It’s not often that a hotel discovers a Renaissance masterpiece tucked away in one of its suites but that’s precisely what happened at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris just a few months ago. For years, an unrecorded painting by Charles Le Brun, official painter to the Sun King Louis XIV, had languished in the Coco Chanel Suite with guests unaware that they were sharing their holiday with a really special artwork. Though Le Brun’s work is now boxed up and waiting to be sold, the Ritz Paris isn’t the only hotel to own an impressive artwork. From London’s ultra chic Arch to the Big Apple’s Surrey hotel, finding a sleeping spot that doubles as an art gallery isn’t as hard as you might imagine. RIH rounds up five of the best…

The Arch - London

Spanning seven Georgian townhouses and two mews homes, The Arch London is a chic boutique hotel that just so happens to own a wealth of paintings created by emerging British talent. Among the most impressive are Vincent Poole’s collage, New Shoes, Julie Cockburn’s gorgeous embroidered antique map, You Are the Key to My Soul 5, and Georgina Fiennes’ British bulldog, Spud III. British art adorns the hotel’s walls and the hotel has a state-of-the-art 24-hour gym. The 82 bedrooms also boast plentiful paintings, along with luxe mod cons such as in-bathroom TVs.
A stay at The Arch starts at £123 per night based on two sharing. See prideofbritainhotels.com for more information.

Le Meurice - Paris

Few hotels can boast their own art prize and fewer still can say that Salvador Dali stayed in them. Paris’ Le Meurice can do both, so it’s hardly a surprise that the hotel is a real treat for art fans. Along with its own permanent collection, Le Meurice also has a Dali package which includes tickets to the Pompidou Centre exhibition dedicated to the painter, lunch at the hotel’s Le Dali restaurant and complimentary Dali-themed cocktails in the bar, which, incidentally, was where Dali first met his patron, the Count of Barcelona.
A stay at Le Meurice starts at £553 per night. See lemeurice.com for more information.

The Surrey - New York

From MoMA to the Met, New York has no shortage of fabulous art galleries. But MoMA and co have competition in the shape of The Surrey, which has a rather impressive contemporary art collection of its own. A short walk from Museum Mile, the hotel boasts paintings worth more than US$30million, which includes pieces by modern masters, Jenny Holzer, Chuck Close and Cecily Brown. Equally arty is the hotel’s Bar Pleiades, which recently had a Coco Chanel inspired facelift courtesy of internationally renowned architect, Lauren Rottet.
Virgin Holidays + Hip Hotels has a four nights trip to New York staying at The Surrey on a room only basis for £799 per person including return flights from London with Virgin Atlantic. See vhiphotels.co.uk for more information.

The Avenue Hotel - Copenhagen

While style hunters won’t be surprised to find a fabulous design hotel in the centre of uber-trendy Copenhagen, art lovers will be pleasantly surprised to discover that the Danish capital has plenty for arty types to love as well. The chic Avenue Hotel, located in the cool Frederiksbjerg district, is within walking distance of the Rådhuspladsen [City Hall], Tivoli and shopping street, Strøget, and has walls lined with contemporary paintings. Denmark’s famous furniture and interiors designers are also present and correct, with bedding courtesy of Day Home and bathrobes sourced from the ridiculously hip Danish brand, Karmameju.
A stay at the Avenue Hotel Copenhagen starts at £127 per night. See avenuehotel.dk for more information.

The Grace - Beijing

With an address that reads Factory 798 Art District, it’s hardly surprising that The Grace hotel in Beijing is an art fest inside as well as out. Occupying a former crystal factory, the 30-room boutique hotel (yes, they have them in China too), is dotted with surreal photos of Peking Opera characters by avant-garde artist Chi Peng and has a spectacular Mies van der Rohe leather sofa in pride of place in the lobby. The peacock blue corridors are home to a succession of gorgeous framed stills from films shot by Hong Kong director, Wong Kar-Wai, while the rooms themselves are inspired by the famous Chinese Ming dynasty, whose Forbidden City home is just around the corner.
A stay at The Grace Beijing starts from £90 per night. See gracebeijing.com for more information.