Melia’s contemporary city-centre Innside brand, which it acquired in 2007 has signed its first hotel in the UK. Construction is set to begin on the four-star, 208-bedroom Innside Manchester Hotel during the second half of 2012. The hotel will form part of the new multi-use First Street North development. Innside by Melia currently operates nine properties in Germany and one is set to open in Barcelona.

The Rezidor Hotel Group and Al Jassim Group have announced a 2015 opening for the Hotel Missoni Doha (Qatar). The luxury lifestyle hotel will be exclusively designed by Rosita Missoni and feature approximately 200 rooms and 70 serviced apartments. The hotel will be built along the C Ring Road in the heart of Doha, just 10 minutes from the International Airport. The extensive food and beverage outlets will comprise Hotel Missoni’s signature restaurant “Cucina” with a traditional yet creative Italian menu, a second all-day-dining restaurant, Bar Missoni, a pool bar and a lobby lounge. Guests will benefit from an 800 square meter Spa- and fitness area, an outdoor swimming pool, approximately 1,500 square meter conference- and banquet facilities including ball room, and a business centre. Hotels Missoni are operated in Edinburgh and in Kuwait; further properties are under development in Oman, Turkey, Brazil and Mauritius.

Rezidor also announced this week the rebranding of the 583-room Ramada Plaza Doha Hotel into a Radisson Blu Hotel in the third quarter of 2012.

Even more Qatar hotel news: the June, 2013 scheduled Nikki Beach Resort & Spa, The Pearl-Qatar has already won an AAA five-star diamond award as best design for a boutique beach resort in the Middle East. That is slightly odd for a hotel which even has opened yet. Designed by the award winning Singapore-based ECO ID Architects with interior design by Gatserelia Design, the Nikki Beach is a $45m boutique beachfront resort with 47-luxury villas and spa suites. The development will include Satine, a pan Asian specialty restaurant, NikkiSpa by Espa, Envy, the Ultra VIP lounge, a signature Nikki Beach Club with private plunge pools, a Tone Fitness Center and many other guest amenities.

HotelChatter reports that an offshoot of the Soho House Group will open in Chicago’s West Loop/Fulton Market area inside a vacant warehouse. Soho House would install about 50 rooms, a signature restaurant and a rooftop pool.

Our December 26 report on the Clark Hotel in Los Angeles suggesting that King & Grove was to be the new operator of New York’s Chelsea Hotel was right. This month comes the news that King & Grove are also taking over the management of the brand-new opened Hotel Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. The Chetrit Group, owner of the Clark Hotel and the Chelsea Hotel is close to an agreement buying the Hotel Williamsburg, currently operated by Graves Hospitality from Minneapolis.

The ill-fated Cipriani hotel project in Miami Beach finally is getting afoot. Only no longer under the Cipriani name, but under its original name, The Saxony. Argentine hip hotelier Alan Faena of Buenos Aires’ Faena Hotel fame is taking on the project. A condo tower by star architects Foster and Partners is being added and the Faena Saxony Hotel as it is called now is “coming soon” we see at the Faena website.

The Spanish mission styled 97-room Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, now with The Leading Hotels of the World, is being sold to Kimpton Hotels for $40m.

The pop-up phenomenon may be old news in retail and restaurants, but temporary hotels is a concept just gaining ground (makeshift bedrooms in Kreuzberg or Nakameguro art galleries excepted). Today the Berlin-based Design Hotels group is staking the first big claim to the trend on the beach in Tulum, Mexico. The company’s founder, Claus Sendlinger, who moved with his family to Tulum last year, is spearheading the opening of Papaya Playa, a spiffed-up campus of cabanas once belonging to three now-shuttered resorts on about a half mile of beachfront land.

He brought in his creative team from Berlin to make simple stylish improvements to the 99 structures — “make it a bit more comfortable but keep the rawness,” he says — leaving about half of them with shared bathrooms, including a clutch of jungle huts with communal bunk beds that rent for $25 a night to the many backpackers, yogis and spiritual nomads who regularly drift through town. But Occupy Tulum this isn’t. There are 40 ocean-facing cabanas with private decks and hammocks, a spa, a boutique, raw food to go from 42°Raw, and a restaurant run by the folks behind Bar 25 andKaterHolzig in Berlin. An international network of D.J.’s and artists will provide weekly entertainment and contribute to monthly full-moon events dreamed up by the Berlin creative agency Mamapapcola. “The fun part is that we brought our friends,” says Sendlinger, who adds that no one’s arm had to be twisted; most of them were already fans of Tulum.

