Best Boutique Hotel in Perth for Art Lovers

Are you in need of an indulgent getaway? How about a city staycation in a boutique hotel? I know the perfect location in the heart of Perth’s luxury retailers.

A retreat from the hustle and bustle of inner-city workers, shoppers and diners and the perfect sanctuary for enthusiasts of street art.

Whether you’re a Perth local or from the eastern states, Perth city is a great location to enjoy some relaxation, shopping or sightseeing. And with domestic travel restrictions now easing across Australia, if you’re into exploring boutique hotels, The Adnate is the hotel to add to your list to enjoy your next staycation.

And what a find this hotel is. Centrally located to give access to the best of Perth’s chic cafes, trendy restaurants and impressive galleries The Adnate provides the perfect destination for a rejuvenating trip. Standing adjacent to King Street’s upmarket fashion stores, the surrounding streetscape has a very European feel within the city’s bustling business hub. An arm’s reach away is Perth’s premier fashion destination and a chic playground for long, lazy lunches.

What to expect in this boutique hotel

While enjoying a getaway in Australia’s second street art capital, it’s fitting that you stay in an equally stylish abode. The Adnate fits that bill perfectly as this boutique hotel is an art lover’s paradise. One of the best ways to appreciate art is to immerse yourself in it, but you don’t have to go to an art gallery to see high quality art in Perth. Staying at The Adnate – Art Series Perth is like sleeping in your own personal art gallery with original works of art in the lobby, hallway and all rooms. A stay at The Adnate is an absolute must for anyone looking for a getaway that combines some of the best culture and food Perth has to offer.

Where to find The Adnate boutique hotel

There is no chance of missing the Adnate in Perth. The hotel’s east-facing wall features one of the world’s largest ‘mega murals’ by Australian street artist Matt Adnate. Inspired by powerful multicultural portraiture the monumental artwork spans 27 storeys and was the largest Adnate had ever painted at the time the hotel opened in October 2019.

Situated near His Majesty’s Theatre and an arm’s reach of King Street, home of luxury retailers, chic cafes, trendy bars and boutique fashion stores is the perfect location for a boutique hotel. Boutique Hotels offer a unique experience, and you can’t get much more unique than street art.

What makes this boutique hotel unique

A 50 metre mural adorns the hotel laneway making an eye catching approach to the rear carpark. Once inside the lobby the artwork really hits you. Two original canvases of Matt Adnate’s works feature in the guest lounge and 650 giclée prints are displayed on the understated grey walls throughout the rooms and corridors of the hotel. This creates a warm inviting feel to the hotel which I’m sure is destined to become an iconic landmark in the city of Perth.

In contrast to the blandness of so many city hotels, The Adnate is bright, airy, and intriguing. Even the two storey stairwell from the lobby has a mural. This one is not a face, it’s a hand and can be interpreted differently by each who views it.

The bathrooms follow the theme with the glass shower screen emblazoned with Adnate’s tag so there is no need for him to practise his tag in the mist on the shower screen. There are 200 king rooms, 25 deluxe studios and 25 family interconnecting rooms.

Fresh, Miami styled Hyde Perth Kitchen & Cocktails has the perfect balance of colour, greenery and lighting with a pool framed by office towers. A neon sign reminds patrons to “Stay Hyde-rated”. This chic oasis is the place to escape the city and enjoy everything from poolside snacks, breakfast, all day grazing, dinner, or take a crash course in cocktail mixology. Did I mention bottomless fries?

About the mammoth mural

Facing the city for all to enjoy, the biggest city mural is nothing short of a masterpiece. The Adnate Hotel is named in honour of Matt Adnate who created the large, complex, and time-consuming mural. In fact the mural is the largest in the southern hemisphere and one of the world’s largest, a mega mural that took him a month to complete. The mural depicts three faces, Nathan McGuire, a Nooongar (Aboriginal) man clutching eucalyptus leaves, a Burmese girl and a Middle Eastern woman captured on the side of the 27 storey hotel.

On the approach to the carpark is a 50 metre laneway mural of Milata Heenan, a beautiful Maori woman, Tecumseh Jones, a First Nations American man and a beautiful mural of Matt’s stunning wife Jessica.

Gracing the wall at the rear of the laneway is a collaboration with Jade Dolman, a local indigenous artist and proud Noongar. The young indigenous girl in the mural is Jade’s cousin, Zara. We first saw this mural when Matt Adnate was onsite just beginning his part of the collaboration.

