Creatives are famous for extended hotel stays. Throughout history, some were commissioned to enhance the interiors with their signature flair while others bartered their artwork for breaks on daily rates and others simply just thrived off the scene.
Artists like Salvador Dalí were notorious for making hotels their homes. So much so, the Spanish Surrealist famously wrote a check to the St. Regis New York City with a small drawing for his extended stay and advised the staff to hang on to it, for the value of his doodle would be worth more than his bill.
Here, a look at some of the landmark hotels made famous by the art world’s most notable names.
Le Meurice, Paris
A second home to Dalí, Le Meurice, has served as a lively hub for tourists and creatives alike since it opened in 1835. One of the most famous links to the art world was Pablo Picasso and Olga Khokhlova’s 1918 wedding reception held in the Salon Pompadour. Present-day designer Philippe Starck is credited with the modern update of the hotel’s aesthetic and his daughter Ara painted a large ceiling tapestry for the restaurant. Among the masterpieces in its halls, the hotel features “The Kiss” (Le Baiser), a six-foot-tall contemporary sculpture by artist Zoulikha Bouabdellah.
La Colombe d’Or, Saint-Paul-de-Vence
A low-key haven for artists during and after the Second World War, La Colombe d’Or is brimming with artistic artifacts from artists like Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. Sculptures by ceramic artist Sean Scully and American artist Alexander Calder lay by the poolside, which once effervesced with a social milieu that included Joan Miró, Georges Braque, Calder, César Baldaccini and Fernand Léger. Renowned for its discretion, the hotel relies on old-school telephone and email bookings versus online reservations.
The St. Regis New York
In addition to its Gilded Age origins, the St. Regis New York’s chandelier-dotted ceilings were also the setting of a fateful meeting between a young Jeff Koons and Salvador Dalí. Upon hearing of Dalí’s New York sojourn, Koons cold-called Dalí who graciously invited him for an impromptu meeting — one which Koons has said changed his trajectory forever. In 1965 and in the same hotel, Dalí also met with Andy Warhol. According to The St. Regis, Dalí welcomed Warhol into his suite and placed an Incan headdress atop Warhol’s head. In a later visit to his suite, Dalí tied Warhol to a spinning wheel and poured paint on him, cementing a special relationship between the two artists.
The Dorchester, London
Oliver Messel was famous for infusing his opulent style into British stage design for memorable productions such as “Sleeping Beauty” at London’s The Royal Opera House in 1946, and Hollywood films “Romeo and Juliet” in 1936 and “Caesar and Cleopatra” (starring Vivien Leigh) in 1946. In 1953, he transformed this into interior design and created a lavish suite for London’s The Dorchester. Clad with ruffles, Ottoman-style chintz and furniture he designed himself, the suite was believed to be endeared by singer Whitney Houston. Earlier this year, a restoration of the suite was unveiled returning every element of the suite to its original 1953 brilliance. Led by British crown Royal Warrant holders and conservation specialists Hare & Humphreys, the process called for more than 2,000 hours of work and more than 2,750 sheets of 23.5-carat gold leaf, applied using traditional techniques.
Among the discoveries was a hand-painted mural on the domed ceiling between the corridor and drawing room. An arch of roses painted by Messel himself, long hidden beneath layers of paint, has now been carefully revealed and restored as a quiet gesture to the artist, and the spirit, behind the room.
Le Bristol, Paris
A museum and hotel stay in one, Le Bristol Paris is brimming with visionary modern art: sculptures from Studio Bjorg, lighting by Jan Pauwels, and plates by Matthew Lutz-Kinoy, a contemporary artist known for his sensitive and organic approach to ceramics. Earlier this year, the hotel unveiled la Pomme de New York by Claude Lalanne, a monumental work among the artist’s most iconic creations. American visual artist George Condo was a longtime guest and created the artworks for the hotel’s Imperial Suite, including paintings, drawings and a custom gold door handle based on his “Uncle Joe’s Head” motif.
Faena Miami Beach
A major art-led hotel conceived by entrepreneur and creative visionary Alan Faena along with Len Blavatnik, the Faena Miami Beach has served as a hot spot for luxury brands and the Art Basel crowd since its inception. The lobby features murals by Argentine artist Juan Gatti, combining mythological, symbolic and botanical imagery. Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and his Oscar-winning wife, costume and production designer Catherine Martin, helped design its opulent, theatrical interiors.
Aman Venice
Housed in the historic Palazzo Papadopoli, formerly Palazzo Tiepolo, the Aman Venice is home to a 18th-century masterpiece by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Its Alcova Tiepolo Suite is a 1108 square feet living space adorned with lively Rococo-style frescoes by the man described as “the greatest decorative painter of 18th-century Europe.” Tiepolo’s theatrical frescoes reflect Rococo style, creating an inspired space, which celebrates its historic architecture. Gilded ceilings and tall windows frame elegant views of Aman Venice’s Garden Terrace and an ornately painted sitting room with a fireplace is the perfect place to retire after an evening exploring Venice. Tiepolo’s son Giovanni Domenico also contributed murals for the game-room.