The Art of Hospitality: 5 Arty Hotels to Book Around the World

Ever loved a gallery so much you wanted to sleep there? Fortunately, there are plenty of luxury hotels with exquisite collections of masterpieces where you can do just that.

Not so long ago, art tourism meant a trip to Paris to catch a crowded glimpse of a disappointingly small Mona Lisa. We’ve come a long way since then, as Travellers increasingly head around the world to explore new and unique forms of art. Indeed, with such a global diversity of cultures, heritages, styles and collections, people are willing to cross oceans and borders to experience amazing new art forms. And just as governments and tour providers are doubling their efforts to uplift and drive the growth of their art tourism sectors with new and comPetitive strategies, so too is the hospitality industry, several of whose luxury hotels are now so crammed full with art works that they’ve come to resemble galleries as much as places to stay. Here, then, are five of our favourite such places around the world.

THE SILO HOTEL, CAPE TOWN

As a destination, Cape Town is already a work of art. So when The Silo Hotel opened in 2017, it quickly became an additional masterpiece in the city’s central bowl. Celebrating art, style and design, The Silo towers above the famous Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and is defined by its shimmering pillowed-glass windows which offer panoramic views from Table Mountain to Table Bay harbour. Within this distinctive exterior, the property is a celebration of owner Liz Biden’s passion for art and the creative flair that defines every space she designs. During her journeys around Africa, she acquired a unique and varied collection of art for the hotel that showcases young and aspiring – as well as established and acclaimed – artists, with each piece specifically chosen to enhance the interior of each of the hotel’s 28 rooms.

If you want more information on each piece, as well as about Cape Town’s artistic and design communities, the hotel’s art concierge, Michael Jacobs, is on hand to tell you. And if that’s not enough art for you, it gets even better: the hotel occupies six floors directly above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), which houses Africa’s largest collection of contemporary African art. With so much creativity in such picturesque setting, The Silo Hotel truly is an art lover’s paradise at the tip of Africa.

NODE KYOTO

Node Kyoto, a new hotel in the Japanese city’s Nakagyo Ward, functions not only as a 25-bedroom guesthouse, but also as a creative hub for art and culture. Designed by architect Seiichiro Takeuchi, its aims to act as a peaceful space in a bustling metropolis – one, moreover, where hospitality and art interact. At first glance, the hotel resembles the private home of an art collector, but it goes well beyond an impressive collection. The guestrooms, decorated in soothing grey tones, are replete with original furniture, eye-catching art pieces, oversized beds and all the amenities you’d expect in a beautiful luxury property.

And then there’s the art: with the likes of Gerhard Richter, Barry McGee, Bernard Frize, Tomoo Gokita, Shinro Ohtake, Nobuyoshi Araki and Yukimasa Ida displayed on its walls, Node Kyoto certainly takes its collection seriously. But it doesn’t stop there. The property also exudes a community spirit through its rolling calendar of collaborative exhibitions, pop-ups and guest gallerists, meaning that it serves as much as a rendezvous for locals as it does for visitors.

HÔTEL DES ARTS SAIGON

Ho Chi Minh City is famous for its bustling streets and street food vendors, but stepping into the Hôtel des Arts Saigon is like embarking on a journey back in time to the Vietnam of the 1930s. Combining the classical charm of French Indochina with a sense of timeless chic, the property is as much an art museum as a five-star hotel. Conveniently located in the heart of the city just a minute away from Notre Dame Cathedral, the hotel allows guests to relive and appreciate the glamour and romance of this bygone era, while enjoying all the luxury amenities and comforts of the 21st century. With elegant and futuristic architecture standing in striking contrast to the neighbouring office blocks, the building itself is a modern work of art.

Once inside, you can peruse the owner’s personal collection of paintings and antiques, which adorn every wall and hall. And the accommodation doesn’t disappoint either. Each room in the hotel is decked out in art deco style, with classic accents, big elaborate bathtubs and ceiling-to-floor windows – no wonder the place is known as the most Instagram-able hotel in the city. After browsing the art collection, head up to the rooftop Social Club bar for poolside cocktails overlooking the stunning cityscape in the company Ho Chi Minh’s cool-kid crowd.

THE PENINSULA LONDON

For many years The Peninsula Hong Kong hosted Art in Resonance during Art Basel, which after a four-year hiatus is being reactivated this year. So when The Peninsula London opened last September, overlooking Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch, it came as no surprise that the property would serve as an art lover’s sanctuary in the British capital. More than 200 paintings depicting nature and English landscapes, commissioned from some 40 Royal Drawing School artists, are dotted around the guest rooms and corridors. The Royal Drawing School, which offers free or low-cost arts Education to more than 1,000 people, was founded by King Charles III to support Britain’s artistic heritage.

Bringing nature from the surrounding Royal Parks into the property is a dominant theme in the hotel, which is evident through hand-painted De Gourney Murals in the lobby showing such Hyde Park landmarks as The Serpentine lake and the Royal Albert Memorial. And there’s no shortage of art in the hotel’s restaurants either. The Canton Blue Chinese restaurant celebrates the cultural exchange between Asia and Europe through works by artists such as Huang Qichen, Dean Home and Mine Tanigawa. But it’s the suspended Concorde installation piece at the Brooklands restaurant that’s the highlight of the hotel’s art collection. Designed by industrial design and engineering firm Discommon, it’s both a structural installation and a work of art that gives the impression of an aircraft in motion.

HOTEL ÉCLAT BEIJING

Hotel Éclat Beijing is a stunning Beijing landmark impressively located in the heart of the city’s central Business district. Located upwards of 16 floors above the many galleries of Parkview Green, the luxury boutique property offers the rare opportunity of experiencing museum-quality art while simultaneously basking in stylish accommodation. Designed specifically for Business Travellers, the property’s 100 guest accommodations include 20 individually styled suites, each with a private indoor sky terrace and “lagoon”.

The self-styled “luxury museum hotel” pays tribute to art with an incredible collection of more than 100 works in guestrooms and public areas, which include original sculptures and paintings by artists that include Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Fan Xiaoyan, Liu Ruowang, Gao Xiaowu, Shen Jingdong and Chen Wenling. Add cool accommodation, outstanding cuisine, intuitive guest services and a mall where you can shop till you drop, and we’re officially sold.