The hotel that became my second home

In 2020 I moved to Toowoomba, I started full time teaching again while running a business and I loved the choice I made to move but something was missing- I missed being in Brisbane, the friends I had made, the events I could go to and the networking I did regularly. My Sunday salsa nights had spoilt me, my regular meetups too so I found myself trekking down to Brisbane on the regular. In this time I found my second home- the Swissbelhotel and boy do I miss it.

For those that have been to Southbank but not stayed around the area the Swissbelhotel is the perfect place to rest for a night, located right in the centre of it all, a stones through from the Gabba (heaven for AFL fans, especially Brisbane Lions supporters), a 150 metres walk from a free free and less than a kilometre from a supermarket, Southbank itself and great cafes, restaurants and bars. It is perfectly located. When I first stayed at the Swissbelhotel I didn’t realised I’d become like a regular you see on the movies.

‘Hello again Julia, its nice to see you again ma’am, what is bringing you here this weekend this time?’ To be honest being known like made me feel a million bucks. Perhaps that is fickle but it gave me something I didn’t have in Toowoomba yet- a business identity. People in Brisbane had started to know who I was, the people at the hotel knew what I did and they were used to me bringing in far too many bags for 1 or 2 nights stay. I knew my breakfast, lunch and dinner would be done well at the Cafe63 downstairs and exactly where I could get my fancier meals from along Southbank if I craved something different.

I went for runs in the morning and evenings along the Brisbane River and I felt like I was living a double life. Toowoomba Jules was the person who had to go back to teaching to save her business with the COVID pressures, Brisbane Jules had a life with people to see who didn’t work crazy hours and get paid for 5 like all the other teachers in Toowoomba (and everywhere else in Queensland, let’s be honest). Amongst the nutsoness of Covid the Swissbelhotel gave me something that I needed and I felt that I was helping the tourism industry- even if my short stays really were only the tiniest drop in the ocean for them.

When things got tougher in business and teaching stresses became worse (the usual lack of proper wellbeing for teachers despite OHS policies requiring legal commitment instead of fluff) I couldn’t do both, I had to pull back. I still remember Swissbelhotel visits with fondness and I wish that I could have brought Christmas and the New Year in at the hotel like I wished, but I look forward to returning to my second home this year and maybe just maybe becoming the ‘it’ girl I felt like for about 3 weeks haha. Because as fickle as it is, it feels so nice to have parts of who you are remembered by staff especially when you make new goals for yourself that you’ll spend more money somewhere that has a pool, a gym and is close to walkways so that you can keep your other life goals of keeping fit and being in balance with work and life.

So, if you are ever in Brisbane and want somewhere to stay can I suggest the Swissbelhotel on Vulture Street. The staff are great, the rooms are lovely and you have all you need. Plus if you don’t want to stay but you want cheap parking in Brisbane for the football or to visit the great area of Southbank then you can park at the hotel for $20/day and enjoy what the area has to offer more because you aren’t paying through your teeth for parking. Jump on it, enjoy- maybe you’ll enjoy it just as much as I have.