Sendlinger himself is a longtime blow-in to the area, and he’d had his eye on this piece of land for six years before finally making a deal with its owner. Five years ago, he says, such an arrangement wouldn’t have been possible, but the financial crisis has created more opportunities in the hotel business for those who are “good at moving into a temporary space and creating something. I see this happening more and more.” And if it works this winter, it may become permanent — with some further construction and the help of solar and wind power. What won’t happen is a 500-room tower or luxury condos. “That would kill Tulum,” he says. “We want our kids to have as much as possible the same Tulum as we have.”

Hotel Matilda, the trend-setting boutique hotel offering a lifestyle-focused guest experience, has become the newest member of Design Hotels, and the only member of the international collection in San Miguel de Allende.

“Hotel Matilda was created with vision and passion, and endowed with a pulsating heartbeat of art and design, making us a perfect match with Design Hotels,” said General Manager Bruce James. “We look forward to a synergistic relationship that powers marketing and sales as well as reinforces our image.”

Hotel Matilda is a cutting-edge boutique hotel with designer rooms and suites, an innovative holistic spa, gourmet dining blending classic Mexican with today’s international trends and tastes, a popular lounge where the latest mixology meets indigenous fruits and herbs, and a vibrant, gallery-like ambiance that is filled with dramatic contemporary art.

Hotel Matilda followed its own original and iconoclastic path. While every other hotel in San Miguel de Allende immerses guests in the town’s famed colonial ambiance, Hotel Matilda created an edgy environment that celebrates the lifestyle of today’s international travel. In an art-gallery-like décor of white- and graphite-colored walls, Hotel Matilda was filled with an eclectic collection of art, with many major works – that frame and define entire spaces –commissioned specifically for the property.

The crown jewel of colonial Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its intact 500-year-old Spanish architecture, charming Old World ambience and art schools that draw budding artists from many countries. San Miguel de Allende is located in the central highlands of Mexico about a three-hour drive from Mexico City. American, Aeromexico and Continental airlines fly from the U.S. to Leon/Guanajuato Airport, which is a 1.5- hour drive from San Miguel de Allende. Hotel Matilda can arrange airport transfers.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced  that it has signed an agreement to acquire 49.8% of the shares of Design Hotels AG from Arabella Hospitality, Starwood’s longtime partner in Germany. Berlin-based Design Hotels, a publicly traded company and provider of distribution, sales, marketing and consulting services for hotels boasts a portfolio of over 200 member hotels in 40 countries. Design Hotels’ collection of hotels are independently owned, but united by a passion for thought-provoking design, aesthetic and service-driven experiences.

The opportunity to acquire a stake in Design Hotels came through Starwood’s relationship with Arabella Hospitality, which recently re-focused its hotel strategy mainly on ownership and asset management and as a result chose to divest its shares in Design Hotels. Starwood continues to manage or franchise 20 of Arabella Hospitality hotels in Europe.

“This is an investment presented to us by a longtime partner,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “With our own passion for design and innovation, we have long admired Design Hotels, its founder, CEO Claus Sendlinger, and his executive team, who have worked closely with some of the world’s most exciting independent hotel owners to curate a unique collection of hotels around the globe. As a shareholder, we are delighted to have a seat at the table of this dynamic company.”

“Arabella Hospitality has been an enthusiastic shareholder of Design Hotels for a decade. We are extremely pleased to transfer our shares to our long-term partner Starwood, an international player with extensive experience in lifestyle and design-led branding,” said Dr. Klaus N. Naeve, Chairman of the Administrative Board of Arabella Hospitality.

“Having Starwood with its leading global footprint and lifestyle brands as an investor is a further validation that Design Hotels is a strong brand of global relevance as we continue to grow and focus on our niche in the New Luxury hotel segment,” said Claus Sendlinger. “Furthermore, Starwood has a keen appreciation for what makes Design Hotels distinct and special, the creative spirit of our visionary hoteliers.”

