Where to Stay for Brisbane 2032
Brisbane is one of the most accessible and liveable Olympic host cities in the world. Compact, safe, and built around a river, it offers visitors a range of neighbourhoods within minutes of major venues.
Choosing the right area to stay during Brisbane 2032 will depend on your priorities — walkability, luxury, family space, or proximity to stadium events. This guide breaks down each option clearly.
Where Is Brisbane?
Brisbane is located on Australia’s East Coast in Queensland. It is the country’s third-largest city and is known for its subtropical climate, riverfront lifestyle, and relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere.
The city is built around the Brisbane River, which divides the north and south sides. Most Olympic venues will be located within 10–20 minutes of the Central Business District (CBD), making inner-city and surrounding suburbs ideal for visitors.
Brisbane Airport is approximately 20 minutes from the CBD by car and around 25 minutes by train.
Brisbane is compact, well-connected, and built around a central river — which means most major Olympic venues will sit within 10–20 minutes of the CBD. Choosing the right area depends on your priorities: walkability, family space, luxury, or proximity to specific events.
Brisbane 2032 — Independent Coverage
Where to Stay for Brisbane 2032
Brisbane currently has around 46,000 hotel rooms. The Games will need approximately 76,000. Here's how to find a base that works — at a price that makes sense.
The Core Question: Where Do You Want to Be?
Brisbane 2032 spreads across a 200km corridor from Noosa to the Gold Coast, with regional outposts as far as Cairns. Your choice of base depends entirely on which sports you're there to see.
Brisbane base
Right for most visitors — ceremonies, athletics, swimming, basketball finals, rugby sevens, football finals are all in Brisbane.
Gold Coast base
For volleyball, beach volleyball, triathlon, judo. 50-minute train ride to central Brisbane and big accommodation capacity.
Sunshine Coast base
For football preliminaries, road cycling, mountain bike. One-hour drive or train trip from Brisbane.
Brisbane: Where to Stay
CBD and Spring Hill
The most convenient base. Walking distance to the new National Aquatic Centre, Victoria Park Stadium, and the Roma Street transport hub. Connections to Lang Park, South Bank, and every train line.
Open hotels in the CBD cluster
- Hotel Indigo Brisbane (2022)
- Voco Brisbane City Centre (2022)
- Crystalbrook Vincent (2021)
- Hotel X Brisbane (2021)
- Amora Hotel Brisbane (2024)
- The Star Grand Hotel Brisbane (2025, Queen's Wharf)
Coming before 2032: Kimpton Hotel (2028, Queen's Wharf), The Dorsett (Queen's Wharf), The Rosewood (Queen's Wharf).
South Bank and West End
South Bank is one of Brisbane's most walkable precincts — riverside paths, restaurants, GOMA, the Queensland Museum, and the South Bank Piazza (3x3 basketball venue). West End nearby offers lower-priced guesthouses, apartments, and boutique hotels.
Fortitude Valley
Immediately north of the CBD. Hotels and serviced apartments at prices typically 15–25% lower than equivalent CBD properties. 10-minute walk to the CBD or one stop on rail.
Northshore Hamilton & Newstead
The Northshore Hamilton precinct will host the main Athletes' Village. After the Games, the area becomes a new residential neighbourhood. Newstead, adjacent, is an established urban renewal area with apartment-style stays — 4km from the CBD by bus or bike.
Chermside
The Adina Hotel Chermside opened April 2026 — 148 apartment-style rooms about 20 minutes north of the CBD, near Westfield Chermside. Practical for visitors prioritising price over location.
Gold Coast
Hosts beach volleyball, volleyball, triathlon, marathon swimming, judo, wrestling, field hockey, football preliminaries, and the Gold Coast Athletes' Village at Royal Pines.
Surfers Paradise
Highest-density accommodation zone — hundreds of towers, enormous capacity, competitive pricing. Not the most convenient base for specific venues but gives the most options at the widest price range.
Broadbeach
Immediately adjacent to the Gold Coast Convention Centre (volleyball) and walking distance from Broadbeach Park Stadium (beach volleyball). Best location for Gold Coast events. Mondrian Gold Coast opened May 2025 here.
Coomera & Robina
Coomera (volleyball, wheelchair rugby) is further north with fewer options — most visitors base in Surfers or Broadbeach and travel. Robina (football preliminaries, Royal Pines Athletes' Village nearby) has limited hotel stock but growing apartment supply.
Sunshine Coast
Hosts football preliminaries, road cycling, mountain bike, open-road marathon and race walk events.
Mooloolaba
Beach-side, compact, walkable. A 182-room hotel is confirmed in the new pipeline.
Maroochydore
Commercial centre, near the stadium. Sunshine Coast Athletes' Village planned here.
Noosa
40km north of main venues. Worth it only if combining a holiday with occasional Games events.
Regional Queensland
Specific sports staged in regional cities will see significant accommodation pressure on competition days.
Rockhampton
Rowing & canoe sprint at Fitzroy River. Limited hotel stock for the city size — book early. Multi-night stays will be necessary for rowing fans.
Cairns
Football preliminaries at Barlow Park. Mature tourism hotel market thanks to the Great Barrier Reef. 2-hour flight from Brisbane.
Townsville
Football preliminaries at North Queensland Stadium. The Ardo Hotel Townsville is a newer upscale option.
What You're Up Against
Close to the entire existing stock will be in use during peak periods, plus everything new that opens between now and July 2032. The most constrained periods:
- Opening Ceremony week — around 23 July 2032
- Track and field finals week — early August
- Closing Ceremony weekend — 8 August 2032
- Any day with multiple finals at the same venue cluster
The single most useful thing you can do is decide your sport priorities now and watch for official ticketing-and-accommodation packages from the IOC and Brisbane 2032 organising committee.
Practical Tips for 2032 Visitors
Book early
Games accommodation sells out faster than most visitors expect. Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 both saw central accommodation at near-zero vacancy within weeks of tickets going on sale.
Consider apartments and short-term rentals
Airbnb and Stayz will carry large volumes of Brisbane accommodation. Apartments offer better value per person than hotels for groups of three or more.
Factor in transport
A hotel 2km closer to a venue that requires no taxi is often a better deal than a cheaper hotel 10km out with $60 of transport costs per competition day.
Watch official accommodation partners
Brisbane 2032 will designate official accommodation partners with exclusive or early-access booking windows. These partnerships often come with ticket bundles.
Understand pricing windows
In past Olympics, accommodation prices spike two years before the Games, then sometimes soften slightly in the final months. The safest strategy: book as soon as official options open.
Use the trip planner above to narrow it down, then check accommodation availability with the search tool.
Sources: Tourism Queensland; Time Out Australia, March 2025; WT Partnership accommodation analysis; thebrisbaneolympics.com.au; delivering2032.com.au.
Best Areas for Brisbane 2032
Neighbourhood breakdowns, luxury hotels, family-friendly areas and venue proximity — everything you need to plan your Olympic visit.
Photo Credit: LatStudios