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Paddington · Hotel shortlist

3 star hotels in the city centre, Paddington

Amara Nwosu

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Updated 1 September 2026 · 12 Paddington hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Paddington, out of the 12 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.5 down to 3.8.

Annie's Shandon Inn is the one I would book myself.

Annie's Shandon Inn

Highest rated of the five

Annie's Shandon Inn

★★★★★4.5 from 64 reviews

Annie's Shandon Inn comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.5 from 64 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property and found under city centre.

12 hotels in Paddington qualified for this list and five made it. YHA Brisbane City is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Dogs allowedno kennel to arrange before you fly

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All five, ranked

  1. Annie's Shandon Inn1

    Annie's Shandon Inn

    ★★★★★4.5 from 64 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. YHA Brisbane City2

    YHA Brisbane City

    ★★★★★4.1 from 1,302 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  3. Toowong Central Apartments3

    Toowong Central Apartments

    ★★★★★4.1 from 141 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  4. Herston Place Motel4

    Herston Place Motel

    ★★★★★4 from 278 reviews

    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  5. Toowong Villas5

    Toowong Villas

    ★★★★★3.8 from 87 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

12 Paddington hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Books holidays a year ahead because court calendars demand it, then travels hard for three weeks. West Africa most years to see family, somewhere new in between.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.