Ahhhh.. the eternal dilemma of a travelling musician... to go with the orchestra/ensemble provided hotel or to book your own accommodation? If you go with the provided option, it is just so much easier... and you will generally get something that is pretty decent that is also near the venue where you will be performing and rehearsing, and you will also be in the same location as other travelling colleagues. That means that any group travel is much easier... as you will just need to roll out of bed at the right time and be taken places instead of planning your own travel.
On the other hand, if you plan your own accommodation, then you can often get a place that is cheaper that the budgeted amount... and you can pocket the difference. So, a balance between convenience and picking up a little bit of extra payment...
This particular time, I opted for the ensemble provided accommodation... after all, we were staying a short time in Brisbane and it would be just too much of a pain in the arse to figure out my own stuff. Which meant that we were housed right in the centre of Brisbane city at the Evolution apartments.
My initial impressions weren't really that favourable... you had a reception that seemed to cater for both short stay and long term rentals... and then a weirdly sparse and cold corridor through to the lifts... and yes, you were likely going to need the lifts, there were quite a lot of floors in this building!
However, on entry to the apartment, I was pleasantly surprised by the very spacious two bedroom affair! Lots of living room space, two separated bedrooms and bathrooms (well, the bathrooms were a little bit grubby...) and a small kitchenette. Basically more than what a touring musician would need and perfect for a small family holiday.
As I mentioned, the two decently sized bedrooms on each side of the balcony having nice riverside views...
... and apart from the motorway being right underneath, they were pretty decent nighttime views!
... very very nice views of the lighted pedestrian footbridges across the river to the arts and restaurant district!
So, this time... definitely a wiser and luckier choice to go with the ensemble provided accommodation! Lovely views and a central location... it would be hard to get something similar for a similar price with the budget allowance... often these things are done as sponsorship or in-kind/bulk deals!
