Australia’s first Indigenous-inspired ibis hotel

During National Reconciliation Week 2016, AccorHotels will unveil its very first Indigenous-inspired ibis hotel in Australia at Sydney Olympic Park on Thursday 2 June.

Celebrating the hotel’s local links with Indigenous community, culture, and art, the partnership with Balarinji – an Indigenous-owned creative agency best known for conceptualising Indigenous art on Qantas aircrafts and most recently the textile design for the Rio 2016 Australian Paralympic Team uniform – AccorHotels commissioned Sydney-based artist, educator and D’harawal Saltwater Knowledge Keeper, Shannon Foster, to create bespoke and exclusive artwork for its ibis Sydney Olympic Park hotel.

Titled Wanne Gurad (2016), this work has been inspired by Foster’s work teaching Aboriginal Studies and Environmental Education on Wangal Country in the Badu Mangroves of Sydney Olympic Park.

AccorHotels Pacific chief operating officer, Simon McGrath said, “Reconciliation and supporting Indigenous Australia is part of the way we do business. Our goal is to create a more culturally connected organisation to enable authentic storytelling throughout our hotels leading to more engaging experiences for our guests.”

“We are proud to work with long-standing partner Balarinji and artist Shannon Foster to unveil the first Indigenous-inspired ibis hotel in Australia. This project forms part of our wider commitment to Reconciliation, creating more Indigenous employment opportunities and supporting local community and business groups,” McGrath added.

Foster will join Simon McGrath and Balarinji Chairman and football legend John Moriarty to introduce the new indigenous art work at the ibis Sydney Olympic Park next week.

AccorHotels recently worked with Ros and John Moriarty in support of their Indigenous Football Week program and community focused Nangala Project, Balarinji’s affiliated not-for-profit initiative.

This latest partnership and announcement highlights ibis Sydney Olympic Park’s commitments to Reconciliation with the goal of becoming the leading Indigenous Hotel Program in the country by 2018.

As part of the Indigenous art project, ibis Sydney Olympic Park and AccorHotels has a commitment to double the number of Indigenous employees working at hotels in the precinct from 10 to 20 by 2017. This forms part of the group’s national commitment to the Government’s Employment Parity Initiative.

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