If you’re an art lover, spending time in a city’s museums is likely a must-do while on vacation. After all, what better way is there to experience a destination’s unique cultural and architectural achievements than admiring its acclaimed monuments, landmarks and displays of art? To entice travelers with an appreciation for art, hotels the world over are transforming their properties into mini-museums, with robust collections and exhibits that reflect and celebrate their distinct settings and cultures. With that in mind, book a room or suite at these hotels to admire museum-worthy art.
[Read: 7 Top International Art Deco Cities to Visit in 2017.]
W South Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
The chic W South Beach located on Collins Avenue recently launched an art tour program for guests to get the most out of the $40 million art collection sprinkled throughout the hotel and curated by art tycoon Aby Rosen. Feast your eyes on extravagant pieces from legends such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel, among others. Tours take place at 10 a.m. daily and signing up in advance is required.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, Pennsylvania
While you’ll find pieces by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Tiffany Studios in this $45 million art collection, you’ll also find offbeat offerings, from a segment of the Berlin Wall to a complete antique auto collection and antique airplanes. The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, named for a chief of the Delaware tribe, is also home to a collection of Native American art. Art is on display throughout the 2,000-acre property, including all three of its hotel properties: Chateau Lafayette, Falling Rock and the Lodge, its two golf courses and its walking trails. Visitors are invited to learn more about the collection on complimentary art tours offered Sunday through Friday, or during an exclusive curator’s tour on Saturdays. There are also countless art classes for both adults and families for an additional cost.
Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts
Rome
The collection at Rome Cavalieri boasts more than 1,000 works from masters, from French period furniture to rare tapestries to sculptures to artifacts that are displayed throughout the property. Check out the paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, considered to be the most precious paintings in the hotel’s collection, on display in the lobby by the Tiepolo bar. The paintings are protected behind a pane of glass.
[Read: The 5 Best New York City Hotels for Aficionados.]
Lord Baltimore Hotel
Baltimore
This Baltimore hotel is owned by Donald and Mera Rubell of the Rubell Family Collection and Contemporary Arts Foundation, one of the world’s largest, privately owned contemporary art collections. The Lord Baltimore is all about art, from the original architecture of the 1928 building to the wall decor to the plating of deserts in its restaurant, The French Kitchen. There are 2,500 works of original art, including three original paintings in each room and original artwork collages in the guest room hallways of hundreds of portraits of the people and places of Baltimore.
Hilton Cleveland Downtown
Cleveland
The Hilton Cleveland Downtown features a plethora of art throughout its public spaces. The hotel features 194 original works, and of the 54 artists on display, 46 are local to Cleveland and from Cuyahoga County. Highlights include pieces from Cleveland native and Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Michael Cartellone, along with the metal sculptures in the lobby.
Windsor Court Hotel
New Orleans
If you want to live like royalty, stay at the Windsor Court Hotel. The hotel’s collection is worth more than $8 million and features a variety of British treasures, including original works by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Huysman. The collection can be explored with a complimentary audio tour, which you can download through the hotel’s app. Take a journey through three floors of paintings, sculptures and tapestries.
Boca Raton Resort and Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort
Boca Raton, Florida
The Boca Raton Resort and Club, A Waldort Astoria Resort teamed up with the Baker Sponder Gallery to create a collection of museum-quality sculptures of artists such as Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Jim Dine, Claude Lalanne, George Segal, Manolo Valdes, Boaz Vaadia and Bernar Venet. The sculptures can be seen throughout the resort and each one has an informative sign with interesting facts about the artist. Hotel guests can take a self-guided tour or book a tour of this contemporary art collection and sculptures are rotated on a regular basis.
[See: 10 Top Historic Hotels Across the U.S.]
The Merrion Hotel
Dublin
If you love Irish culture, consider retreating to The Merrion Hotel. The property features more than 90 pieces in its private art collection and is believed to be one of the largest and most significant private collections of 19th- and 20th-century art in Ireland. Major artists’ works on display include Jack B. Yeats, Louis Le Brocquy and William Scott. The hotel recently launched The Merrion Art tour — an in-depth audio guide to 20 paintings in the collection — with exclusive access available to hotel guests. As an added perk for guests, The Merrion offers its own unique Afternoon Art Tea, where guests can enjoy the hotel’s collection while savoring miniature sweet creations inspired by the works of art on display.
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8 Hotels With Museum-Worthy Exhibits originally appeared on usnews.com
