There’s no shortage of obvious pleasures at the InterContinental Sorrento. The maritime air drifting in from Bass Strait and Port Phillip Bay. The soft clink of glasses by the north facing pool deck whilst the sun beams down on your body. The convenience of being in the heart of Sorrento — steps from boutiques, coastal walks, and dining that rivals the city. And then there’s Aurora Spa and Bathhouse, where wellbeing experiences and bathing rituals are quickly becoming a national reference point for wellness practice in Australia. (More on that to come.)

Yet the true richness of a stay here isn’t always in what’s obvious. It’s in the details that reveal themselves slowly — the kind you don’t expect, but remember long after checkout.

Wander the hotel’s corridors and lounges, and you’ll notice them: moments of colour, texture, and story on the walls. The art here is not filler. It’s a curated collection that speaks of individuality, creative boldness, and the quiet satisfaction of discovering something you didn’t know you were looking for.

These works invite you to pause, lean in, and wonder. They remind you that a great hotel stay isn’t only about service, comfort, and location — it’s also about the unexpected touches that spark conversation and connect you to something larger.

A Gallery in Motion

Christian Thompson AO — King Billy #1 and King Billy #3, 2011 Staged self‑portraits rich with symbolism and saturated colour. Thompson, a Bidjara artist, uses adornment, gesture and gaze to braid identity, memory and history — reclaiming narratives with quiet power. The result is contemplative and commanding; portraits that feel ceremonial yet intimate.

Emma Summerton — Elle Fanning, 2020 (Vanity Fair) A luminous study in poise and imagination. Summerton’s fashion lens favours dreamlike worlds; here, Fanning’s presence is cinematic rather than simply star‑driven — a portrait that invites you to linger on light, texture and the suggestion of a story just beyond the frame.

Darren Sylvester — Anytime But Now, 2014 Crisp, hyper‑composed and quietly surreal. Sylvester distils pop culture feelings into a single still moment — familiar yet unplaceable, like a memory caught under studio lights. It asks nothing loudly, but it stays with you.

Fergus Greer — Leigh Bowery, Session VII, 1991 An arresting encounter with the late Australian performance artist at his most theatrical. Greer’s collaboration with Bowery produced portraits that are part costume, part confrontation — a fearless assertion of self that turns the corridor into a stage.

When we take a short break here, we’re reminded of one thing: you don’t just stay at the InterContinental Sorrento. You explore. And sometimes, the most memorable journey is the one you take between the lobby, the restaurants, the bathhouse, and your room.