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This Hotel Doubles As An Art Gallery

This Hotel Doubles As An Art Gallery

There’s a reason why “hotel art” if often the butt of the joke – it can be boring, unnecessary and at times confusing. To combat this peculiar commonplace occurrence, a hotel chain in the US decided to flip the switch on art in hotel rooms by turning their hotels into legitimate art galleries. Don’t worry, you are allowed to talk in this museum.

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With four hotels across America, the 21c Museum Hotels aren’t your regular hotel chain – they’re actually North America’s only gallery dedicated to collecting and exhibiting only 21st century art. While each of the hotels have their own quirky sensibilities (the hotel’s mascots are adorable red penguins that pop up in hidden nooks and crannies all over the properties), their flagship hotel in Louisville might take the kitschy cake on this one.

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Even before you enter the hotel’s lobby, you’re greeted by a giant replica of Michelangelo’s iconic David sculpture – except this one is painted gold. If that’s not enough, the building, which was actually converted from two 19th century tobacco and bourbon warehouses, now houses emerging and internationally acclaimed artists’ works for the public to view, free of charge.

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21c Museum Hotel’s mission statement is clear – they’d like to immerse pieces of art into every day life. There’s plenty of photography exhibitions and a few colourful paintings scattered about the hotel, and each of the 90 rooms in Louisville include a photo, painting or collage from a contemporary artist on display. The artworks rotate about twice a year, with the curators (who are also the hotel owners, art lovers Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson) constantly trying to make your hotel experience something a little more bespoke.

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When you think about it, an art gallery is a great place for a hotel – they’re quiet and hnormally come with high ceilings and windows for natural light. Sounds pretty perfect to us.

(Images: 21c Museum Hotels)

Keen to add a little bit of culture to your hotel experience? Fly with Qantas to the US and check it out for yourself.

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