The first time we saw the carpark mural in progress was when it was only two eyes. Then later that day a cheek and the nose had been created. We watched in awe and chatted with this very talented artist and came back a week later to see Jade painting the finishing touches.

All these pieces showcase Perth’s multiculturalism and connection to the community, each face reflecting the cultural history and different backgrounds that characterise our city.

Bio Matt Adnate

A Melbourne boy, Matt Adnate went from tagging his bunk bed in 1992 and spray painting trains after dark, to become a full time artist in 2013. Just a year later he painted his first large portrait, a 23 metre portrait of an Indigenous boy in Hosier Lane which in 2017 featured on an Australian stamp. In 2016, in just five days Matt painted a larger than life portrait of co-founder of the Aboriginal Housing Corporation, Jenny Munro on the side of the 10 storey Novotel in Haymarket, Sydney. But he topped that in 2018 with 20 storey housing commission portrait featuring four residents, to finally in 2019, having an entire boutique hotel dedicated to his art and being namesake to the said $90 million upbeat alternative inner city hotel.

From bunk beds to canvases and mega murals Matt Adnate is leaving his mark and sure knows how to make walls less boring.

“I see this hotel as a beautiful canvas to tell a story about Perth’s cultural and community connection through portraiture and traditional elements,” Matt said. “My mega mural will represent the past through the cultural representation in the subject’s dressing elements, the present with contemporary faces, and the future as the subjects are the youth of today.”

Typical of a boutique hotel, with all the little details taken care of, The Adnate is the perfect place to kick back and relax with an in room art channel and art library, mini bar complete with organic tea, upscale alcohol and late night snacks.

For a boutique stay The Adnate is one of Australia’s coolest and most creative accommodation offerings attracting art and theatre lovers. The rooms are spacious, modern and functional, and the artwork creates an ambience like no other. The bar and restaurant area have a cool, funky vibe, and a mixologist.

One of 14 Accor branded properties in Perth, The Adnate was created to inspire a customised artistic guest experience.

The overall bespoke, hip feel of this boutique hotel makes for a stylish staycation. All the art pieces showcase Perth’s cultural history and connection to our community, each face reflecting the history and ethnicity.

History of the area

Known locally as the West End, this area is heritage listed and fitting for a boutique hotel. It’s well known for high end stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Linneys, Mui Mui, Tiffany, Gucci, Chanel, etc. With more than 150 years of history, the area originally comprised of cottages, small shops, coal yards, blacksmiths and laundries. By the 1890s with the proximity of the railway, larger enterprises had begun to erect offices and warehouses, and the gold boom era resulted in expansion of commerce and trade in the area. In 1904 the beautiful Edwardian styled His Majesty’s Theatre was built, opening on Christmas Eve and now one of WA’s most loved heritage buildings.

The area continued as a bustling commercial precinct with milliners, shoemakers, dentists and druggists through to the 1970s without major changes to the streetscape, and was classified by the National Trust (WA) in 1981 and listed a heritage precinct. By the 1990s the areas’ commercial concentration of warehouses, agencies and wholesale outlets was replaced with galleries, restaurants, and high end fashion outlets, and now houses some of the world’s leading fashion and jewellery houses.

The West Ends’ highly intact streetscape of heritage buildings provides an interactive, vibrant atmosphere giving the city a depth of character and sense of history.

City Walks

One of the best ways to see a place is on foot. And one of the best kept secrets and a place to get lost in a small bar, is nearby Wolf Lane. You’ll love the vibe of this funky street art lane with epic bars and quirky eateries that you’ll want to stop and enjoy a cocktail or two while taking in the tapestry of colour of Perth’s best street art breathing new life into the decaying façade of the laneways. The area simply oozes colour, creativity and hipster vibes.

There are plenty of other creative laneways as you mosey about the city centre, taking in the small details. Duck down laneways like Prince Lane, Howard Lane, Grand Lane and Northbridge’s exciting Nick’s Lane to name a few. Each laneway is truly special to discover awesome murals with Prince Lane’s murals giving a nod to the fashion history of the nearby King Street area.

If you want something different make sure you book the Arcades and Laneways walking tour.

Another great city walk is along the #Heartofgold Discovery Trail visiting 11 locations from Elizabeth Quay to the Perth Mint or a Perth Waterbike Adventure around the scenic Matilda Bay to get a rare view of the iconic Blue Boat House and take in beautiful views of Kings Park and the city.

Sights around the city

You can experience the culture of Perth, explore the vibrant Yagan Square, meander around the riverside location of Elizabeth Quay or while away some time at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens.

