Art Attack

Luxury hotels are giving galleries a run for their money. We highlight some must-visit properties for art lovers.

- Valerian Ho

The days of hanging a nondescript landscape print in each guestroom are over. Many luxury hotels now pay serious attention to art, both as a way to enhance the guest experience and in order to create their own personal identity – a means of standing out from the crowd. From massive collections of fine art to artist-in-residence programmes, spending time in one of the following properties is sure to stimulate your creativity.

TREASURE HOUSES

These days it’s not unusual for luxury hotels to boast art collections that would have a gallery director hissing with envy. In such properties, curated collections of unique works adorn the walls from lobby to corridor to room. Palace Hotel Tokyo’s owner sank a seven-figure sum in US dollars into its 1,000plus art pieces. “For some years now, it’s been evident that sophisticated travellers not only seek encounters with art during their hotel stays, but expect it. So our investment in putting together a well-curated, million-dollar collection was an instinctive one, as part of the evolution of our brand,” says Masaru Watanabe, the hotel’s executive director and general manager. “We set out to cater to the modern luxury traveller. Investing in quality art seemed like a natural part of the process.”