4 Great Options For An Indulgent Out Of Office

Wondering what to do with an indulgent three days out-of-office? Look no further than these four very different options, from a pastel-hued city pad to a beachside wellness sanctuary.

Off the grid

THE CALILE HOTEL, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND

As I make the traffic-free trip from Brisbane airport to The Calile — one of the country’s most Instagrammable new hotel destinations since its buzzy opening at the end of last year — I make a somewhat counterintuitive pledge: to take a tech hiatus for the weekend. No photos, no social media, no calls (I make an exception for an incoming one from my mum); I want my time here to be my own, and, feeling decidedly untethered of late, I’m interested to see if I can fully embrace my own company. So after tipping my Uber driver, I slip my phone into my bag and swap it for my notebook.

The urge to defect is real from the moment I step into my suite, which, bathed in a soft palette of neutrals punctuated by pink marble, wood and brass, is undeniably photogenic. Queensland sun gushes in through gauzy linen curtains, casting a golden-hour glow over everything it touches — including a daybed perched next to the window and an open wardrobe area that looks through to a tessellated-tile bathroom. I soon discover the rooms aren’t just beautiful, but are also cleverly eco-conscious: they power down when you leave, only to spring back to life on your return. Considering my newfound Google Maps-avoidance, it’s fortunate that Greek eatery Hellenika serves up award-winning fare onsite (besides, I’ve exhausted the $7 packets of Red Frogs from the mini bar).