Kings Park and Botanic Gardens is one of the largest city parks in the world and easily accessed via the Blue CAT Bus. It is home to lush lawns, native wildflowers and sweeping views across the Swan River. You can wander through the gardens and enjoy one of the many walking trails independently, or take a guided tour of the park. Take an opportunity while you are at the top end of the city to check out the impressive Parliament House and take advantage of the free tour conducted each Thursday or Friday to learn about WA’s democratic system and view Parliament at work from the public gallery of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly chambers.

Nestled within the arms of the Horseshoe Bridge between the underground busport and the train station is Yagan Square. Perth’s meeting place is in the perfect location and connects the CBD and Northbridge. But its way more than a meeting place, and a place to have fun, meet, play, eat, and shop unlike anywhere else in the city.

A feature day or night is the iconic digital tower and the design of the heart of the city features green spaces, a market hall, cafes, an amphitheatre, native gardens and public art. There is a strong nod to the city’s indigenous history throughout the hub which was named after the Noongar leader Yagan, and the culture and history of the Noongar people feature heavily in the design elements.

At Stirling Gardens, just one of Perth’s many gorgeous parks and gardens you can pose with kangaroo sculptures ‘The Mob’ by Smith & Walsh. Established in 1845 this is Perth’s oldest botanic gardens and where the states first grape vines were planted. The bronze sculptures are life-size and are one of Perth’s many Instaworthy subjects.

To get around the city you can take a free CAT bus on either the Blue, Red, Yellow or Green services. These buses run 7 days a week and includes an audio recording at each stop to advise when the next bus is due.

Barrack Street Jetty is a great place to see some exceptional sights like the world’s largest musical instrument, The Bell Tower. Then enjoy a meal or craft beer on the decked riverfront terrace at The Lucky Shag overlooking The WA Rowing Club. It is one of Australia’s oldest rowing clubs and one of the last ‘floating’ boathouses in the world.

Then simply saunter on to Elizabeth Quay where you can take the little ferry or Yellow CAT Bus over to East Perth and see the World’s most beautiful stadium, Optus Stadium, and Matagarup Bridge, a suspension bridge that crosses the Swan River. Then follow The Claisebrook Village Art Trail to an inclusive trail where you can see how many hand painted gecko sculptures you can spot along the way.

Another great way to soak up the Perth sunshine and take in the best skyline views of the city is to take the ferry across to the South Perth Foreshore. Mends Street Jetty is the vibrant entry point leading to the Perth Zoo.

At Mindeerup Plaza there are two giant canopies in the shape of a frilled neck lizard and a numbat, a family of meerkat statues, and three emu statues. There is a range of seating or if you walk up Mends St to Windsor Park you can sit in the old Ferry Tram, a restored B class tram built in 1899 that ran in the area from 1922 to 1950.

A little further, towards the Narrows Bridge is one of Perth’s best known landmarks, the Old Mill. Built in 1835, the flour mill operated until 1859 and produced 680kg of flour per day. After production ceased the mill became a hotel, residence, wine saloon and poultry farm.

The foreshore runs from the Narrows Bridge to the Causeway and is an easy track to walk.

Cultural attractions

From your art retreat at The Adnate you are perfectly placed to discover that Perth is far from short on world-class cultural attractions. Aside from the proximity of luxury brand shopping you can explore arty laneways and speakeasy bars. Around the corner is Graffiti, a coffee venue featuring a mural by by Daek Williams and Etro café, an abstract painted by Anya Brock.

Adjacent to the Perth central train station is the Perth Cultural Centre made up of WA Museum Boola Bardip, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library of WA, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, and the State Theatre Centre of WA, all just waiting to be explored.

Accessible on foot from The Adnate off the Hay Street Mall is London Court, and nearby City of Perth Library, the State Buildings, Council House, and Government House. Alternatively, you could catch the CAT bus or walk 15 minutes up the hill at the end of St George’s Terrace to see the House on the Hill.

Perth has gained international attention with works from some of the world’s most notable street artists now gracing our buildings and laneways. Perth and surrounds has a significant number of public artworks, both historic and contemporary, which includes permanent and temporary installations well worth checking out. Despite street art typically being ephemeral and often painted over and replaced with something new, a lot of Perth’s murals have been around for 10 years or more.

Art stimulates our thinking, deepens our sense of place and transforms the places we live, work and play, making The Adnate the base to explore what Perth has to offer.

If you are keen to book a room with a little character, then look no further than The Adnate Perth – Art Series.

Have you stayed in a boutique hotel? Do you love street art? Are you tempted to book a room and explore some local street art?

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