The Johnson Brisbane - Art Series

Our stay at The Johnson Hotel was extremely subpar, and I would not recommend it. My family (my wife, our two-year-old, and our one-month-old) booked a stay here as a safer option during the cyclone. Given the evolving storm conditions, we added nights both before and after our original booking, resulting in three separate reservations. We requested to stay in the same room for convenience, both for us and the hotel, not expecting to be treated any differently—but unfortunately, we were. On our second day, rather than a standard check-in or a courtesy visit to see if we needed anything, hotel staff came by solely to count items in the fridge. That felt impersonal but was minor compared to what followed. By Friday, after three days with no housekeeping, I went to the front desk to ask for fresh towels, understanding that services might be limited due to the storm. However, instead of a simple handover, I was met with a lecture from the receptionist about limiting towel use. While I understand resource management, scolding a guest—especially one staying with a small family—felt highly unprofessional and far from customer-friendly. When I expressed my frustration, the hotel manager, Jerome, stepped in. While I did get the towels, my next request—asking about waste disposal, given that we weren’t leaving the hotel due to the storm—was met with condescension. Jerome smirked and told me to take my trash to a designated room on the bottom floor. Upon arriving, I found the room taped shut with a storm alert notice, stating it was closed due to the impending weather—signage that had clearly been up for days. This felt like a petty and unnecessary response, adding to an already frustrating experience. Despite the storm, the hotel continued checking in new guests over the weekend. Yet, during our entire five-day stay, there was no housekeeping, no fresh sheets, and no general check-ins to ensure we were okay. It’s one thing to limit services due to an emergency, but if you can accommodate new guests, basic hospitality should still be expected for existing ones—especially for a family staying several days. To top it off, we accidentally left a small bag of valuable belongings behind. When we called the same day, we were told, “Sorry, it must have gone out with the trash.” No effort to check, no concern—just a dismissal. The hotel itself has solid facilities, and under different circumstances, I imagine the pool would have been enjoyable. But customer service makes or breaks a stay, and in this case, it was abysmal. This wasn’t just one bad interaction—it was a pattern across multiple staff members over five days. That points to a larger issue with management either enabling or outright encouraging this kind of treatment. In a city with plenty of great hotel options, do yourself a favor and book elsewhere.

Pool, gym, friendly staff. i enjoyed it very much. restaurants close by, city centre a short 10 min walk. no complaints