According to van Paasschen and Sendlinger, Starwood will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of Design Hotels, nor will Design Hotels participate in any of Starwood’s centralized delivery systems including reservations and Starwood Preferred Guest.

The transaction, which is subject to anti-trust approval in Germany, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012.

Four new Aloft hotels around the world have pushed the brand past its landmark 50th hotel opening.

The “style-at-a-steal” brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, which launched in 2008, is now debuting the Aloft New York Brooklyn, Aloft Zhengzhou Shangjie and Aloft Haiyang in China, and Aloft Coimbatore Singanallur in India, to reach 52 hotels around the world. Starwood expects to increase its Aloft portfolio to more than 70 hotels by 2013.

“Aloft Hotels’ success comes from rewriting the rules of our industry, from the unprecedented pace of new hotel openings to its complete reinvention of the select-service category,” said Simon Turner, president of global development for Starwood.  “Demand for Aloft in North America has been particularly healthy and the potential for additional growth in fast-growing economies like China and India is enormous.”

Aloft will continue its global expansion with six additional hotels slated to open by the end of 2011, each in an international market, including China, India, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Columbia, Panama, and Costa Rica.

The fastest-growing market for Aloft is Asia Pacific, which accounts for 12 of the 27 hotels in the brand’s current development pipeline. By the end of 2013, Aloft will have opened six additional new properties across China, including hotels in Yancheng, Haiyang, and Guangzhou, southern China’s largest city. In India, the brand will have four hotels by the end of 2011. The brand’s current Indian portfolio of three hotels will multiply to include the fast-growing urban hubs of Chandigarh and Bengaluru.

From the floors of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in San Diego, Advaya Hospitality unveiled a global lifestyle hotel brand today to an audience of industry insiders.

The brand, MODO Hotel, will make its debut in major markets around the world, starting with a minimum of five properties in India and another five in Brazil. Advaya also is in the early stages of establishing a fund to acquire strategic assets and build new hotels, targeting major U.S. markets like New York, Kansas City and Miami.

MODO presents a new take on hospitality that’s stylish, affordable and musically inspired. The brand will feature a striking urban, Bauhaus loft design. With its vast collection of vinyl records, CDs and MP3 content, MODO will showcase independent artists around the globe, promising a unique and entertaining travel experience.

Full-service MODO hotels will house 100 or more rooms, a lively restaurant-lounge,courtyard, pool, meeting and event space, library, retail shop and gym. Nightly rates will be in sync with today’s value-conscious travelers and the local markets. In the U.S., rates at full-service properties are targeted to range from $90 – $150 per night with the exception of some larger gateway cities. Additionally, a line of budget lifestyle lodgings will launch in international markets this year, creating a new niche of budget lifestyle hotels.

During the next three years, MODO will roll out in major metropolitan markets in Brazil. Five to ten 150-room hotels will be strategically located in the fastest growing cities of Sao Paulo, Campinas, Curitiba, Vitoria and Manaus. MODO in Brazil will be developed by the newly formed ABR Brazil LLC, a joint venture between MODO and BridgeRock Capital Management LLC.

Additionally, during the second half of this year, a MODO sister brand will premier in India, creating a new market niche of budget lifestyle hotels. Over the next three years, a minimum of five budget lifestyle hotels will launch in India under the MODO sister brand. The 60- to 80-room lodgings will have limited food and beverage offerings and small meeting rooms. They will be located in the cities of Chennai, Tuticorin, Kakinada, Vizag and Vellore.

Building costs for a full-service MODO hotel will be approximately $110,000 per key, including average land cost, with variations in major gateway cities. “That’s at least 20 percent less than those for other hotels in the same class,” saysJohn Russell, CEO for MODO and Advaya.

Franchising is slated to begin later this year. Additional expansion is planned through a combination of acquisitions, new development and conversions of existing properties. Among the target countries are China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest independent boutique hotel company in the country, has entered into a strategic capital partnership with Geolo Capital, the private equity investment arm of the John A. Pritzker family. Geolo Capital will take a majority stake in Joie de Vivre’s business and provide capital to fund the boutique hotel brand’s expansion outside of California.

