Hotels with ambitious art displays, big-name local talent and on-site curators are influencing site selections as planners look for more than four walls and in-house audiovisual teams to inspire their conference attendees. While New York, Chicago and Los Angeles properties are chockablock with artistic creations and adornments, some surprising cities are keeping pace too. Whether you consider your group modernists, classicists or wild cards, six hotel standouts are adopting this notion: art for guests’ sake.
1. 21c Museum Hotel Louisville | Louisville
Portfolio: A contemporary art museum with galleries that never close is on-site at the 91-room hotel.
Local Connections: Crafty teambuilding activities include mini art sessions, art tours and gallery hunts. The “Culture & Community” exhibition featuring Louisville photographer Ross Gordon’s portraits from the Louisville cultural scene was recently installed in the bar.
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2. Hilton Anatole | Dallas
Portfolio: Equally as enormous as its sheer size (it has 1,606 guest rooms) is the hotel’s 1,000-piece art collection. See it all on the 1-mile Art Walk audio tour around the property.
Local Connections: Art Dine-Arounds for groups match culinary and beverage offerings with one of 15 pieces of art on the property. For example: Barbecue brisket with cornbread croutons, Shiner Bock beer and bacon-wrapped quail stuffed with jalapenos are served under the shadow of “Into the Sunset,” a bronze sculpture of Will Rogers.
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3. The Westin Cleveland | Downtown Cleveland
Portfolio: A mammoth head sculpture constructed from hundreds of tree branches reclaimed during construction of Innerbelt Bridge greets guests in the lobby of the 484-room hotel. Cleveland’s own Sarah Kabot and Marianne Desmarais co-created a large-scale public artwork on the building’s exterior evoking the local Cuyahoga River.
Local Connections: The hotel has a local art program by LAND studio featuring 1,500 works by Cleveland artists throughout the building. The event and meeting floors feature exclusive collections by Clevelanders Ricky Rhodes, Garrett Haas and Tricia Lazuka.
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4. Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort | Honolulu
Portfolio: For 46 years, the Rainbow Tower mosaic consisting of 16,000 hand-painted tiles by artist Millard Sheets has brightened the skyline of Honolulu. After a recent $4 million overhaul, the original tiles were recreated and are now spotlighted with a new lighting system at night.
Local Connections: The resort’s Great Lawn can hold up to 1,600 for an outdoor banquet and lavish luau with views of Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon and the towering art mosaic.
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5. Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph | Columbus, Ohio
Portfolio: The 135-room hotel has artwork from avant-garde artists like KAWS, Rob Wynne and Fred Wilson, along with one-of-a-kind wallpaper by artist Almond Zigmund.
Local Connections: Columbus-based art collectors Ron and Ann Pizzuti are behind this new luxury boutique hotel, which features pieces from their private collection along with local and world-class contemporary works.
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6. The Art Hotel | Denver
Portfolio: Opened in June, this hotel focuses on contemporary art woven throughout the property and has two galleries on-site. One, on the lobby level, gives sidewalk onlookers a peek, while the fourth-floor gallery has more exclusive pieces, including one with a 9-ft. frame.
Local Connections: The hotel’s collection was chosen by a Denver Art Museum curator who selected pieces depicting the Denver skyline and Rocky Mountains for meeting rooms, hallways and adorning all guest rooms. Planners can host coffee or cocktail hours in either gallery before moving into the property’s ballrooms, boardrooms or Fire restaurant down the hall.
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