Travel is inspiring. Not just because it gets you out to see the world and its myriad cultures, but also because it can serve as a launching pad to artistic creation. This is particularly true when your accommodation allows you to become a part of the creative process or simply provides a beautiful backdrop to spark your inner artist.
The effect we feel on our senses is palpable — and the resulting works are influenced by your experience. Let loose your inner artist at these six hotels with amenities meant to inspire creativity.
Art Ovation Hotel; Sarasota, Florida
At Art Ovation Hotel, Autograph Collection, the name explains it all. The hotel is basically a love letter to the arts, inviting guests to channel their inner artist by providing both a musical instrument (a ukelele!) and a sketchbook in every guest room — perfect for dreaming up compositions and doodles inspired by the curated art on the walls.
Art Ovation also houses an art gallery featuring rotating works by painters like Leslie Lerner and Robert Doyon, as well as a working artist’s studio. In addition, a full event calendar offers creative workshops, performances and even music lessons so you can jam on that in-room ukelele.
The Elizabeth Hotel; Fort Collins, Colorado
Musicians in particular will find a comfy home at The Elizabeth Hotel, Autograph Collection, where each stay centers around a musical experience. Each guest room is decked out with a record player, and the property offers vinyl albums to borrow.
Feel the need to tickle the ivories? The hotel also offers an instrument lending library where guests can check out instruments as they would a library book, taking anything from guitars and keyboards to amps and tuners back to their room for an impromptu jam session.
For an extra-musical experience, stay in the Music Suite and sleep among instrument-inspired decor and a baby grand piano. In the evenings, enjoy live music at the hotel’s personal venue, Magic Rat.
El Mangroove; Guanacaste, Costa Rica
If tapping into the stunning natural beauty and pura vida at Costa Rica’s El Mangroove, Autograph Collection isn’t enough to spark creative inspiration, guests can help positively impact the surrounding ecosystem.
Twice a week, guests are able to participate in the Mangrove Ritual, where they sip cocktails on the hotel’s ocean terrace while planting native mangrove trees to be used in reforestation efforts. Each guest “adopts” a tree, which is certified and named after the guest. Adopted trees are then tagged and plotted so that guests can revisit their “tree-children” on subsequent trips to the resort.
The Citizen; Sacramento, California
Instead of creating art at The Citizen Hotel, Autograph Collection, guests can simply channel inspiration and awe from the property’s style and decor, which was influenced by early-20th-century politics.
Framed political cartoons grace the guest room walls, and a nod to Sacramento’s status as California’s state capital is brought in wherever possible — from replicas of shaking hands on guest room doors to lampshades inscribed with California’s state constitution.
Even the do-not-disturb signs are a cheeky play on the hotel’s political vibe, reading “Closed Door Session.”
Fontecruz Lisboa; Lisbon, Portugal
The Fontecruz Lisboa, Autograph Collection was once a travel agency, and that theme continues today in the hotel design and decor. The lobby has an art wall made from actual historic postcards written by travelers from the distant past — some date back more than 100 years. Each guest room also integrates thoughtful vintage postcard accents, like headboards featuring blown-up postcard images.
Plus, each guest is able to emulate those travelers of days gone by and select a postcard from the hotel’s collection and fill it out; the note will then be mailed anywhere in the world, free of charge.
RYSE; Seoul, South Korea
The room categories at RYSE, Autograph Collection pay homage to the hotel’s dedication to being an art-inspired destination with names like Creator, Editor, Director, Producer and Artist.
Every room includes original artwork by Korean artists, and each Artist Suite was designed by a local creative and is an art experience in itself — whether you’re sleeping in a photo studio, immersing yourself in a painting or walking through the storylines of a compelling narrative. The Executive Producer Suite boasts a fully stocked vinyl collection and DJ table.
To further foster cultural expression among its guests, the hotel has its own art gallery, Arario; an extensive lending library of books, magazines and vinyl; and a Risograph printer in the lobby for guests to interact with and create 3D art.
To learn more about the stories and creative inspiration behind these hotels, as well as other independent hotels, visit Autograph Collection.
Related Articles
