A comfortable hotel is a pleasure onto itself, but a hotel that doubles as a legitimate art gallery is a special attraction.
The Art, a popular hotel in downtown Denver, is perfectly positioned in the city’s museum district — steps away from the Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum. While offering all of the necessary accommodations and services of a modern hotel, its common spaces include works of modern art worthy of any museum in the world.
The carefully chosen collection of works curated exclusively for the hotel greets you immediately upon arrival. The piece Industrial Strength Sleep, the 2007 masterwork by Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha, spreads its 23 foot by nine foot swath across the lobby wall.
Also: Exhibit | Exploring the Clyfford Still Museum, Denver
A short walk from the lobby — or down any of the halls of any floor of the hotel — reveals works by major international artists such as Claus Oldenberg, Tracey Emin, Deborah Butterfield and Sol LeWitt. The presentation is gallery quality and encourages hotel guests to spend a little extra time within the walls of their hotel checking out those very walls.
Those guests who come to Art specially for its collection can ask for a guided tour of the hotel’s collection. All the property is missing is a play studio for aspiring artist guests to try their own hands at creating something special.
The hotel’s designers maintain the modern look worthy of its art collection throughout the property. The guest rooms offer a bright, clean look with 21st century fixtures and hospitality industry standard entertainment offerings. I do wish the in-house TV would offer more artist-themed or art education options for those hotel visitors inspired by what they see throughout the building.
The hotel restaurant, Fire, offers devoted menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the weather cooperates, there’s a flame-lit patio that extends out over the streets of Denver. The bar connected to Fire offers a selection of classic and unique in-house cocktail recipes with artistic flares.
For visitors to Denver’s Golden Triangle and downtown museum region, this hotel offers comfort and convenience with a modern energy that should encourage travelers to venture out into any of the nearby art-themed attractions.
