part of IHG’s Vignette Collection, bringing with it a new identity while retaining its prime Brunswick Street location.
I recently spent a night at The Alva and found it to be a gorgeous, modern hotel with plenty of personality. It’s stylish and undeniably cool, with a vibe that feels particularly suited to a younger crowd. The hotel is beautifully finished, very comfortable, and somewhere I’d happily stay again.
So what’s it actually like to stay here? Let’s take a look.
Disclosure: We were guests of The Alva Hotel Brisbane for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions are our own.
This post may contain compensated links. Please refer to our disclaimer here for more information.
The Alva Hotel Brisbane Review
Below, we cover everything you need to know about The Alva Hotel Brisbane, including its location, accommodation options, restaurants and bars, rooftop pool, facilities, parking and what we thought of our stay.
Location
One of The Alva’s biggest drawcards is its location.
The hotel sits at 458 Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley, putting you within walking distance of some of Brisbane’s hottest dining, drinking and entertainment precincts.
Just a 3-5-minute walk from the hotel is Howard Smith Wharves, one of our favourite places to take visitors in Brisbane. Set beneath the Story Bridge right on the river, it’s home to restaurants and bars including Felons Brewing Co, Stanley, Greca and Mr Percival’s – and it’s a fabulous spot for a long lunch, sunset drink or dinner by the river.
Head in the other direction and you can be at the start of James Street in around 5 minutes on foot. This leafy, upmarket precinct is one of Brisbane’s dining and lifestyle hotspots, packed with excellent restaurants, cafes, bars, boutiques and designer stores.
You’re also staying right in Fortitude Valley itself. Brunswick Street Mall and Chinatown are around a 5-minute walk, while Fortitude Music Hall is approximately 5 minutes away on foot – making The Alva a particularly good choice if you’re staying in Brisbane for a concert.
During our stay, we walked down to James Street and had a few drinks at Sixes and Sevens before returning to The Alva for dinner at Iris.
For a Brisbane weekend centred around eating, drinking and exploring the inner city, the location is hard to beat.
Getting around Brisbane is easy too
Another big advantage of staying at The Alva is that you really don’t need a car to explore Brisbane from here.
Fortitude Valley Train Station is around a 7-minute walk from the hotel, connecting you with the CBD and Brisbane’s wider rail network.
Even better, the Howard Smith Wharves ferry terminal is only around a 5-minute walk away. From here you can jump aboard a CityCat and travel along the Brisbane River, making it easy – and far more scenic – to explore other parts of the city.
Head towards South Bank and you’ll have easy access to the South Bank Parklands, Queensland Museum, QAGOMA, QPAC and the restaurants and bars of the precinct. From there, it’s also an easy walk across to Queen’s Wharf and The Star Brisbane.
There are bus services throughout Fortitude Valley as well, with stops along the surrounding major streets, although with the train station and ferry both within easy walking distance, many visitors may find they don’t need them.
For those flying in, Brisbane Airport is approximately 14 km from the hotel, with Fortitude Valley Station also providing a convenient public transport option to and from the airport.
Accommodation at The Alva Hotel Brisbane
The Alva has 146 rooms and suites, ranging from comfortable 28 sqm Standard Rooms through to spacious 60 sqm suites.
Rather than a huge difference in style between room categories, the main choices come down to how much space you’d like, your outlook and whether you want extras such as a balcony or terrace.
Whichever category you choose, you can expect the same sophisticated contemporary style, with original artwork inspired by the colours and character of Fortitude Valley.
Rooms also come with many of the comforts you’d expect from a luxury hotel, including complimentary Wi-Fi, a smart TV, Lavazza coffee and Grown Alchemist bathroom amenities.
The Alva has also introduced its own Sleep Edit, with a pillow menu and sleep sprays designed to help you wind down at the end of the day.
Standard Rooms
For most couples and solo travellers, the 28 sqm Standard Rooms provide everything needed for a short stay in Brisbane – and having now stayed in one, I was pleasantly surprised by just how spacious ours felt.
You can choose between a king bed and two single beds, with the twin configuration particularly handy for friends enjoying a weekend in Brisbane together. We had a king room, complete with a massive king-size bed, funky contemporary décor and all the modern conveniences you’d expect from a new hotel.
And when I say modern, I mean modern.
There are plenty of buttons and automated controls throughout the room. I’ll admit I found some of the technology a little less intuitive than the traditional switches I’m used to, although more tech-savvy guests will probably love it.
The bathroom was a real highlight and probably the part of the room that felt most luxurious. It was wonderfully spacious, with sleek modern finishes and a huge walk-in shower. Rooms also feature Grown Alchemist bathroom amenities, while The Alva’s Sleep Edit includes thoughtful extras such as a pillow menu and sleep sprays.
If you’d like a little more from your Standard Room, there are a few options. Standard King Balcony Rooms add a private balcony, while Standard King Urban View Rooms are located higher in the hotel and provide elevated views over Brisbane. Accessible Standard Rooms are also available.
For a night or two in Brisbane, particularly when you’re likely to spend much of your time exploring Fortitude Valley, James Street and Howard Smith Wharves – or upstairs enjoying the rooftop pool and Iris – I think a Standard Room is more than adequate for most travellers.
My only real complaint about the room?
Two English Breakfast tea bags.
As someone who drinks a lot of tea, two is never going to cut it. It’s a tiny gripe, of course, but why do hotels always seem to ration the tea?
Premium Rooms
For a little more space, step up to one of The Alva’s 33 sqm Premium Rooms.
These corner rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them a brighter, more open feel and broader views across Brisbane. They also feature automatic curtains.
For something a little more special, there are just four Premium Terrace Rooms. The room itself is 33 sqm, but the large private terrace considerably expands the overall indoor-outdoor space.
These would be particularly tempting for a romantic weekend, birthday, or special-occasion stay, where you plan to spend a little more time enjoying the room rather than simply using it as somewhere to sleep.
Suites
If you’re celebrating something special or simply want more room to spread out, The Alva also offers a small collection of Junior, One Bedroom and signature Alva Suites, ranging from 40 to 60 sqm.
Depending on the suite category, these provide additional lounge and dining space, along with features such as balconies, baths and sweeping Brisbane skyline views.
At the top end are the 60 sqm Alva Hotel Suites – and they’re absolutely gorgeous!
We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek inside the suites as part of The Alva’s hotel launch, and they really are something special. They’re spacious, beautifully designed and definitely have that extra wow factor you’d expect from the hotel’s top room category.
This is also where The Alva’s connection to Brisbane’s music scene really comes into play. As part of the Sounds of Alva experience, the two signature suites feature record players and a handpicked vinyl collection celebrating homegrown Brisbane musicians.
Travelling with family or friends?
The Alva can also configure selected King and Twin Rooms behind a shared master door, effectively creating a Family Room with separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
It’s a clever option for families – or even a group of friends – who want to stay together without sacrificing their own bedrooms and bathrooms. Availability needs to be confirmed with the hotel.
Selected rooms at The Alva are also dog friendly.
Dining at The Alva
You could easily stay at The Alva without venturing far for dinner or drinks.
The hotel’s two main venues are operated by Brisbane-based Ghanem Group Hospitality.
At street level, Bisou Bisou serves contemporary French-inspired food, while upstairs Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant offers Spanish-inspired dining alongside sweeping Brisbane views.
During our stay, we experienced both – dinner at Iris and breakfast at Bisou Bisou.
Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
If you’re staying at The Alva, I’d definitely recommend allowing time for dinner or drinks at Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant.
Like the rest of the hotel, Iris is flash, modern and stylish, with an atmosphere that feels very much designed for a young, fashionable crowd.
But the real star is the location.
At night, the views are particularly impressive, with the Story Bridge lit up in the distance.
We settled in with drinks and decided to order a selection of dishes to share rather than individual mains.
The menu is Spanish-inspired, with dishes designed to complement the rooftop setting, cocktails and panoramic Brisbane views.
Our feast included Patatas Bravas, Spanner Crab Tostadas, Fried Zucchini Blossoms, Chorizo a la Sidra and Empanadas de Carne.
And honestly, it was all divine.
Sharing a selection of smaller dishes worked perfectly and let us try quite a few things from the menu. Combined with the rooftop setting and nighttime views, Iris was one of the highlights of our stay.
Bisou Bisou
Located on the ground floor, Bisou Bisou is The Alva’s French-inspired restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We visited for breakfast and ordered smoked salmon and smashed avocado on toast with an egg.
It was a Monday morning, and the restaurant was fairly quiet, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly our meals arrived, and the serving sizes were more than generous.
I particularly loved the décor here.
While Iris has a cool, youthful rooftop-bar energy, Bisou Bisou feels more elegant and sophisticated. It’s still contemporary and beautifully designed, but somehow a little more relaxed and welcoming.
Of the two dining spaces, this was probably the one where I felt most at home.
Facilities at The Alva Hotel Brisbane
The Alva offers a great selection of leisure facilities, including a stunning rooftop pool with views across Brisbane, a well-equipped 24-hour gym and a range of unique guest experiences. Further details are below.
Rooftop Pool
One of the standout spaces at The Alva is the 15-metre rooftop pool.
The pool area is stunning, with views across Brisbane towards the Story Bridge and plenty of cabanas and spaces to settle in for an afternoon.
Unfortunately, it was far too chilly for me to brave the water during our stay.
The pool isn’t heated, which I think would be a lovely addition, particularly during Brisbane’s cooler months. In summer, though, I can imagine this being a fantastic place to spend an afternoon.
The rooftop pool is open daily from 6 am to 9 pm.
Fitness Centre
For those who like to keep up their fitness routine while travelling, The Alva has a 24-hour gym, and it’s actually quite well equipped for a hotel.
There are treadmills and other cardio equipment, a good range of dumbbells and free weights, weight benches, a squat rack, cable equipment and exercise balls, so there’s plenty here for both cardio and strength workouts.
I dutifully inspected it for this review, and it looked perfectly good.
But this girl doesn’t book gorgeous hotel stays to spend her time in the gym, so that’s about as much as I can tell you!
Parking
If you’re driving, both self-parking and valet parking are available.
At the time of writing, self-parking is $40 per night and valet parking is $60 per night.
Given The Alva’s location, once you’ve parked the car there’s a good chance you won’t need it again until it’s time to head home.
Who is The Alva Hotel for?
For me, The Alva is particularly well suited to a romantic Brisbane escape or a girls’ weekend.
Its location means you can easily build an entire weekend around great restaurants, rooftop bars, cocktails, and nightlife without venturing far from the hotel.
It’s also a convenient base for sightseeing and exploring Brisbane, but I think couples and groups of friends wanting a fun inner-city weekend will get the most out of it.
The overall vibe is modern, fashionable and youthful. At times I did feel slightly less cool than the crowd around me, but that certainly wouldn’t stop me from staying again.
Book Now
The Alva Hotel Brisbane is located at 458 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley.
Check-in is from 2 pm, with check-out by 11 am.
Room rates vary by room category, date, and demand, so it’s worth comparing prices for your travel dates.
Enjoy The Alva Hotel, Brisbane
We really enjoyed our stay at The Alva.
It’s a gorgeous hotel – modern, funky and comfortable, with spacious rooms, a beautiful rooftop pool, excellent dining and one of the best locations in Fortitude Valley.
For a romantic weekend, girls’ getaway or simply a night or two enjoying some of Brisbane’s best restaurants and bars, The Alva is an excellent choice – and I’d happily stay again.
If you’re heading to Brisbane, don’t forget to join our free Queensland Travel Guide Facebook community to ask questions, get local tips, or help plan your perfect stay!
While you’re in Brisbane, you might also enjoy these guides: