These Luxury Hotels Double as Art Galleries

Encompassing over a thousand treasures, including 16^th-century masterpieces, contemporary art, costumes and antiques, Rome Cavalieri is home to one of the largest private art collections in the world. The most precious paintings here are three canvases by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo; of museum quality and prestige, the large paintings are fine examples of 18^th-century art and date back to 1725.

An ode to inclusivity, Hotel Zena celebrates the diversity of all genders, races and orientations. Part hotel, part gallery, its provocative art collection titled “Her” was conceptualized by Dawson Design Creatives and includes local and international artists. Featuring Warrior Guardians painted on the exterior walls, a mural of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and sequinned protest buttons, it’s a narrative of female accomplishments and empowerment.

You can’t sleep in the MONA museum itself, but you can overnight in The Pavilions located on the River Derwent. Each luxury den here is named after an influential Australian artist or architect, such as Sir Roy Grounds, Arthur Boyd or Sir Sidney Nolan, and features artworks from the MONA collection. For stays falling on a Tuesday, guests of The Pavilions also enjoy private tours of the museum.*

*Please note: the museum is closed until at least late 2020

Owned for four generations by the Malmström family, purveyors of art and culture, Hotel Diplomat is adorned with the works of notable Swedish artists Denise Grünstein, Maria Friberg, Anneè Olofsson, Daniel Sandberg, Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, Helene Schmitz and David Svensson, to name a few. In addition to the permanent art, the hotel also hosts guest exhibitions of contemporary photography.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore houses one of the largest contemporary art collections in Southeast Asia, including works by David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Dale Chihuly, Frank Stella and Zhu Wei. Comprising 4,200 pieces, most were commissioned for the hotel, and 350 are of museum quality. Each afternoon, the concierge leads an art tour through the hotel, or alternatively, guests can download an art brochure for a self-guided tour.

The permanent and rotating art exhibits at The Opposite House explore the interrelation between local and global influences, and modern and traditional cultures. The current House Collections are comprised of a series of clothing sculptures by Chinese artists Li Xia Feng, Fiona Lai-Ching Wong, Wang Jin and others. Feng’s porcelain sculptures in particular feature archaeological fragments dating across several dynasties.

Within the whimsical, bohemian world of Petit Ermitage Hotel is a coveted art collection just as colorful as the hotel itself, which includes Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Erté. The hotel also has an Artist in Residence program, which brings in fresh, new artworks and installations. Recently, treasured pieces from its permanent collection were auctioned off to benefit a relief fund for hospitality workers.

The museum-quality artworks at Windsor Court Hotel are valued at more than $10 million. The collection encompasses paintings, sculptures, tapestries and furnishings by more than 60 artists from the 17^th to late 20^th centuries, including originals by William Powell Frith, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and Jacob Huysmans. Most are of British origin, with many depicting Windsor Castle and the life of royalty.

Located within a 250-acre property, The Phoenician is home to a multi-million dollar art collection. The most historic are the Allan Houser (Haozous) statues; the largest compilation of significant sized statues in the world, they bring Indigenous history and culture to the hotel. In the public spaces and guest rooms, there are also the works of various Arizona-based artists, selected with the help of the Eaton Fine Art Program.

Directly above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), The Silo Hotel possesses its own unique and varied collection of art. Acquired through owner Liz Biden’s travels throughout Africa, the collection features both aspiring and established artists, including Cyrus Kabiru, Mahau Modisakeng and Nandipha Mntambo. The hotel also supports the Lalela Project, which provides arts education to hundreds of children of various backgrounds across South Africa.

A closer look at the Hotel Lungarno will reveal over 400 pieces of art throughout the townhouse residence, dispersed across the rooms and suites, living room and Lounge Bar Picteau. These are no ordinary décor items, but some of the finest art of the 1900s, including pieces by Piccaso, Cocteau and Bueno, as well as Italian artists Cassinari, Guidi, Fusi, Morlotti, Rosai, Sironi and Tosi.

Only a few minutes’ walk from Dublin’s famous galleries is The Merrion and its private collection of Irish and European art spanning the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Audio guides are provided here for guests to tour the artworks, featuring many of the same artists displayed in the National Gallery nearby. Celebrating its 21^st anniversary, the hotel also launched The Merrion Plinth prize award recognizing contemporary art.