I don't stay in BNE hotels very often seeing I live here
But some inner city recommendations based on location, my recollection and opinions of those who I've chatted to.
Hilton. Love it. Pity it's booked out.
Conrad. They're dreaming @ $670 for a suite. Hotel is nice though - heritage listed, but refurbished.
Sofitel. Central location, I think recently refurbished. Nice hotel.
Sebel Suites. Even more centra than Sofitel. Never stayed there, but have been told it's nice from some associates.
Quay West Nice location if you get the botanical gardens/river views. Supposed to be very nice, but once again I havn't stayed there so can't compare to Hilton etc.
If looking for central, stay away from Spring Hill, South Brisbane/South Bank or the edge of the CBD (eg Marriott or Novotel). But Brisbane CBD isn't really that big, so the Marriott / Novotel / Spring Hill is only a 10 min walk from the centre mall etc.
Also - a lot of construction work is taking place in Brisbane at the moment, including a new Busway tunnel and lots of new residential apartments. Probably isn't a concern for the average business visitor (unlikely to be work happening after hours) but still something to keep in mind.