As part of the transaction, Geolo Capital has established an investment fund with the objective of acquiring $300 million to $500 million of hospitality assets over the next five years. Geolo plans to double Joie de Vivre’s revenues and grow the number of managed properties over that time period from the current 33 in California to approximately 50 throughout the U.S., adding hotels and resorts in key gateway cities and resort markets through new third party management agreements, joint ventures, and acquisitions.

Under the agreement, John Pritzker, Geolo’s founding partner and director and a 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, will become chairman of the company. Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre’s founder and CEO, will retain a significant ownership interest in Joie de Vivre and remain actively involved as CEO.

The partnership with Joie de Vivre gives Geolo Capital, which specializes in hospitality investments, a branded platform to both acquire and manage additional hotels and resorts. Last year the company acquired Carmel Valley Ranch, an iconic resort property on 400 acres of land in the lush Carmel Valley. The Ranch will join the Joie de Vivre Hotels collection this year as part of its luxury portfolio, which includes Joie de Vivre’s flagship property, Hotel Vitale in San Francisco.

“As soon as we purchased Carmel Valley Ranch I knew I wanted to replicate its magic and create an authentic lifestyle and resort brand that was experience-driven for customers and employees,” said Pritzker. “Then I found out that brand already existed – it’s called Joie de Vivre.”

Geolo sees tremendous opportunity for the Joie de Vivre brand across the three- to five-star spectrum, especially in the three-and-a-half star space where the boutique hotelier is “the best in the business,” said Pritzker.

Joie de Vivre is known for taking bland box or challenged hotels and transforming them into unique boutique properties that are an antidote to the vanilla experience offered by major chains. Each Joie de Vivre hotel is an original that reflects its location through creative design and amenities. The San Francisco-based company has created more three- and three-and-a-half star boutique hotels than any other hotel company.

“After 23 years of being a California hotel brand, we felt the time was right for Joie de Vivre to move outside the state. There are so many neglected gems and tired hotels that could be turned into appealing, affordable boutique properties,” said Conley. “With Geolo as our partner, we will be able to take advantage of the wave of hotel deals that are imminent, and we will have sufficient working capital to invest in our infrastructure to support our growth.”

Working with Joie de Vivre’s development team on the company’s strategic growth will be Geolo partner Gary Beasley, who spent seven years with KSL Resorts, where he was instrumental in acquiring and integrating over $800 million of hotel and resort properties.

“Our objective is to take advantage of what we believe will be one of the most attractive hotel buying cycles in a generation, and in the process create great hotels that offer both outstanding guest experiences as well as outstanding economic returns,” Beasley said. ” We look forward to working with Chip and the rest of the Joie de Vivre team to continue to build what we believe is one of the most dynamic and promising hospitality platforms around.”

If Copenhagen is (more than probably) the best city in the world for its quality of life and status as a cutting-edge design centre, then Arne Jacobsen’s Radisson SAS Royal Hotel is one of its defining design statements. The ground and first floor public areas are currently benefitting from a comprehensive ‘refreshment’ under the direction of the interior team from designers Graven Images.

The Danish capital was recently awarded top spot of the list of the world’s best cities in which to live by lifestyle magazine Monocle, and the SAS Royal which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this month, set the ball rolling when it opened as not only Europe’s but the world’s first design hotel. The pieces created by Jacobsen specifically for the hotel, such as the Swan and Egg chairs, are still specified worldwide to this day.

The building itself has an incredible history and pushed boundaries as soon as it was constructed; it was the largest hotel in Denmark when it was completed in 1960 as the SAS Royal Hotel and was the first skyscraper in Copenhagen, with interiors which epitomised the 60s – think Don and Betty Draper of TV’s Mad Men, or the young Britt Ekland.

Although it has remained a style icon during the ensuing decades, time has taken its toll on the SAS Royal with inevitable wear and tear resulting in the loss of some of its original elegance. In addition some of the public areas have been subjected to some unsympathetic interventions, such as the clumsy conversion of a smart and sexy concession boutique area into a restaurant.

Graven Images was commissioned in 2008 by Radisson as interior designers to restore the integrity of what is arguably the most important project undertaken by Arne Jacobsen, and certainly the best showcase for his trademark functionalist approach.

The interior designer’s mission was to bring the public areas of the SAS Royal up-to-date, restoring their design integrity and thereby making them accessible to a wider audience without compromising any of the unique features. The focus has been on streamlining and ‘cleaning up’ the original spaces, rationalising the layout and providing a more appropriate back-drop to showcase the original Jacobsen features.

