Brisbane’s most exciting new address, The Calile Hotel, has secured one of Australia’s hottest chef talents to launch a new dining venue. Executive Chef Kitak Lee has joined the hotel after heading two-hatted The Table at Kuro Kisumé in Melbourne. He will add his creative flair to the new menu and cocktail list at The Calile Hotel’s Lobby Bar, which will open its doors in September. The hotel and bar will become a key part of the James Street lifestyle precinct, celebrating Brisbane’s sublime subtropical climate as Australia’s first urban resort.
Lobby Bar’s relaxed, sophisticated air will be reflected in a thoughtful, contemporary menu offering breakfast, evening dining and everything in between. A considered wine list featuring Australia’s best will also salute the great viticulture regions of the world. The wine list will be complemented by a locally curated cocktail list and house-made sodas made from locally-sourced fruits.
Lee draws on his classical European training and South Korean upbringing to dream up an innovative menu that is in keeping with the hotel’s ethos of relaxed sophistication. Lee arrives at The Calile Hotel with an impressive pedigree. Before running The Table at Kuro Kisume in Melbourne, Lee held sous chef roles at Sydney’s Momofuku Seiobo (on the World’s Best Restaurant list), as well as Potts Point Japanese-inspired diner, Cho Cho San and Sydney icon, Bilson’s. He is also behind Seoul of Sydney, a chefs’ collective pushing to bring Korean cuisine to the forefront of the local dining scene.
“The Calile Hotel’s Lobby Bar menus will draw on the best elements of old-world hospitality, interpreted in a contemporary way,” he said. “In a sense we are finding a new take on classic hotel menus for the modern era. They will reflect the Queensland lifestyle, with light, fresh, local ingredients including Queensland fruits and excellent Australian wines presented exceptionally well. Essentially, we are The Calile, we are not trying to be anything else.”
Katrina Ford returns to her home state to run front-of-house, after years at Sydney’s and London’s best establishments – Merivale’s Coogee Pavilion, Mr. Wong and Ms G’s, Intercontinental Double Bay, French fine diner Guillaume and London’s famous Shoreditch House, of SoHo House Group.
Ms Ford said The Lobby Bar was designed to evoke a feeling of relaxed comfort, extending the experience of the urban resort. Its light-filled spaces feature an abundance of open air and clean lines, with a sense of pared back simplicity.
“This is a place where you will walk in and feel instantly calm and welcomed, as though you have escaped from city life,” she said. “Everything from the décor to the music is designed to put you at ease. Someone might have spent a morning by the pool or come from the office in a suit, but they will feel equally at home.”
In addition to Lobby Bar, The Calile Hotel has confirmed a stellar line-up of top retail, spa and dining offerings that will add to the precinct’s appeal, melding with the beautiful leafy, landscaped facades that Brisbane architects Richards & Spence have created.
On the dining front there will be an array of offerings at the hotel: a flagship restaurant called Hellenika, created by Simon Gloftis, offering an exciting modern Greek menu in a vast space that opens to the leafy terrace and poolside cabanas, for dining under the stars. A new micro-precinct adjoining the hotel called Ada Lane will open later this year, and feature five new street level eateries and bars.
On the fashion front, Australia’s most sought-after fashion labels will open their Queensland flagship stores on the hotel’s ground floor. Acclaimed innovator Dion Lee; sustainable organic cotton favourite Bassike; Sydney leisure success story Venroy; internationally successful Bec & Bridge; and Dutch lingerie brand Love Stories. Joining them will be current James Street retail outlets – Calexico Man, Wolfe & Ordnance, Andronis Fine Jewellery and Mister Zimi.
One of Australia’s top wellness and spa facilities will complete The Calile Hotel experience. Meaghan South, the woman behind Brisbane’s famous The Dome Retreat, will open KAILO Wellness Medispa and Forme Fitness on the pool deck level. It will provide a holistic wellness experience that combines ancient wisdom with modern approaches to skin health, medical aesthetics and beauty essentials in a space designed for relaxation and restoring vitality. Brisbane Cosmetic Medicine Specialist Dr. Edwina Morgan will partner with South, heading a team of professional paramedical therapists and doctors.
Forme Fitness will offer sophisticated gym equipment and personal training in a space with well-considered and luxurious facilities. Owner Tristian Forbes and his team will offer full fitness services to hotel guests and local members.
The hotel’s 175 generous guest rooms include nine suites and two premier suites. Each is designed with the ultimate guest experience in mind, with a balcony, Bluetooth sound bar, motorised blackout blinds, 55” flat screen television and complimentary new-release movies. The leisure facilities provided are designed to help guests embrace the authentic charm of the sub-tropical locale.
Beautiful and flexible event spaces cater to intimate culinary soirees, poolside cocktail parties, a grand ballroom celebration or wedding for up to 500 guests. Wedding guests and event delegates can unwind at the Lobby Bar, enjoy a poolside cocktail and dinner, energise in the fitness centre, or be pampered at the spa.
Hotel bookings can now be made at www.thecalilehotel.com or by phoning 13 86 42 in Australia, or +61 2 9356 5062 from outside Australia.
Images: Available on request.
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TFE Hotels (TOGA Far East Hotels) is Australia’s International Hotel Group - headquartered in Sydney and operating in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Austria, Singapore, and Switzerland. TFE has a portfolio of seven hotel brands - A by Adina, Adina Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Quincy Hotels, Travelodge Hotels, Rendezvous Hotels and Collection by TFE Hotels, with more in the development pipeline.
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