How to be a culture vulture even if you don’t want to leave your hotel

Henry Moore right outside the Aria, Las Vegas lobby.

Plenty of us who love arts and culture will plan vacations around what art galleries and museums we can explore. But what if you didn’t need to even leave your hotel to enjoy fine art? Believe it or not, it is a possibility.

While it was once unheard of, many hotels are now incorporating fine art into their guest rooms and maintain galleries and museums on site. And while you can still go out and explore all the arts and culture you wish, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have some right where you sleep. Below are some hotels that are also art galleries or museums, or that offer original art in their rooms.

21c Museum Hotel
Several U.S. cities, including Louisville, KY

21c is meant to be more than a hotel; it is a complete, artistic experience. When you arrive, you are given an iPod with a narrated tour of the collection. And it is no small collection. The Louisville location houses a $10 million dollar collection of contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, and multi-media pieces.

Aria
Las Vegas, NV

The Aria is not the only hotel on the Vegas strip to offer an art collection, but no other hotel matches its dedication to the arts. In addition to showing work by acclaimed painters, sculptors and installation artists, including Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Nancy Rubins, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Frank Stella, Henry Moore, James Turrell and Richard Long, among others, it also restores pieces that have been damaged by time and serves as a patron to contemporary artists. And while many hotels will host traveling collections, Aria maintains its own.

Chambers Hotel
New York, NY

If you love contemporary art, this is the hotel for you. Not only are there works that are rotated out on a regular basis, but the entire property is decked out in fine art. From the murals in the hallways to sculptural installations in the guest areas, there is no better place to start your journey of exploring the NYC art scene.

Encantado
Santa Fe, NM

Having an art gallery on site is pretty special for a hotel. But the art gallery at the Encantado is one of the largest and oldest in the city. The focus is on modernist pieces from the 20th century, but you will find works from current artists as well. And the hotel itself is very much a piece of art, showcasing contemporary Southwestern architecture.

Hotel Zaza
Several Cities, Including Dallas, TX

While the other hotels on this list showcase paintings, sculptures, and even interactive installations, none goes as far as Hotel Zaza. Here, you enjoy the usual arts, but also fashion shows, arts events, and even fine art right in your room. And while the small chain has been sticking to cities in Texas thus far, it is looking to expand.

Do you know of an interesting hotel that offers both art and a great place to stay? Tell us about it!