Cultural cues

Hotels are often gateways to cultural hotspots, but they can also be creative hubs in their own right. These eight properties house world-class art collections, offer access to unforgettable experiences, and weave themselves into the cultural fabrics of their locales.

Located in the centre of New York City’s hip Lower East Side neighbourhood, The Ludlow Hotel acts as a living room for Manhattan’s creative class. An eclectic mix of vintage furniture and striking artworks adorn the guest accommodations, while the onsite restaurant Dirty French and nearby art spaces like the New Museum, 47 Canal and Bridget Donahue draw in locals and visitors alike.

Further uptown, The Whitby Hotel is just steps away from refined shopping along 5th Avenue as well as established cultural venues like Carnegie Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. Elegant creativity is reflected inside through interiors by Kit Kemp, who conceived a visual story for each individual room, as well as the in-house luxury theatre for private film screenings.

Just a mile away from the US / Mexico border, an awe-inspiring art collection fills Stanton House in El Paso. Here, a four-story lightwell features ‘Shylights’, an installation by Studio Drift accompanied by works from other internationally renowned artists like Damien Hirst and Robert Davidson as well as pieces by local emerging artists, including Carlos Noriega Neuro and Paola Rascon.

Contemporary art also takes centre stage at StandArt Hotel Moscow, a property conceived by Russian artist Stanislav Tratsevskiy, whose work adorns the rooms and public spaces. The Deluxe room, for example, boasts a soothing grey palette, Art Beton stucco effect walls and one of Tratsvskiy’s sgraffito relief artworks. “Art is my way of communicating with people from all over the world,” he says.

Experiencing museum-quality art in a private setting is also the backbone of Node Kyoto. The public and private spaces of the hotel function as a living gallery space with works by local and international artists such as Gerhard Richter, Kiki Smith, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Eikoh Hosoe. In addition, the hotel hosts events that range from live DJ sets to pop-up fashion shows and special exhibitions.

Elsewhere, Form Hotel Dubai offers experiences like desert safari drives and strolls through the city with Emirati guides, and live music is just around the corner at the city’s most prominent jazz bar, Q’s Bar + Lounge. Other cultural highlights near the hotel include the Jameel Arts Centre, the Mohammed Bin Rashid library and the historic Dhow boatyards.

In Greece, Rocabella Mykonos Hotel offers a host of experiences for guests, including picturesque picnics anywhere on the island and Greek wine tastings with the hotel’s sommelier. The whitewashed town of Chora is only 400 m away, but guests can also take a masterclass in creative Greek cuisine and then enjoy the dishes under a pergola overlooking the Aegean Sea.

In Athens, Perianth Hotel was founded by three siblings with one goal in mind: to highlight the best the city has to offer through a creative lens. As such, guests are encouraged to pay special attention to the artwork on their room’s walls and to tour the lounges on each floor – all of which feature contemporary pieces by important Greek artists, including Jannis Varelas, Margarita Myroyianni, Rena Papaspyrou, Juliano Kaglis and Panos Papadopoulos. Moreover, the hotel has a Zen centre, a non-profit organisation dedicated to eastern philosophy practices, such as meditation and three different forms of martial arts.

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