Art Series Hotels announces namesake artist for new $100m Brisbane flagship hotel

Art Series Hotels has announced its flagship property under construction at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves will be named after acclaimed Australian painter Vincent Fantauzzo.

The first new Art Series property under the AccorHotels banner, The Fantauzzo is scheduled to open in March 2019.

Renowned for his portraits of notable people including Heath Ledger, Matt Moran, Brandon Walters and Julia Gillard, Fantauzzo has won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the Archibald Packing Room Prize, and the Archibald People’s Choice Award four times, including in 2012 for his portrait of now-wife, actress Asher Keddie.

Carved into the cliff under Story Bridge, the $100 million luxury hotel will feature 166 guest rooms featuring both original artworks and up to 500 reproductions of Fantauzzo’s most recognised works.

“To have an Art Series hotel dedicated to showcasing my work is truly an honour and I cannot wait for the doors to open in March,” Fantauzzo said. “I’m strongly passionate about accessibility to the arts, and what excites me most about the collaboration is that this hotel will give all guests the opportunity to connect with art, and immerse themselves in a really creative experience.”

Simon McGrath, AccorHotels chief operating officer Pacific, said Fantauzzo was a natural fit to be the namesake artist of the first Art Series hotel under AccorHotels’ management.

“His mission is to make art accessible so he is a perfect match for the brand and The Fantauzzo’s design will clearly reflect his individual sense of style and sophistication,” he said.

Sheridan Randall, 30^th November 2018