Design Director Jim Hamilton said, “It’s been an honour to work on such an important and interesting project, which is close to the hearts not only of the design community but of hotel aficionados worldwide. The new hotel will share many qualities with the old – it will be glamorous, stylish, contemporary and with outstanding comfort to attract a wide variety of clientele from Copenhagen’s own design and style conscious population, as well as visitors to the Danish capital many of whom come because of its reputation as one of Europe’s most important design destinations.”

New research finds that hotels marketed as “design hotels” achieve higher room rates and occupancy than their traditional counterparts.

Lukas Hochedlinger, a Vienna-based associate with hotel transaction advisory company Christie+Co., has studied the relative performance of Europe design hotels and finds that 70% percent of them outperformed their non-design competitors with regard to occupancy and that 81% are able to charge higher average room rates. In fact, 62% of design hotels boast similar or lower operating and maintenance costs compared to non-design hotels.

“It appears that design hotels are able to achieve a better bottom-line performance than non-design hotels,” Hochedlinger says. “With regard to their risk, this study shows that design hotels in Europe have, on average, a similar or more stable operational income and hence a lower volatility in returns. However, potential limitations that were identified for some properties include a higher development risk—for example, higher development costs and longer timing—as well as a higher obsolescence risk in case the design is not timeless.

With changing demographics and values, the design/lifestyle/boutique segment in Europe is expected to further grow over the next few years. As a consequence, new hotels in this niche will be increasingly forced to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Design hotels in Europe have the possibility to achieve higher returns, but only if real estate developers and investors obey certain rules before making an investment. Hochedlinger suggests that investors of design hotels follow four guidelines:

1. Assess the market thoroughly before starting the development of a design hotel. A design hotel might be a good investment if it brings something new to the market that does not yet exist.
2. Create something unique. This applies to interior and exterior design as well as to service design and other aspects. One has to create a feel-good atmosphere that makes it comfortable and enjoyable for guests to stay, and more importantly. Many design hotels have made the mistake to purely focus on chic design and staff.
3. Focus on functionality. The phrase “form follows function” should be guiding architects and designers of any hotel. Operational sequences, materials and technical appliances used can have a major impact on guests’ feel as well as operational and maintenance costs.
4. Sustainability is key. Considering economic, environmental and social aspects during the development and operations of a hotel are not only a popular trend but will become an obligation to stay competitive in the field. This is particularly true for design hotels: the concept and design should be timeless and efficient in order to reduce energy costs and prolong renovation intervals, materials and operational sequences should be well considered with the aim of reducing daily costs.

Hochedlinger also finds that almost three-quarters of the Europe design hotel supply are individually operated properties. Compared to the United States, where lifestyle developments in resorts are popular, the trend in Europe has been the development of boutique hotels in urban areas, with 70% of all identified design hotels being located in cities.

Hochedlinger performed the survey as part of a master’s thesis at Danube University in Austria. He has extensive experience in the field of hotel advisory and valuations, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. Starting September, he will represent Christie+Co in Vienna with a focus on the Austria and Central and Eastern Europe markets. He can be reached at lukas.hochedlinger@gmail.com.

Property In Bentonville, Arkansas Will Become Catalyst For Culture, Entertainment And Economic Growth

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas — 21c Museum Hotels, a growing brand of properties that combines a boutique hotel and contemporary art museum, today announced plans to build its newest property in downtown Bentonville. The estimated $28 million project will be based on the core concept created for the award-winning 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, which was voted the #1 hotel in the U.S. and #6 in the world in the Conde Nast Traveler’s 2009 Readers’ Choice awards. The hotel is expected to break ground this fall and open in 2012. Project investors include a Walton family partnership, Bentonville Revitalization, Inc. and 21c Museum Hotels.

21c Museum Hotels also are under development in Cincinnati, Ohio and Austin, Texas with plans to develop 15 properties over the next three to five years.

