5 U.S. Hotels Perfect for Artists
From coloring books to classes, these spots offer tools to indulge your inner artist.
Photo below courtesy of Hotel Monaco Portland
Once upon a time, people would go on sketching trips, or do some painting while on vacation. It was to still the mind and cultivate artistic pursuits, regardless of talent. Also to capture the moments worth remembering, because there were no portable cameras to take along on trips.
The benefit still goes beyond a snapshot keepsake: Painting and drawing immerses you in the place and the present, and creates a far more long-lasting memory than a selfie. Plus, it makes you stop and stay still, and even become quiet. With the new adult coloring book craze, the benefit of artistic pursuit to clear out brain gunk is seeing a resurgence. Adult coloring books, or mindful coloring books as they’re also called, are becoming a fixture in many hotel rooms and lobbies. Here are five hotels that encourage your inner artist with coloring books, in-room art supplies, and even painting classes.
1. Hotel Monaco Portland
As with all Kimpton Group hotels, the Hotel Monaco in Portland, Oregon, holds a nightly wine hour, where guests can relax with a glass of vino or two, or opt for a local brew in the lobby lounge. Even nicer: it is gratis and often includes snacks. In Portland, however, guests can get off the couch and get creative at easels set up for guests. Brushes, canvases, and paints are provided, too. Drinking and painting? Don’t be surprised if you overreach on your artistic skills; you might discover a vocation hitherto hidden. Just, ya know, use the brush and don’t go all Jackson Pollock in the lobby.
2. The Renwick
Photo courtesy of The Renwick
The Renwick hotel opened this spring in Manhattan’s Midtown East in what was formerly an artist’s enclave. Running with a theme of art, The Renwick enlisted Brooklyn-born, Los Angeles-based artist and actor Gregory Siff to spice up the lobby with two murals, and the hotel’s rooms include origami kits, sketch paper, and pencils. Each room also has a paintbrush functioning as a do not disturb sign and the TV stands are modeled after easels. If those elements still don’t satisfy your inner artist, then book the Artist Suite, which includes actual easels, paints, canvases, and a grand city view from its window for inspiration.
3. Taconic
Photo courtesy of Kimpton Taconic Hotel