“If we’re not having a European summer this year, then we’re allowed to spend $75 on two oysters, a bowl of chips and a couple of Palomas at Raes.”
Wincing our way through the price list of one of Byron Bay’s bougier beachfront venues, a friend and I were using any means necessary to justify a Sunday-afternoon blowout.
Think hard enough and you’re drinking Palomas on the Amalfi Coast or Puerto Escondido. Credit: Kate Nutt
Could we afford it? No. Was it crucial for our mental wellbeing? Absolutely.
In years gone by, our barometer for a year well spent was determined by whether or not we left the country. It made the monotonous slog of casual jobs and strings of “sabbaticals” feel worthwhile.
But adulthood comes for us all eventually, and this year, we’d be lucky to even get on a plane, let alone duck off for a few weeks of hedonism in the Balearic Islands.
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Which is how we found ourselves desperately clawing at that holiday feeling less than 20 minutes from home.
How does the word ‘staycation’ make you feel?
There was a time when uttering the portmanteau of “stay” and “vacation” felt dirty, like admitting to a failed dream. Why would I want to holiday anywhere near the place I lived?
I’ve since gotten over myself and realised that a staycation can be a good and highly enjoyable thing, especially when Palomas are involved.
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It can also be a practical tonic for dealing with the relentless realities of life right now. Cost of living, newborns, mortgages, inability to leave the country, etcetera.
Aruba, Jamaica, girl I wanna take ya to…Brisbane?
Believe it or not, Brisbane has a solid staycation appeal, which I suspect has increased since the arrival of The Calile Hotel in 2018.
The brutalist-inspired behemoth up the Fortitude Valley end of James Street was just named No.12 in the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 list, the only one in Australia to secure a spot.
The Calile’s general manager Rob Unson said creating a holiday atmosphere was intentional from the beginning.
Who needs Mallorca when you’ve got The Calile Hotel around the corner. Credit: Virginia Russell
“The hotel was always designed to look and feel like a resort whereby guests can move freely within the space, without having to feel any pressure or need to venture outside,” Unson said.
Asked whether he’s noticed an increase in people who live in Brisbane booking stays at The Calile, Unson said about 20 per cent of their guests come from local areas.
“Locally, and nationally, people plan weekends and visits to specifically stay at the hotel and enjoy our community.”
The Calile isn’t the only property solidifying the inner-city staycation. Other luxury properties like Crystalbrook Vincent, W Brisbane, Hotel X and Ovolo The Valley have also helped usher in the urban retreat.
Former Bray Park and current Arana Hills resident Kathleen Durham has stayed at Crystalbrook Vincent, located under the Story Bridge along Howard Smith Wharves, and North Quay’s W Brisbane, for wedding anniversaries over the years.
There’s a direct correlation between hotel rooftop pools and the activation of holiday-mode. Credit: Cathy Schusler
“It was more of an intention for my husband and I to spend some time together without the kids … and take the opportunity to stay somewhere nice in the city,” she said.
Durham grew up in Brisbane and while hotel stays haven’t fundamentally shifted her outlook of the city, they do encourage her to interact with it differently.
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“We always enjoy finding unique places to eat or to have a drink when we stay in the city.
“When we stayed at the W we went to the cocktail bar Death & Taxes and [both times] we stayed at Crystalbrook Vincent, we had dinner at Greca along Howard Smith Wharves,” she said.
Anne O’Regan lives in the outer suburbs of Brisbane. She’s also stayed at Crystalbrook Vincent and Stamford Plaza in Edward Street.
“Staying in the city near the river reminds me that we live in a pretty part of the world and have lots of eating and going out options,” she said.
Along with the chance to go to rooftop bars like Fiume and dine at restaurants along the river, O’Regan points to another benefit of the staycation: “no washing, cleaning, cooking for a little while”.
As the humiliated guest in this Blue Crush scene argued, you don’t have to clean your room when you’re on vacation.
WET Deck at the W Brisbane serving up big vacay vibes.
A decade ago, if someone had suggested a staycation in Brisbane I would’ve asked why they were trying so hard to hurt my feelings. But things have changed.
I can now understand the appeal of even one night “away” to rip into a minibar, use the fancy hotel products and lounge about like a lazy iguana in the Bahamas in a bathrobe and slippers.
Who cares if you’re only 15 minutes up the street. A holiday is whatever you want it to be.
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