“We created the first hotel in 2006 as much out of our love of the arts and revitalization of downtown Louisville, as we did for a hotel investment,” said Steve Wilson, founder and chairman of 21c Museum Hotels. “My wife and fellow co-founder Laura Lee Brown and I wanted to make our hometown an even more vibrant place to live, work and visit. In the process, we discovered, almost by accident, that art can drive commerce while serving the community. Members of the Walton family expressed a similar desire to support the further renewal of downtown Bentonville and to create a hub for culture, entertainment and outdoor activities in the city.”

“21c Museum Hotels is about bringing people together with art and each other in new ways,” Wilson noted. “We succeed by providing a lively cultural experience for travelers and community residents alike. This hotel will be a creative, educational and civic resource for the people of Northwest Arkansas, as well as add some 160 jobs to the local economy.”

Originally, the founders had no plans to expand outside of Louisville. However, the hotel’s success both as a hotel and art museum attracted the attention of other civic-minded community leaders around the world who were interested in adding to the existing cultural and arts scene in their hometowns. The hotel’s 150+ RevPAR Index compared to its competitive set and 300+ RevPAR Index compared to the Louisville market was an added incentive.

“The growth of 21c Museum Hotels is something that has happened organically,” says Michael Bonadies, president and CEO. “Our success has resonated with forward-looking communities and has surpassed our expectations. With two other projects in development, we envision at least 15 properties open within three to five years. Our developments will focus on dynamic cities, both large and small, that have a thirst for contemporary cultural, dining and hospitality destinations, and where there is a strong local partner. Each project will be unique, designed to fit the needs and tastes of the local community. We believe our hotel will play a meaningful role in making the Bentonville area an even better place to visit, live, work and play, a formula that can be duplicated worldwide.”

“The best days for Bentonville and its downtown are ahead,” said Mayor Bob McCaslin. “Today’s announcement only increases the excitement that already exists around the future opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. This prestigious facility will help complete the transformation of Bentonville into a world renowned destination.”

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a new complex in a 100-acre park currently under construction with a permanent collection of American art ranging from the colonial era to contemporary works. The iconic wood and glass building will house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large auditorium. The Museum will be linked to downtown Bentonville by sculpture and walking trails and will be located approximately a quarter mile from 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Bentonville.

21c will be located on the northeast corner of the Bentonville town square within walking distance of not only Crystal Bridges but also the worldwide headquarters of Walmart. Like the Louisville museum and hotel, it will be woven into the fabric of downtown, welcoming both visitors and members of the community to experience its rotating exhibitions, participate in its programs and enjoy its culinary offerings. With more than 12,000 square feet of exhibition, meeting and event space, 21c will present curated, rotating exhibitions, dynamic installations and live art events. Exhibition space will be open to the public free of charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The preliminary plan features a five-story contemporary building with an active street level presence. The hotel will offer a spa, fitness center and other amenities. The hotel also will feature a restaurant that supports sustainable agriculture and serves contemporary cuisine showcasing locally grown and produced ingredients. It also will showcase the 21 Museum Hotel’s iconic penguins, created by Cracking Art Group.

Design Architect Deborah Berke & Partners, who created the cutting-edge 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, will collaborate with Little Rock-based firm Polk Stanly Wilcox and Louisville-based co-developer Poe Companies on the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville. The property in Bentonville will be designed, constructed, and operated incorporating green practices and using sustainable materials.

Deborah Berke & Partners other projects have included the Yale School of Art & New Theater, the Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York and the James Hotels in Chicago and Scottsdale. Deborah Berke & Partners won two 2009 Design Awards from AIA New York State and was a finalist for the 2008 National Design Award for Interior Design, which is given by the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper Hewitt Museum for exceptional and exemplary work in domestic, corporate, cultural interior design.

About 21c Museum Hotels
21c Museum Hotel was founded by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, philanthropists and arts patrons, who shared a vision to make downtown Louisville an even more vibrant place to live, work, and visit. 21c is a 90-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, award-winning restaurant, and cultural civic center in historic downtown Louisville. With over 5,000 square feet of art-filled meeting and event space, 21c guests enjoy authentic Southern hospitality and accessible luxury while exploring the work of contemporary artists in North America’s only museum dedicated solely to art of the 21st Century. Voted the #1 Hotel in the U.S. and #6 in world in the 2009 Conde Nast Traveler annual Readers’ Choice Awards, 21c Museum Hotel is dedicated to redefining the art of hospitality.