Art Hotels

The artful lodger
Tired of framed seascapes or minimalist décor? Today's hippest hotels are covering their walls with one-of-a-kind works, or hiring local artists to use the entire room as a canvas. DEANNA MacDONALD appraises seven en-suite masterpieces
DEANNA MACDONALD
Special to The Globe and Mail
April 1, 2006
BERLIN -- It takes nerve to give bohemian decorators carte blanche in your hotel. But a faint heart rarely creates interesting art -- or interesting hotel rooms, for that matter -- and that is clearly what the Hotel des Arts in San Francisco is aiming for.

Each of the boutique property's 51 rooms is an individual work of art created by "street" artists working in mediums from spray paint to gold leaf. And the palette is ever-changing. "Every three months, we unveil 10 new rooms, painting over the old ones," manager Hero Nakatani says.

Rooms range from funky to beautiful to a bit disconcerting, such as one inspired by a New York City public toilet. "We have had a few people ask to change rooms after a night there," Nakatani laughs.

This approach is a far cry from big-box hotel decor -- those "tasteful" prints of rhododendrons or soothing seascapes designed not to be noticed -- or even from the bland minimalism that prevails at many of the world's boutique lodgings. I love creamy Frette sheets and sleek design as much as the next person, but sometimes I find myself wishing for something a bit more . . . original.


And so do other travellers. These days, there's nothing inconspicuous or generic about many of the latest and greatest boutique hotels, where walls are covered with original works, both contemporary and classic, or where rooms are completely transformed -- from doorway to bidet -- by local artists.

These creative havens aren't just for twentysomething hipsters or wealthy art collectors -- they offer comfort along with imagination, and room rates can be surprisingly affordable. Here, then, are seven of the world's top spots for connoisseurs of both art and accommodations.

Hotel des Arts

San Francisco

Some of this hotel's rooms are so popular they have waiting lists. Anthony Skirvin's room, for example, is filled with maps and a huge image of a log cabin, and has been described as looking like "the Unabomber's workshop." Others are simply a treat for the eye, such as Kelly Ording's Asian folk art-inspired room, and Jet Martinez's gilded-fresco suite.

The same artists who create the rooms also have individual artworks displayed (and for sale) throughout the two-year-old hotel, so guests can take a bit of San Fran street art home with them.

Hotel des Arts: 447 Bush St.; 415-956-3232; http://www.sfhoteldesarts.com. Doubles range from $65 to $115.

Hotel Kunstlerheim Luise

Berlin

With its uber-cool atmosphere and reasonable rents, it's easy to see why Berlin is a magnet for young artists. A reflection of this concentration of talent can be seen in one of Berlin's newest and most imaginative hotels, the Kunstlerheim Luise (literally, "Art Home"). Just a stroll away from the Reichstag, this 1825 neo-classical palace has been reimagined as "a gallery where you can spend the night." Each room has been conceived by a different artist, ranging from "luxurious" to "simple," so that even the designers' starving contemporaries can take in the Art Home experience.

Try the banana-covered Royal Suite by Thomas (Bananensprayer) Baumgartel, who for years has been giving his own "peel" of approval to art institutions all over Europe (if he likes an exhibit, he spray-paints a banana on the building).

Nest, by Cologne-based Hans von Meeuwen, is littered with huge eggs and features a beak headboard. The surreal, Magritte-like proportions of Dieter Mamel's Dream, meanwhile, aims to make adult guests feel like infants. And if you ever wanted to sleep in a painting, try the latest addition, Vincent's Bedroom, by Berlin artist Irene Hoppenberg, which reinvents van Gogh's famous painting.

Hotel Kunstlerheim Luise: Luisenstrasse 19; 49 (3028) 4480; luise-berlin.com. Double rooms range from $90 to $170 a night.

Art Hotel

Buenos Aires

The name says it all. Since opening in 2004, this 36-room hotel in the posh neighbourhood of Recoleta has been a showcase for Argentina's young artists. A historic converted townhouse with wrought-iron balconies, a spiral staircase and bright, airy rooms, the hotel is the ideal backdrop for art with an Argentine flare. You can even take a tango lesson surrounded by the work of locals like Martin Molinaro.

One evening at the beginning of each month, the lobby-cum-gallery fills with a fashionable crowd sipping malbec and taking in the latest exhibition. Upstairs, guests don't have to look beyond their room to see original paintings, sculptures, drawings and photography (most for sale) by both established and up-and-coming locals.

Art Hotel: Azcuenaga 1268, Recoleta; 54 (11) 4821 6248; arthotel.com.ar. Doubles from $75 to $135.

