Wild eccentricity with class
QT Museum Wellington is sophistication, glamour, and a whole lot of cool madness, writes Suyeon Son.
QT Museum Wellington, of QT Hotels & Resorts. The non-chain chain provides tailored experiences for its guests, as each location reflects the neighbourhood it sits in. In QT fashion, the hotel is a homage to Wellington’s vibrant streets and teeming art community.
Previously known as the Museum Art Hotel, QT Museum Wellington recently underwent a $12 million renovation that’s watered down the old glitz to let the contemporary shine through. On the dazzling waterfront of Cable St by Waitangi Park.
QT Museum Wellington sits cosy by Te Papa, for which the hotel famously made room in 1993. Chris Parkin, the 68-year-old businessman who reigns the top floors of the hotel, moved the building across the road on rails. It is Parkin’s personal collection that lines the walls and captivates guests.
The hotel is a short breeze to many of Wellington’s offerings, including the iconic shops of Cuba St and gorgeous views of Mount Victoria. Here, the hippopotamus is king of the jungle. Two understated lions guard the entrance of the hotel but it’s the hippos in leather and shimmering gold that accent the space throughout. Why hippos? Just because. The only common thread here is Parkin’s own eccentricity, marked characteristically by his fondness for art with, in his words, ‘‘a lot of personality’’ or ‘‘tits and bums’’.
There’s no confronting art here, no abstraction and no transcendentalist pixels to mull over. From the get-go, guests are greeted with colours, sculptures, and paintings, whimsical and absurd in their own right. A gold piano sits in the corner, just beneath a bizarre rendition of Mona Lisa ( I Dream of Fishes, by Grant Hanna), whose adornments include a paper bag over her head, a Maori cloak, and tropical fish.
Ask reception for a guide to the artwork that’s housed in the hotel, and you’ll receive a booklet (neatly held together by a black satin bow) to satisfy your curiosities. Rest assured, the wild eccentricities stop at the door to make way for deluxe comfort.
This rabbit hole is architectural designer Shelley Indyk and stylist Anna Roberts’ playground. A black fur throw drapes over an armchair. Local artisanal goodies and Cadbury favourites deck out the mini-bar. The en suite features a beautiful freestanding porcelain tub that stands to the contrast of marblesque black floors. And, of course, a small hippo sits content on the bedside table, pretty and golden.
In true luxurious fashion, QT Hotels & Resorts develops and manufactures its own gel mattresses, which strain the scale at 70 kilograms of plush comfort for the best night’s sleep.
If the stunning balcony views of the QT Executive King Suite aren’t enough and you eat $100 bills for breakfast, call up Chris Parkin in Cate Blanchett-style* and rent out his private home on the top floors. (It boasts a 270-degree outlook onto the ocean.)
*She was a guest of the hotel in 2012 for the world premiere of The Hobbit. The French-inspired Hippopotamus restaurant and cocktail bar is expert in all things posh-gastronomical. Its chefs are continuously innovating on classic dishes for both international hotel guests and Wellington’s own foodie crowd.
Sink into a sun-drenched velvet armchair by the windows and enjoy the brunch buffet to a jazzy remix of Beyonce’s Crazy In Love. Or come back in the evening for soft lights, a view of night Wellywood waters, and French cuisine heavy with butter and dripping with indulgence.
Not to be missed: the Hippo’s High Tea menu, served from Wednesdays to Sundays with your favourite sparkly or a beautiful rose and French vanilla Dilmah tea. They bring you an SUYEON SON/ FAIRFAX NZ eyeful tower of amuse-bouches, mini sandwiches, and the most glorious of petite lemon meringues. QT Museum Wellington oozes culture and history. A destination even just for the artwork and delectable food, one night’s stay is not nearly enough to take it all in. I never even made it to the hotel’s spa pool or gym.
A night’s stay starts at $249, which includes complimentary wi-fi. We had the special treat of meeting Chris Parkin, who greeted us downstairs in his Roxy Cinema cap and red Hawaiian shirt.
He took us on a tour of his favourite artwork, sharing stories of how he came across them and even pointing out the first of what would become his eclectic collection (a Brent Wong surrealist painting).
Guests will soon be able to go on a virtual tour of these stories via QT Concierge, a mobile app designed to enhance guests’ stay. ● The writer was a guest of QT Museum Wellington