When traveling, we sometimes look for a little more than just accommodation in hotels. Whether it’s comfortable, well-located, luxurious, charming or even historical, it’s fundamental that the hotel meets our expectations and desires. Since we sleep there, eat, and spend a lot of our free time there, why not choose an art hotel: a hotel that follows art and its styles?
For artists at heart or admirers of beautiful buildings, here is a selection of 10 of the most artistic hotels in the world:
1 – Street art style: Au Vieux Panier, Marseille, France
More than a hotel, this is a real project with artists in residence: its six bedrooms are redecorated annually by six different artists. This bed and breakfast got its name in reference to the oldest part of Marseille, “Panier”, itself named after a seventeenth century bistro of the same name.
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2 – The art embodied: Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Spain
Despite the architectural and artistic dimension already present in the city of Barcelona through the works of Gaudi, Hotel Arts, made of glass and steel, has captured its patrons’ imagination from the moment it was constructed on the sea in 1994. In addition to commissioned works by contemporary Catalan and Spanish artists, the hotel hosted a grand combined exhibition “Dali / Picasso, Picasso / Dali”, including more than 80 works of the two famous artists. The rooms, suites and duplex apartments were all refurbished in 2006. The building itself is the largest surrealistic object in the world.
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3 – The Arte Luise Kunsthotel, Berlin, Germany
The Arte Luise Kunsthotel has an old, rather classic facade, but it’s full of surprises inside. Each of the 48 rooms has been designed by a different artist, most of them from Berlin, and range from minimalism to surreal pop. All pieces are unique and amusing: they include modern, artistic décors and a specific concept for each room.
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4 – The Windsor Hotel rooms for artists, Nice, France
The Windsor contains a genuine treasure trove of contemporary art. For each wing of the hotel, a different artist has been commissioned to decorate by his taste: Gottfried Honegger, Lawrence Wiener, Ultra Violet, Glen Baxter, among others. Each room is an original creation, fruit of the imagination of the artist. The hotel is also ideally situated in Nice near the French Riviera, but a few blocks off it, avoiding the noisy summer nights.
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5 – The famous Chelsea Hotel, New York, United States
More than an art hotel, it’s a true temple of the stars. The iconic Chelsea Hotel was host of writers, musicians and artists. Among others, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Doris Chase, Larry Rivers, Brett Whiteley, Christo, Arman, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, Ching Cheng Ho, David Remfry, Philip Taaffe, Ralph Gibson, Frida Kahlo… all spent a lot of time in the hotel.
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6 – Semiramis in Athens, Greece: the most colorful
The Semiramis art hotel was designed by Karim Rashid, who gave a colorful and sensational tone to the hotel. The owner Dakis Joannou, himself avid art collector, exhibits his private collection around the hotel, which includes works by Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami, among others.
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7 – Eclat Hotel, Beijing, China
Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Zeng Fangzhi: the Eclat hotel does not skimp on ways to impress customers. And that’s not counting its convenient location in the centre of Beijing. The suites have their own indoor pool. This art hotel is also a springboard for contemporary Chinese artists, including Chen Wen Ling, Gao Xiao Wu and Zou Liang. It is an interesting place to stay at while going through a Beijing itinerary.
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8 – Hotel Cavalieri, Rome, Italy
The Cavalieri is more than a 5-star hotel. It is art hotel at its best. This is a place that includes a collection of over 1000 items dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. It even has a nursery that Napoleon ordered for his son; famous Beauvais tapestries in the lobby; Andy Warhol’s works; and a series of paintings of the revered Italian painter of the eighteenth century Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
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9 – The 21c Museum Hotel, 4 locations in the US
Art in the United States is quantified: the collection of 21c Museum Hotel has value of $ 10 million. After registration, guests receive an iPad that includes a narrative explaining each of the pieces of art that can be found at the hotel. Each hotel has its own permanent collection that includes works by major contemporary artists. In Louisville, Kentucky, the hotel even has a pomegranate limousine, named Pip-mobile!
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