La Colombe d'Or

St. Paul-de-Vence, France

What would you do if an artist like Matisse or Picasso was short on cash when it came to paying the bill at your hotel? Why, you would accept some art instead. That is what the astute proprietors of this small Provencal hotel did, and decades later travellers -- and celebrities, from David Beckham to Elton John -- still flock to this art-laden inn.

Located in a historic stone building in the walled village of St. Paul-de-Vence, the "Golden Dove" has 16 rooms and suites, each differently decorated, some with original ceiling beams and frescoed walls. But what really evokes enthusiasm is the art. Works by the greats of the early 20th century dot the property. There is modern sculpture, including a mobile by Calder, around the pool, and diners often forget all about their bouillabaisse and rosé as they admire paintings by Picasso, Klee, Dufy, Utrillo and Miro that hang in the dining room.

La Colombe d'Or: 1 place du Général-de-Gaulle, St. Paul-de-Vence; 33 (4) 9332 8002; http://www.la-colombe-dor.com. Doubles from $300.

Hotel Altstadt

Vienna

Providing a stylish home away from home is the aim of this hotel, housed in a 1902 patrician residence in Vienna's trendy Seventh District. After all, who wouldn't like their home to be dotted with original works by international figures such as Andy Warhol and Gilbert & George? "The hotel was basically a way for the owner [one of the city's top art collectors, Otto Ernst Wiesenthal] to display his collection," said Leonie Lang, a spokeswoman for the decade-old Altstadt. "We are always adding or changing pieces as his collection grows."

Most guests' first glimpse of the hotel is the Red Salon, a place to sit down for afternoon tea or an evening cocktail next to an ever-changing array of artworks by well-known Austrian artists like Niki de Saint Phalle, Franz Ringel, Lisa Huber and others. The adjacent breakfast room also doubles as a gallery.

Forty-four rooms and suites are spread over several floors interspersed with private apartments, which adds to the feeling of having your own art-filled Viennese flat. The décor includes such unusual mixes as Biedermeier furniture and leopard-print armchairs, or original Jugendstil woodwork and abstract expressionist painting. As a bonus, Vienna's new contemporary art centre, the Museum Quartier, is just a five-minute walk away.

Hotel Altstadt: Kirchengasse 41, 43 (1) 522 6666; altstadt.at. Doubles from $140 to $190. An "Art and Culture" package includes three nights accommodation, a city tour and theatre tickets from $380 a person.

Four Seasons Whistler

Whistler, B.C.

Whistler -- his mother aside -- is not usually associated with fine art. But the two-year-old Four Seasons is looking to change that. The 273-room luxury resort at the base of Blackcomb mountain has, with the aid of Vancouver-based art consultant Susan Alstrom, amassed an impressive collection of contemporary West Coast art, which it displays throughout the hotel's rooms and public spaces.

Gordon Smith's billboard-sized mural, Spring Thaw, dominates the main staircase and, elsewhere, works by Rodney Graham, Mark Mullin, David Robinson and Landon Mackenzie stop people in their tracks. "Guests have really responded to the collection," spokeswoman Judy Ahola says, adding that "we are always getting questions."

So many, in fact, that the hotel has created a self-guided tour of the collection, which includes more than 85 pieces of painting, photography, basketry and pottery. The hotel also offers an "art weekend," including accommodation, a guided tour of the collection, presentations by artists, a wine and cheese reception, and, to complete the "art therapy," spa treatments. Après-ski will never be the same.

Four Seasons Whistler: 4591 Blackcomb Way; 604-935-3400; http://www.fourseasons.com/whistler. Doubles from $245; the art weekend package will be offered later in 2006.

Hotel Fox

Copenhagen

This hotel's genesis was unusual: Automaker Volkswagen, needing stylish digs for journalists arriving in Copenhagen last summer for the launch of the redesigned Fox, bought a nondescript, three-star hotel and let loose a group of 21 international artists. What this collection of graphic designers, urban artists and illustrators created has become a must-see for Copenhagen visitors and a hotel where reservations can be hard to get.

Each of the 61 rooms is a distinctive creation. Artists had just a couple of days to work, and the results include everything from a "Gothic Honeymoon" suite to a boxing room with punching bag, from walls filled with Japanese Manga-style imagery to a room evoking a campsite. All the rooms are pictured on the website, so guests can book their concept of choice.

According to spokesman Tore Petersen, the "most popular room is 117," a simple, all-red room that Norwegian artist Kim Hiorthoy describes as being "psychological as much as physical."

If you see a room you like, though, book soon: The hotel is an evolving project, and there are plans to change some rooms over the next year.

Hotel Fox: Jamers Plads 3; 45 (33) 133 000; hotelfox.dk. Rooms range from $140 to $230.