These hip art hotels in some of the world’s coolest cities double up as galleries.
Augarten Art Hotel
Graz, Austria
This hotel’s glass and metal structure stands out from its gothic, renaissance and baroque architectural surroundings. Designed by the architect Gunter Domenig, it features works from more than 70 different artists displayed throughout the hotel alongside furniture by Cappellini and Ligne Roset. Every corner is seen as a creative venue or place to exchange ideas, such as the 24-hour bar, the indoor pool and the sculpture-filled courtyard. From the roof terrace, one can soak up the sight of the beautifully preserved city of Graz, the European culture capital of 2003.
From $200 per night; www.augartenhotel.at
Augarten Art Hotel
Swatch Art Peace Hotel
Shanghai, China
The Swatch Art Peace Hotel is a little slice of history brought up to date with the 2011 restoration of a century-old building. It features a Victorian red brick facade, a restored Jacobean staircase and bold new interiors that include a birdcage bed and silk screens splashed with watercolour. The building is home to 18 workshops and apartments for artists-in-residence chosen by a committee that includes the likes of George Clooney and Francois-Henri Pinault. Artists from around the world are invited to live and work in the hotel, where visitors can view their exhibitions. The artists share a chic library, kitchen, lounges with views of the waterfront, sunlit studios and gallery space. In return the artists leave behind a piece of art for the hotel’s collection.
From $340 per night; www.swatch-art-peace-hotel.com
Swatch Art Peace Hotel
The Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Palacio Duhau, now a Park Hyatt, blends elegant belle epoque architecture with a contemporary posada in the leafy Recoleta suburb. Its two buildings include a restored 1930s Tudor-style mansion with a handful of palatial suites and a contemporary wing housing 150 rooms. They are connected via an underground art gallery showcasing local and international artists. The former palace was the first building in Buenos Aires to house an art gallery and is within walking distance of the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA).
Deluxe rooms from $640 per night; lightfoottravel.com
The Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt