by Charu Suri
Last updated: 9:00 PM ET, Tue September 6, 2016
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but art in hotels adds yet another beautiful dimension to the lodging experience. The way that the luxury hotel landscape is going, it is hard to visit a property and not see some world-class art along the way to your room after you check-in. But for some properties, art isn't just the window dressing - it's the raison d'etre.
Here are some world-class hotels with exceptional art:
Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans
New Orleans, with its graceful wrought iron balconies and distinct quarters, looks like a work of art in and of itself. Windsor Court Hotel, which is located in the Central Business District and has 264 suites, boasts classic English elegance, with a collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries and furnishings dating from the 17th to late 20th centuries.
Many of the artworks are of British origin with an emphasis on works that depict the Windsor Castle and life of British royalty. The collection has an estimated value of more than $8 million and includes original works by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Huysman. Room rates from $179 per night.
300 Gravier St, New Orleans, LA 70130; Phone: (504) 523-6000
The Vendue, Charleston, SC
Among the glittering hotel scene in Charleston, this is Charleston's only hotel dedicated to the arts, and has a very relaxed, interactive and playful vibe about it. The hotel's public areas feature 2-3 different exhibits each year, under the careful supervision of a full-time art director, Emily Rigsby. She also conducts art tours and answers questions about the over 300-plus permanent collection of art around the hotel and guest rooms.
As though this was not enough, there is something large-scale afoot; the hotel hosts three major international exhibitions a year, and also has an artist-in-residence, currently the Belgian painter Fred Jamar.
Address: 19 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC 29401, Phone: (843) 577-7970
The ART, a hotel in DENVER
This glimmering hotel, whose exteriors look like a jewelry, and where the valet parking greets you with a 22,000-light art installation by Leo Villareal, is a hop, skip and jump from the Denver Museum (you can see it from your bedroom window). It has so much world-class art you can brush shoulders with just even as you walk into the lobby including pieces by Sol LeWitt, and a charming bronze horse by Deborah Butterfield that stands in the lobby (a popular choice, says Paul, the concierge).
Address: 1201 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203 ; Phone: 303-572-8000
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