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What Is an Art Hotel?
Art hotels provide traditional accommodation but are driven with an interior of creative exhibits and aesthetics, such as art galleries of paintings, photographs, and drawings from a particular artist, style, or period. Some art hotels operate on a single theme, while others may have one for each floor or each particular room. These hotels are often found in major cities with heavy artistic communities. Art hotels tend to have more expensive rates than one- to three-star hotels and chains. Patrons should make reservations in advance, especially around the holidays and major event dates.
Offering all the usual amenities of traditional hotels, art hotels also provide a visual aesthetic advanced from the usual hotel chains. An art hotel caters to a creative audience or a clientele appreciative of art culture. Sculptures may be constructed in the lobbies or front yards of these customized hotels.
An art hotel is a key cultural hot spot where guests can enjoy a great variety of local art, music, and theatrical heritage. Common areas or lobbies often work as miniature art galleries in themselves, hosting a variety of paintings and color schemes on the walls and furniture. Live jazz and blues often put the finishing touch on a fine lodging experience at an art hotel.
Themed rooms based on a particular style or artist are often features of art hotels. These unique hotels are located all over the world but are commonly found in Europe. For example, there is an art hotel in Berlin, Germany, dedicated primarily to pop art icon Andy Warhol. This is a permanent exhibition in this particular art hotel. There are 91 rooms decorated with original work from the artist, totaling 218 signed prints to give a comprehensive overview of Warhol’s career.
With traditional art shows, an art hotel may feature traveling exhibitions for a given time period. These exhibitions often take place in the lobby, common area, or exhibit halls. Hotel tours are always offered to guests and potential guests. Artists with traveling exhibits sometimes use noteworthy art hotels as their exhibition halls. Meeting rooms can also serve this function when rented out.
Restaurants are almost always a part of the art hotel experience. These eateries feature art-inspired dining with atmospheres that cater to the hotel’s particular theme. Some hotels have multiple restaurants, while smaller ones may only have a bar. Room service may be an option as well.
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Woman holding a book
Discussion Comments
I would love to go to one of the fancy art hotels in Europe. It's the kind of thing you'd have to save as a treat at the end of the trip, maybe. I know the art hotel that's in the city near me is very expensive, pretty much the most expensive hotel in the city.
They are associated with the local art museum and have exhibitions and artist talks there all the time. And I think that's where celebrities are put up whenever they pass through the city as well, at least most of the time.
I really should go and see if it's possible to take a tour of the hotel even if I'm not staying there. They have some nice pieces and I would love to be able to see them without having to shell out for a really expensive room.
@irontoenail - A couple of my favorite hotels do the same sort of thing. One of them seems to have an owner who just likes to collect art. I don't think she meant originally to have an art hotel, but just thought she would display her collection, which happens to be quite eclectic.
So, you might be enjoying a piece of Cubism and then you'll turn the corner and be hit with one of the Impressionists. It must actually be quite useful to have a place to put your art, but you'd have to balance that with the fact that they might easily get damaged or stolen. Even if your hotel guests have the best will in the world, their kids might knock into a painting, and even having lots of people breathe around art, and having the kind of light you'd need in a hotel on the art would damage it.
The other hotel I like has taken care of that by featuring art made by the local primary school kids, done up in different ways, like on ceramic tiles. They've made it look really effective and it also makes you feel like they are supporting the local community which is always important.
I have to say that I always judge a hotel on the art they choose to display on the walls, even if it's just prints and they are the cheapest of the cheap in their area. I just really don't like it when hotels put up very bland art.
I find that there are lots of mid-range hotels which will put up real paintings but will pick ones that they are sure won't offend anyone. Paintings of some unidentifiable beach or maybe a cottage in a forest or something like that. Something that has nothing to do with the area.
Much better to feature a local artist, even if you can only afford the prints and not the real deal. You don't have to be a full blown art hotel to make good choices when it comes to art.
One of my favorite hotels has a massive print of a piece by a local artist behind the desk and I know that it's not the most beautiful piece in the world, but I think it has strength and it shows strength that they are willing to put it there.
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