Time to think art in every aspect of life. Girlahead has long thought that hotels seem to acquire even more personality when owners hang their own art collections in their properties. In Dallas THE JOULE, Preferred, is owned by eponymous oil tycoon Tim Headington who is conveniently also a passionate art collector. In Rome, THE CAVALIERI WALDORF-ASTORIA utilises some of its famous art through offering Tea with Tiepolo, which can be interpreted as afternoon tea sitting in front of one of the hotel’s three Tiepolos. In Singapore, at RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA there is yet another Modern American Master at every turn,
In Amsterdam, versatile Roy Tomassen GM of THE CONSERVATORIUM, The Set, , left a hand-painted hotel water colour as apology for being out of town.
In various of its hotels, Belmond holds water colour classes. In Ubud, TANAH GAJAH, and its owners, the Hadiprana family, have long held a deep connection to Indonesia’s art scene (the property was once the former private estate of designer and art collector, Hendra Hadiprana). Led by GM Deasy Swandarini, the hotel offers three-hour private oil-painting sessions with your choice of one of many highly admired local artists. Select your teacher from their works featured at the Hadiprana Gallery or on display throughout the property – SEE IMAGE ABOVE. In addition Tanah Gajah can arrange classes in the typical Balinese art of painting intricate images on to egg shells.
Girlahead has yet to encounter any hotel that allows guests actually to paint the property. The nearest thing is probably ANDAZ MAYAKOBA in Mexico. The 214 bedrooms are in two or three-floor concrete villas, Brutalist style. The concrete side walls of outdoor steps, one floor to another, have been painted by designers DAS Concepts in senkoe, Bansky-style graffiti. Think brightly coloured parrots and tropical palms. The result is charming and does give an effect that happy hotel guests could have held the paint brushes.
