Artful lodges: 10 beautiful art hotels in Europe

Art’ Otel, London

This new hotel is housed in the reborn Battersea power station complex. There are works displayed in the Grand Café and throughout the communal areas, from striking pieces by the hotel’s signature artist Jaime Hayon, to butter-yellow statues in the marbled lobby. Bedrooms are sleek and contemporary with pops of colour and floor-to-ceiling windows, while higher rooms offer fantastic views across the city. There are daily tours of the collection at 4pm, with the spectacular rooftop bar, pool and restaurant the ideal place for some post-culture down time.
Doubles from £213, room only; artotellondonbattersea.com

Art Luise Kunsthotel, Berlin

Located in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, each of the hotel’s 50 bedrooms has been designed by a different artist, encompassing everything from paintings to furniture and linen. The art is hugely diverse, from graffiti daubs by Kiddy Citny – whose much-photographed works have cropped up across Berlin since the mid-80s – to intricate papier-mache installations and abstract canvases. The lobby is dotted with sculptural works and the whole place feels as much like a gallery as a hotel.
Doubles from £110, room only; luise-berlin.com

Byblos Art Hotel, Verona

Set in the vineyards of Valpolicella, the Byblos Art Hotel is housed in a glorious 17th-century baroque villa just outside Verona. The grand reception area is home to an extraordinary collection of modern art from the likes of Damien Hirst, Marina Abramović, Vanessa Beecroft, Marc Quinn, Anish Kapoor, Takashi Murakami, Ron Arad (the list of stellar names goes on and on…) Each of the 59 bedrooms is decorated with original pieces of art while around every corner, on every staircase, there’s an amazing painting or a captivating installation waiting to be enjoyed.
Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amistà is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Doubles from £270, including breakfast; slh.com

H10 Art Gallery, Barcelona

Every floor at the H10 pays homage to a renowned contemporary artist, with walls, rooms and even bathrooms designed to recreate the style of Joan Miró, Francis Bacon and Henri Matisse among others. Original works and lithographs by artists including Miquelo Barceló hang in the lobby, and the lively bar and restaurant both feature striking contemporary works. The cherry on the cake is the rooftop terrace and pool, with lovely views across the city.
Doubles from £134, room only; h10hotels.com

El Fenn, Marrakech

The first piece of work Vanessa Branson brought to Marrakech to furnish her atmospheric riad was carried in her hand luggage. It was a piece by Bob and Roberta Smith called I Believe in Van Gogh, which she explains set the quirky tone. The intimate hotel, set in the heart of the medina, features key works from her own collection, including Fiona Rae, William Kentridge, Bridget Riley and a couple of David Shrigley installations. While working on the Marrakech Biennale, Branson developed relationships with Moroccan artists, including Leila Alaoui and Hassan Hajjaj (who has just created a spectacular installation, an amazing wall of colourful bottles inspired by the hotel’s stained glass). The impressive El Fenn collection now includes works from artists across the continent including Branson’s favourite, Joana Choumali from Ivory Coast. Perhaps the most startling art work – set against a glorious red wall as you walk from the reception – is a series of black and white photographs of boy soldiers by the South African artist Guy Tillim.
Doubles from £297, including breakfast and afternoon tea; el-fenn.com.

Hôtel des Académies et des Arts, Paris

Once the home of renowned artists Amedeo Modigliani and Tsuguharu Foujita, this 20-bedroom hotel still has the feel of a classic atelier, with a working studio that hosts temporary exhibitions. Bedrooms are classic and unfussy, with lime walls and raw wood; half have ceiling frescoes and all have artworks dotted around the walls. In the basement, the tranquil wellness room is set up for massages and treatments, with yoga classes also on offer.
Doubles from £197, room only; hoteldesacademies.fr

Altstadt, Vienna

Otto Wiesenthal opened the Altstadt hotel more than 30 years ago, partly as a place to house his growing art collection, partly to reinvigorate a classic Viennese palais. Now the 62-room hotel is home to an astonishing array of works by artists including Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz and Markus Prachensky – many owned by Wiesenthal, with others on loan from museums. The atmosphere is one of effortless style, with the excellent breakfast sourced from the best of Vienna’s independent producers.
Doubles from £180, B&B; altstadt.at

Villa Copenhagen

There’s art in every corner of this classically Scandi hotel, a 390-room rebirth of the former Danish central post office set in an imposing Neo-Baroque building. Sculptures stand like sentries in the glass-ceiling lobby, bedroom walls are dotted with works by contemporary Danish and European artists, with the hotel’s entire collection worth around $2m. Of the two bars, T37 is the place for expertly mixed cocktails, while the rooftop terrace and lap pool is a great place to start or end the day. Doubles from £229, room only; villacopenhagen.com

Unico Boutique Hotel d’Arte, Mondello, Sicily

All of the art on show in this charming eight-room hotel is for sale, with works dotted throughout the communal areas and exhibited in the private art gallery. The location – a stone’s throw from the Lido di Mondello – means it’s easy to stroll between the beach and the hotel’s shimmering pool, which has glorious views over the Med. Breakfasts are hearty and although there’s no restaurant there are plenty of them just outside the door, with central Palermo a quick taxi hop away.
doubles from £219, room only; unicohoteldarte.it

31.10 Art Hotel, Florence

Florence is one of Europe’s most artistic cities, and hotels can be pricey, making this stylish 13-room boutique hotel a real find. Four of the bedrooms are dedicated to famous Florentines, from Leonardo da Vinci to Piero della Francesca, with wall art, paintings and coffee-table books focusing on their works. The inter-connecting rooms are ideal for families. Breakfasts of fresh pastries and homemade cakes offer the perfect fuel for a day of gallery-hopping.
Doubles from £115, B&B;

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