What’s special for travelers is to align
with a hotel where owners have decided consciously to share their
own collection. The art is not decoration; it’s more a statement, a
gift, a mood.
AT SENSEI LĀNA’I, A FOUR SEASONS RESORT, I’M WANDERING through a lush garden, more transfixed by the peerless sculptures by Fernando Botero than the verdant Ko’ele uplands that rise before me. There’s a silence here that feels artsy in itself: maybe t’s the wind crooning a sacred Hawaiian lullaby, but I relax into
this outdoor art museum as if it were a cure for everything that ever ailed me. For art lovers seeking a salubrious vacation in a tropical locale, few places satisfy like this innovative wellness mecca delicately wedged among the palms and gloriouslyenlivened by first-in-class artwork. Robert Indiana’s ever inspiring
“Imperial LOVE” gives a burst of joy as I pass and Ju Ming’s “Tai Chi Arch” acts as a portal to the onsen pool area, where I sink my weary travel body into warm, healing water.
Art lovers thrive on art. They understand its power to awaken something inside, recharge our soul, clean our slate. Sometimes art just makes us happy. What’s special for travelers is to align with a hotel where owners have decided consciously to share their own collection. The art is not decoration; it’s more a statement, a
gift, a mood. It’s meant to niggle something inside, but only if a guest wants to go there. Art hung and displayed by hotel owners is an invitation as convivial as being offered a pot of tea or a glass of champagne. We’re being asked to be an insider—if just for the duration of our stay.
Read on to discover some other hotels we love for their art collections.
DUBLIN AT THE MERRION
At The Merrion, a work of art itself created from the fusion of four exceptional Georgian townhouses, guests can take a self-guided audio tour through the hotel to interact with the hotel’s trove of museum-class artworks. The private collection of 19th and 20th-century Irish and European masters showcases prominent painters such as Jack B. Yeats and Mary Swanzy. Seal the deal with The Merrion’s Art Tea, which celebrates the collection with cakes inspired by the hotel’s artworks.
HOUSTON AT LA COLOMBE D’OR
Created as an homage to the original La Colombe d’ Or in Sainte-
Paul-de-Vence near Nice, where heyday artists such as Picasso
paid for meals with their sketches and paintings, Houston’s hotel of the same name lies in the Museum District near The Menil Collection. More than 425 museum-level masterworks fill the hotel’s halls and suites. Swoon over pieces by Man Ray, Gerard
Valtier, Guy Van den Bulcke, and Francesco Caraccio. Revel in one of the eye-popping Manson Suites, each named for an eminent artist, such as Degas, Monet or Cezanne.
Cologne Germany at Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg
Set amid woodlands a short drive from Cologne, this castle was built to please a prince’s wife. Inspired by Versailles, it remains regal with extravagantly tasteful commons areas, suites, gardens, octagonal towers, and nooks for enjoying the Althoff family’s own art collection. Juxtaposing splendid contemporary
art with baroque elements, the five-star, family-owned hotel weaves old and new with celebratory finesse. With an active art program, the hotel exhibits pieces by artists such as David Pher,and Dietmar Woelfl.
LONDON AT ONE ALDWYCH
Located in Covent Garden, one of the world’s most bustling art hubs, One Aldwych draws guests indoors with its own art party. Its premier art collection, composed of some 400 pieces, sets thetone for the hotel’s cool cat identity. Don’t miss pieces such as André Wallace’s The Boatman with Oars, which anchors the
Lobby Bar. Brimming with both sculptures like Wallace’s and paintings by the likes of Philip Diggle, One Aldwych also offers art-inspired cocktails and art weekend specials in season.
PRIORAT SPAIN AT GRAN HOTEL MAS D’EN BRUNO
A lesser traveled world of soaring vineyards, charming hilltop villages, and inviting mountains, the Priorat wine region lies southwest of Barcelona. Known for its full-bodied reds, it reigns as a haven for oenophiles in the know. Combine your love for winenwith art at Gran Hotel Mas d’en Bruno, a hotel amid vines, which displays
owner David Stein’s outstanding art collection. Look for works by
Chagall, David Hockney, and Christo, among others.
Photo by Michelle Chiplow