US President Barack Obama has thrilled an excited crowd of spectators, giving them a wave as he arrived at the Brisbane hotel where he’ll be staying for the G20 summit.

About 100 people gathered at the Marriott Hotel on the Brisbane River to catch a glimpse of the president’s impressive motorcade, which included two of his bullet-proof limousines, a dozen other vehicles and seven motorbikes.

The motorcade brought traffic to a standstill as it travelled to the hotel from Victoria Park at Herston, where the president arrived in the presidential helicopter Marine One.

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A small but excited crowd gathered at the hotel to watch the arrival, and as the president arrived in his limousine, dubbed The Beast, he gave a small wave to those assembled there, as choppers buzzed overhead.

Others did their best to catch a glimpse from the balconies of neighbouring highrise buildings.

Earlier, Air Force One touched down at the Amberley air force base west of Brisbane, with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, Attorney-General George Brandis and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman there to greet the president.

The US leader is scheduled to take time out from the global forum to deliver an invitation-only speech at the University of Queensland on Saturday.

His speech will focus on US leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.

Just before the president touched down, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and his wife also arrived for the summit of world leaders, which officially gets underway on Saturday.

The leaders of France, New Zealand, Myanmar, Singapore and Senegal are also due to arrive on Saturday.