The Olsen Art Hotel features the artwork of Australian painter John Olsen in every room. Photo by Robert Corkery.
In Melbourne, I slept with some great looking Australian art. Robert and I stayed at the brand new The Olsen, Art Series Hotel (see their site.) This is the second in a series of boutique hotels being opened in Melbourne that features the artwork of one contemporary Australian artist throughout the hotel. Thus the exterior of the building has a great reproduction of a painting on it, the lobby has originals and the halls and guest rooms all have prints. As you enter your room, an interview with featured artist John Olsen is playing on the TV. You can also purchase the artist’s prints. I love the idea of these hotels and think the concept is such a fantastic way to show off an artist and his work.
Behind the bed, a gray-scale version of one of Olsen's paintings is reproduced on a glass wall separating the bedroom from the bath. Photo by Robert Corkery.
The Olsen had just been open eight days when we checked in, so we had to deal with such moving in pains as nonworking and slow moving elevators and a room that did not get cleaned one day until we called at 5, but overall we had a great stay. We even borrowed the hotel bikes – which somehow not surprisingly were the stylish and arty Swedish Kronan models – to cycle along the Yarra River. And the hotel pool is open to the air and hangs out over the sidewalk, allowing you to see the people below walking by as you swim. Interesting touch.
We rode our Swedish-made Kronan bikes along the Yarra River.
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