Hotels that let you view a Picasso or a Miro up close and personal!
The best hotels for art lovers and my own art preferences #51
I went for an “art” themed newsletter this week. I thought that occasionally, I could rejig the “extra finds” section to bring you a selection of five hotels on a given theme. Last week was about those where you can celebrate a big birthday and this week, I am suggesting hotels where famous artists work can be admired.
You don’t alway have to stay at those hotels to enjoy those pieces by the way. Often lunch in their restaurant will open you the door to the gallery or the gardens where they are featured.
I also came across a new artist via Instagram and that reminded me of the two we liked and bought pieces from for our house so I list those in “Jolies Choses”. I would love to hear from you about the artists you liked or from whom you bought pieces to put on your walls.
Actually, all of this was brought upon by the lovely visit of the small Berthe Morisot exhibition at the Dulwich gallery we toured last weekend.
Dulwich is one of those neighbourhoods in London which look like a village and the gallery often has some interesting exhibitions. If you come to London, do venture a bit South of the Thames and come to this neck of the woods.
I have a big cold that knocked me down these past few days so I’ll stop there but I hope you are having a good month of May and are seeing proper Spring temperatures where you are (not really the case here in London 😞).
Jolies Choses
Gill Roca - we spotted her art in our local gallery when we moved into our house 16 years ago and fell in love immediately. Over the years we acquired a few of her pieces and love the serenity that they exude. Gill is also a very lovely painter whose workshop we visited a couple of times and she even came to hang up her painting in our kitchen herself!
Clare Basler - I may have mentioned her before but I really like what she does. We discovered her at Lundies House where we marvelled at her mural paintings. She has a castle in France where she paints and we recently purchased one of her typical flowers delicate interpretation.
Studio 18 - saw this on the Instagram account of a beautiful house - which it turns out is in our neighbourhood. The lady does bespoke commissions and the smaller piece seem affordable.
5 hotels for art lovers
On time to time, I will rejig the “extra finds” section to bring you a selection of five hotels on a given theme. Last week was about those where you can celebrate a big birthday and this week, I am suggesting hotels where famous artists work can be admired.
The Fife Arms, Scotland
From £250 - Check latest prices and availability
Owned by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, the duo behind Hauser and Wirth, this hotel houses 14,000 works of art. The collection includes a late Picasso painting, a Mark Bradford-designed piano, and a giant Louise Bourgeois spider in the courtyard. The Fife was our last hotel stay before Covid lockdown in 2020 and the art is quite something! Check my review for more pictures of the masterpieces on display.
Belmond La Residencia, Mallorca
From 650 Euros - Check latest prices and availability
Located in the artsy town of Deià, this hotel pays homage to Spanish painter Joan Miró. It hosts the largest hotel exhibit of the artist's works in the world, with thirty-three pieces displayed throughout the hotel's Spanish restaurant, Cafe Miró. The rest of thee hotel is not shabby either. In a beautiful setting, old charm luxury meets modern colourful reinterpretatino. There is a pool outside but also in the spa and some accommodation also have their own private pool.
Forester Hall, Isle of Wight
From 300£ - Check latest prices and availability
Formerly known as North House, Foresters Hall was revamped by the new owners. Sitting pretty on the Isle of Wight, the Grade II listed townhouse is located in the heart of Cowes Old Town. The owners like their art so display their collection throughout: paintings and sculptures by English, Scottish and Irish artists such as Kirsty Wither, James Harrigan, Mick Wilkins and Cliona Doyle, to North American artists and photographers such as Alex Katz, Jim Dine, Josef Karsh and Annie Leibovitz. There are 15 bedrooms some with fireplaces, other with juliet balcony overseeing the harbour.
Da Licenca, Portugal
From 300 Euros - Check latest prices and availability
Da Licenca is set amongst vast acres of hills covered in olive trees. The white building is striking amongst that panorama and has a fabulous round pool. Inside, the focus is on space to showcase the collection of design furniture and art pieces. There are only four suites and two bedrooms.There is also a restaurant housed in the original olive press from 1904, which is also where most of the art and furniture collection is displayed, focusing on historical design from Norway and Finland.
Villa Lacoste, Provence
From 800 Euros a night - Check latest prices and availability
Château La Coste located in Provence, France is quite an extraordinary place. Laid out across hectares of vineyards and fields, the site presents an extraordinary blend of contemporary art, architecture and wine culture. Villa Lacoste is the luxury hotel with a pool, spa and restaurant. You can also just come for lunch and then spend a couple of hours walking around the series of art works and sculptures studded around the land. Some are interactive, some are fun, and children will love following the map from one art piece to the next.