Best of Both Worlds | 9 hotels doubling as art galleries around Asia 

The latest trend in hospitality design? Upscale hotels are undertaking an art gallery approach in terms of design. However, integrating visual art by renowned artists from near and far into their spaces is a move that’s no longer seen and treated as just ‘décor’ or a nice-to-have feature, but as an integral element of a brand’s identity. It also presents an alternative, and dare we say, enhanced guest experience, converting relaxing stays into uniquely immersive cultural encounters which influence their mood and provoke thought in a very deliberate way.

It must be acknowledged though that hotel art today has surpassed the mere act of acquiring a piece or two to hang on a wall. Instead, it has increasingly become about installing site-specific pieces and commissioning custom work on a small to large scale with the intention of building upon their own blue-chip art collections. Each one not only adds character to a space, but also educates guests about the history and culture of a place as well as supports the artists [especially local] responsible for them in the process.

From exhibiting giant abstract interpretations of iconic cultural landmarks to supporting pottery art included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, here’s a round-up of hotels across the Asian continent blurring the lines between hospitality and art, transforming into vibrant art galleries that showcase both permanent collections and rotating exhibitions: