These stylish hotels showcase unbeatable art in their hallways, guest rooms, galleries, and gardens.
By: Jenna Mahoney-AS SEEN IN BRIDAL GUIDE MAGAZINE-
The Meridian Colombus, The Joseph
More than 700 works from a jaw-dropping private collection are on display at this hotel set at the crossroads of the Ohioan city’s Short North Arts District. Works, which are exhibited in the common areas, are for the most part contemporary with such names as KAWS, Nari Ward and Dario Escobar. Among the dynamic pieces are 15 lithographs by an Ohioan artist specifically created for the hotel. The property’s spa is another standout amenity with holistic treatments performed in a luxurious setting (room rates start at $269 a night).
Le Negresco
There’s a distinct artfulness that comes with a vacation in the South of France. And a stay at this historic Nice retreat, which has hosted such names as Salvador Dali, Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Grace, is a fantastic way to experience the actual art of this romantic country.
Guest rooms and public spaces are all decorated with individual pieces and period furnishings sourced from more than five centuries of France’s history. There are classical, baroque and contemporary works displayed throughout the garden-laden property. The exceptional level suites are most impressive (room rates start at about $531 a night).
Rosewood Hong Kong
Talk about high art — at 65 stories, this ultra-luxe tower, robust with some of Hong Kong’s largest guest rooms, unparalleled — and jaw-dropping — views and a dizzying amount of sculpture and painting, reaches tall over the glittering and cosmopolitan city/state. The collection here is all about contemporary works that are impactful and impressive. There is a series of butterflies by Damien Hirst, a life-size elephant sculpture by Bharti Kerr and the piece that welcomes guests upon entry, a bronze of a reclining figure by mid-century British artist Henry Moore. And then there are the lithographs showcasing views from the hotel. The food here is equally spectacular (room rates start at about $420 a night).
21c Museum Hotel Lexington
If, based on its name, you were expecting a spectacularly curated collection of modern and contemporary works by art experts and preservationists, you’d be right. One of 11 hotels in this art-first chainlet of boutique properties, this 88-room retreat in a refurbished bank building in charming Lexington, Kentucky, home to the famed Keeneland Racetrack, exemplifies the ethos of the brand.
There are site-specific commissioned works and an enormous gallery/museum space with rotating exhibitions (room rates start at $249 a night).
Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay
Food here is exceptional. It is, after all, helmed by the world's preeminent sushi chef for which the intimate, beachfront property is named. Add the farm-to-table element for which the island of Ibiza is celebrated and seasonally rotating top-chef partnerships and you get a food-lovers paradise complete with two quiet pools, an awesome spa and fantastic Old Town views. It's no wonder the newer-to-the-scene hideaway is so popular.
In keeping with the local-flavor tenets, the hotel’s art program is also a showcase of the culture of the island. Resident Balearic artists have works on display throughout the property. The most impressive images are commissioned oversized photographs of scenes throughout Ibiza, neighboring islands and the property itself (room rates start at about $440 a night).
Hall Arts Hotel
Home to Big Tex and the State Fair of Texas, the Dallas Cowboys and the grassy knoll, the city of Dallas also boasts the country’s longest (geographically) continuous arts district. The robust urban area encompasses renowned opera and ballet companies and many museums with collections spanning the ancient world to living artists. In the center of it stands this 183-room hotel where art and its display are embedded in the property’s DNA. In fact, a portion of the collection, which is heavy on diverse and emerging talents, was curated in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State’s Arts in Embassies program (room rates start at $409 a night).
Fun fact: There are six kinds of arts districts in the U.S., according to the advocacy organization Americans for the Arts. The oldest began in cities prior to the 1930s and are called cultural compounds.
