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Guests who stay at The Fantauzzo might expect the royal treatment with Art Series Hotels appointing Shaun Fields as general manager of its brand new $100m Brisbane property.

Fields, 37, has more than 20 years’ experience in the hotel industry and has looked after a number of high-profile guests including Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Buble’ and Pink, but his most memorable is Queen Elizabeth II.

“I worked with her representatives from Buckingham Palace. It took 12 months to meticulously plan and I had the pleasure of being her personal escort,” Fields said. “It ended with a dinner for all the Commonwealth heads of government and I received a personal gift from the Queen at the end of it which I still wear to this day – a pair of cufflinks.”

Growing up in Durban, Fields started his career in a hotel kitchen – a client of his accountant mother – but was quickly tapped by the general manager to join its highly competitive intern program. From there the teenager worked his way through housekeeping, reservations and the front office.

After seven years he left South Africa and travelled the world applying his skills on the QE2 and Seabourn cruise lines, visiting places like the Amazon, Machu Pichu, Punta del Este, Barbados and New York, to name a few.

Following a brief stint at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he worked as the restaurant manager, Fields spent five years with Starwood Hotels in London before coming to Australia in 2010, starting at the Sheraton Perth (now the Pan Pacific Perth).

Relocating to Melbourne to join Accor as a general manager in mid 2016, Fields is now relishing the chance to bring something truly unique to Brisbane.

“I learnt a lot during my tenure in Perth about providing quality service and attention to detail,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to sharing this with our guests at The Fantauzzo.”

Passionate about the Art Series brand, Field’s top priority is to deliver a five-star experience but in a relaxed way to create a welcoming space where everyone feels like they belong.

With local room supply continuing to grow, Fields understands the need to adapt, be relevant and stand out from the crowd is more important now than ever, but will do this by meticulously planning The Fantauzzo’s culture.

“We will be at the cutting edge of what is happening in the industry right now when it comes to in-room technology, but we need to keep the core values of what makes a good hotel experience at the forefront,” he added.

“Guests are becoming savvier, with more and more searching for an experience they just cannot get at home. We will deliver on this by creating a guest experience you simply cannot get anywhere else, in a location that is fast becoming an icon of the Brisbane landscape.”

The Fantauzzo is scheduled to open its doors on March 26 with bookings now available online at www.artserieshotels.com.au