I was lucky enough to stay in 2 of the beautiful Art
Series hotels on a recent trip to Melbourne. I’ll be telling you all about The
Cullen this week, but I’ll also have a review of The Olsen coming up.
I have to confess that before staying at The Cullen in
Melbourne’s Prahran, I didn’t really know a lot about artist, Adam Cullen. I
recalled him winning the Archibald Prize, but other than that, his artwork was
completely unknown to me.
In a way, this is something the Art Series hotels aim to
rectify; by bringing art into the hotel room, to spark a fleeting love affair
with Australia’s foremost living artists. And this is exactly what it did for
me.
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero2.jpg)
Displayed throughout the hotel and in the rooms themselves,
Cullen’s artworks are at once vibrant and playfully macabre. Now don’t get me
wrong, there is nothing at all off-putting about sleeping next to his droopy
horses (or maybe they were donkeys) – in fact, there’s something reassuring
about the personalities in the works that help you feel at home.
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero3.jpg)
From the outside, The Cullen’s grey steel façade is
punctuated by bright green protruding pods (balconies) – a delight at night and
a bit of a beacon to find your way home along Commercial Road.
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero4.jpg)
The rooms range from a Studio Suite through to the Penthouse
Suite (2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms and views across Melbourne). The Studio Suite I
enjoyed included a magnificent en suite bathroom (separated by a frosted glass
wall adorned with another Cullen artwork).
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero5.jpg)
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero6.jpg)
![](https://cdn.habitusliving.com/images/stories/2010/august_10/travel/cullen/cullen_hero7.jpg)
As for food, the amazing Hutong dumpling restaurant is just
downstairs as well as the Terrace Bar and Bistro (they do some mean corn
fritters – yum!).
From the moment you enter The Cullen and pass the life-sized
mosaic cows you know you’re in for an experience, an exciting journey into the
mind of an artist.
The Cullen
artserieshotels.com.au/Cullen