The 10 Most Captivating Art Hotels to Add to Your Wanderlust List

There’s nothing that feeds the soul quite like travel. Whether it’s the buzz of a sleepless city like New York or the sparkling vistas of the Amalfi Coast, travelling is one of the best ways to completely recharge. While mapping out the enchanting cities you want to visit is step one in planning any trip, it’s also worth making a list of the hotels you can visit along the way that will give you a huge dose of creativity. Yes, we’re talking art hotels.

Hotels that offer elevated, thought-provoking experiences. Think incredible decor and architecture with artistic masterpieces punctuating the space. Sounds good? Here’s our wrap-up of the art hotels that’ll make your travel experience that little bit more magical.

Zurich, Switzerland: The Dolder Grand Hotel

From the outside, The Dolder Grand Hotel looks like the love-child of a Disney-esque castle and a boutique hotel. Nestled between the city and surrounding woodland, the hotel is home to some of the world’s most amazing works of art. Andy Warhol. Henry Moore. Salvador Dali. Their pieces make up some of the 100 artworks that can be found hanging on the hotel walls and strewn throughout the property.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlpBXdehKF_/?taken-by=thelistbrasil

Tokyo, Japan: BnA Hotel

“Stay in an art piece, support an artist” is the tagline of BnA hotel, a start-up hotel and art platform located in Japan's bustling capital. It’s bang on; each decadent room in the hotel is decorated by a local artist and the hotel itself has become a mecca for art lovers the world over. BnA’s co-founder and chief data officer, Keigo Fukugaki, wanted to create a unique experience that eschewed the drab and uninspiring hotel chains that populate every street corner. Instead, BnA allows artists to get a cut of the proceeds every time the hotel room they painted is booked. From Ryuichi Ogino’s monochrome prints and neon flashes of colour to the fierce multi-coloured wolves in Yohei Takahashi’s room, this hotel is brimming with interiors inspiration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhJZ_VVB7ZM/?taken-by=bnahotel

Cape Town, South Africa: The Silo Hotel

The Silo Hotel might overlook the dazzling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront but some of the best views lie within the hotel’s eclectic walls. Throughout the hotel (which as its name suggests, is built in the grain elevator portion of the historic grain silo complex) bold pieces created by local artists and hand-crafted decor can be found. While all the rooms feature similar eclectic, romantic interiors, there’s one common thread: the windows. Multi-faceted windows bulge outwards like a giant, geometrical bubble. Oh, and did we mention the hotel is in the same building as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, an art collection comparable to that of New York’s Museum of Modern Art? Well, there’s that, too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYfjQfWDW23/?taken-by=thesilohotel_

Toronto, Canada: Gladstone Hotel

When you walk through Gladstone Hotel’s historic Victorian doors (it was built in 1889, FYI) you’re immediately hit with an almost tangible zest for the creative. Aside from the 37 modern, artist-designed rooms (think everything from pixelated ceilings to rooms awash with mirrors to rooms with sleek, minimalist features), the Gladstone Hotel is also home to 3 gallery spaces that house 45 art exhibitions each year. If the art doesn’t inspire you, the incredible Victorian architecture and floor plans, that were designed for people to meet and congregate, will.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmGwy7FHyce/?taken-by=gladstonehotel

Hobart, Australia: The Henry Jones Art Hotel

We couldn’t possibly publish this list without adding a captivating option that’s close to home, and The Henry Jones Art Hotel doesn’t disappoint. Opened in 2004, the hotel is located in a converted 1820s IXL Jam warehouse (that belonged to Sir Henry Jones) that overlooks the busy Hobart waterfront. Love industrial interiors? You’ll rejoice at the sleek exposed brick and sandstone walls paired with modern decor. With over 500 contemporary Tasmanian artworks lining the walls throughout the property, there are pieces of art to fawn over at every turn.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BliFomaHI6S/?taken-by=thehenryjones

