In London, hotels are where the art is

"The number of new luxury hotels in London keeps growing-and the opening of the Rosewood Chancery in September in Grosvenor Square, in the former US Embassy, completed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1960, is causing the biggest buzz. With its architecture brought back to life by David Chipperfield and interiors by the chic Parisian firm Joseph Dirand, it has added 144 suites to London's capacity."

"Claridge's set a high bar in October 2023 when it unveiled a new penthouse featuring 75 works by (and on loan from) Damien Hirst-not just his easy-to-live-with studies of cherry blossoms, but testing pieces such as a miniature of Saint Bartholomew, Exquisite Pain (2006), his sculpture of the flayed martyr, which stands on a coffee table, the better to contemplate as you drink your morning tea."

"A month later, Broadwick Soho opened, featuring 30 or so works from the collection of its owner, Noel Hayden, a tech entrepreneur. Apart from the impressive set of Francis Bacon lithographs in the penthouse, there are a further 300 or so works bought or specially commissioned for the hotel. Follow the signs to the bathrooms from its rooftop bar, for example, and you will pass Large Idol No 2 (1985), a towering totemic bronze by William Turnbull that once belonged to David Bowie."

Luxury hotel development in London is expanding rapidly, with major openings adding hundreds of five-star rooms. The Rosewood Chancery opened in Grosvenor Square in the former US Embassy, featuring architecture restored by David Chipperfield and interiors by Joseph Dirand, and adding 144 suites. A total of 757 five-star-plus rooms are expected this year. Contemporary and historic art is being integrated throughout hotel interiors, from Damien Hirst works in a Claridge’s penthouse to Francis Bacon lithographs and commissioned pieces at Broadwick Soho, including a William Turnbull bronze once owned by David Bowie. Hotels prioritize striking, interactive artworks that attract social-media attention.

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