Artful Stays in Store for Curious Travelers
These hotels allow guests to honor their love of art during their stay
Hotels have long known that hospitality and art make great bed fellows. And several hotels around the U.S., gearing up for pent-up demand for friends and family visits and road trip explorations, are putting their best works out and becoming backdrops for fine art, allowing guests to literally sleep with the masters. The following is a short list of hotels to target with the hope of getting a little museum time in with your stay.
Frida Kahlo at the Hotels of Oak Brook near Chicago
A serene suburb setting 15 miles west of Chicago, the Hotels of Oak Brook in DuPage are a great alternative with lower rates, similar amenities, less crowds, and now an art exhibition that any city would hang its hat on. Beginning June 2021, guests at the Hotels of Oak Brook can visit the College of Dupage to see the largest exhibition of original Frida Kahlo works in the Chicagoland area in over 40 years. There will be 26 original works, over 100 images from her life, recreations from her house, of her dresses. For city vibes, consider The Drake Oak Brook, the suburban counterpart to the renowned hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. For a restorative retreat, book the Spa Serenity offering at Le Meridien and be pampered in a Spa Suite.
Art Lovers Road Trip with Quirk Hotels in Virginia
The first boutique art hotel to open in Charlottesville’s downtown, Quirk Charlottesville opened just last year following the flagship Quirk Richmond in 2015. The Instagram-worthy pink-hued hotels are each home to Quirk Gallery that showcases rotating art exhibitions by local and national artists. You can visit to both Quirk Galleries, including free parking, room upgrades, beverage credits for celebratory cocktails up on the hotel Q Rooftops, and a guide to the best places to explore in each city. Don’t miss the onsite retail shops, featuring a curated selection of artisan gifts, jewelry and art.
Artist Window Series at The Allegro Royal Sonesta Chicago
In the heart of Chicago’s Loop, The Allegro Royal Sonesta Hotel has partnered with artist and ‘Jazz Painter’ Lewis Achenbach of Jazz Occurrence to curate a rotating artist window exhibition in concert with monthly Jazz performances for guests and the public to enjoy while sipping craft cocktails from the hotel’s signature bar cart. Hosted live at the Palladium Stage in the Allegro Hotel, the performances will feature musicians and artists simultaneously improvising and creating art in response to each other. The completed fresh artworks will become part of the Jazz Occurrence Art Exhibition in the windowfronts of the hotel.
Mobile App Art Tour at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago
Located inside of Chicago’s iconic Aqua Tower designed by famed architect Jeanne Gang, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago features a permanent art gallery boasting the work of local Chicago artists in sculpture, painting, and photography. Download the first-ever hotel art tour mobile app designed by AcoustiGuide, which also created an app for the Guggenheim, and showcases the hotel’s striking architecture. The gallery is at the back of the hotel lobby and complemented by a 50-foot-long fireplace. The art is hand-selected from the River North neighborhood, an area recognized as the largest arts district in the country outside of Manhattan.
Gray + Monet in Chicago with Kimpton
Experience Monet at the Art Institute of Chicago with an overnight stay at the Kimpton Gray. The Gray x Monet offer includes 2 Fast Pass Museum Tickets and access to Monet & Chicago Exhibition at the Art Institute, as well as two bottled Concierge Cocktails that are available to be enjoyed on the go.