London, United Kingdom: Artist Residence Hotel

Featuring just 10 rooms, Artist Residence Hotel looks like the kind of cosy English home you might read about in the pages of a Maeve Binchy novel. Located in Pimlico, nestled between Westminster, Tate Britain and Chelsea, the hotel is an oasis of calm and quirkiness. Each of the rooms boasts an eclectic array of artworks but the real charm lies in the decor. Think rustic round mirrors hung over exposed-brick fireplaces, two-tone armchairs, decorative ladders and neon-bright lamps. The hotel was once a local pub but has undertaken an elegant transformation into three floors boasting comfortable rooms, a decadent cocktail bar, a cosy sitting room and the social space and coffee hub, Cambridge Street Kitchen. A hotel that supplies premium coffee at your doorstep? Yes, please.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmGNjOHAUJf/?taken-at=1735878076711555

Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Côte d'Azur, France: La Colombe d’Or Hotel

Don’t be fooled by the quaint countryside inn appearance of La Colombe d’Or Hotel, this establishment is an important piece of France’s artistic history with gems by some of the world’s most renowned artists residing within its walls. Founded in 1920 by local farmer Paul Roux, the hotel originally opened as a café and bar, later adding three rooms above. When World War II broke out, artists, writers and free thinkers moved to the Riviera to seek refuge and La Colombe d’Or became a hub of sorts for creatives. Payment for their stay came in the form of exquisite paintings which were then hung on the premises. Now, the collection boasts masterpieces by Picasso, Braque, Matisse and Chagall but what’s intriguing is the fact that these invaluable artworks are hung nonchalantly in the 13 rooms, 12 suites and around the property. Located just outside of the medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence (which is home to incredible art boutiques), your stay at La Colombe d’Or Hotel will be a cultural treat.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl5MsMLBBOT/?taken-at=161318317738929

Sydney, Australia: Paramount House Hotel

Open since April 2018, Paramount House Hotel has already garnered critical acclaim (it won Gourmet Traveller’s 2018 Hotel Awards) and rave reviews and it’s not hard to see why. Found in the bustling inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, the former film storage warehouse has been masterfully converted into a truly charismatic hotel. The 29 rooms, adjoining rooms, lofts and suites will make even the most reserved of interior lovers swoon. Semi-enclosed terraces filled with potted plants bring a welcome touch of green to the industrial chic decor (think exposed copper plumbing) while terrazzo tiles and exposed brick add personality. If you can manage to leave your room, head downstairs to the Golden Age Bar and Cinema for a drink before you watch a movie from their award-winning independent film program.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmCM7AzA5wF/?taken-by=paramounthousehotel

Australia-wide: Art Series Hotels

If you’re rather partial to a particular extraordinary Australian artist, we have great news: Art Series Hotels located around Australia have dedicated entire hotels to famous creatives. Love the romantic work of Charles Blackman? Book in to stay at the Blackman Hotel in St Kilda, Melbourne. Inspired by the colourful paintings created by indigenous artist Yannima Pirkarli Tommy Watson? Fabulous, check in to the Watson Hotel in Walkerville, Adelaide. Obsessed with Zhong Chen’s abstract pieces? The Chen Hotel in Box Hill, just out of Melbourne, is for you. The seven hotels have original and print artworks from the particular artists scattered around their properties. Plus, there are in-house art libraries, art tours and art journals waiting to ignite your creativity.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZa5fPIF4wP/?taken-by=artserieshotels

New York, USA: Gramercy Park Hotel

A 10-minute walk from Manhattan’s East Village and across from the exclusive, key access-only Gramercy Park, this historic hotel was once a favourite hangout for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Blondie. Celebrity history aside, the Gramercy Park Hotel, refurbished in 2006, is now home to a rotating art collection that features pieces by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The vibrancy of the artworks is only rivalled by that of the interiors which can only be summed up with one word: Bold. The high ceilings, ornate decor and colour palette of punchy reds, greens, purples and blues make staying in this hotel seriously invigorating (at the very least).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYYc7CSFzcp/?taken-by=gramercyparkhotel

Now that we’re on the topic, here are 7 easy ways to update your home in winter and, according to Pinterest, these are six of the trends heading to an interior near you this season.