Luxury Hotels Pose as Art & Fashion Museums

Online, February 28, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The relationship between fashion and art has always been a passionate one. This fine blend drips onto the covers of chic wine bottles and plates of designer food, as well as the clothes we wear. Whichever art or fashion period interests you, luxury hotels can be show-homes for every artistic appetite.

If classicism with a fine Italian touch tickles your Jimmy Choos, try the Halkin Hotel in London. The sleek lines and marble-like shades drawn from the Modernist period will please even the most capricious design enthusiast. Expect beautifully-crafted Thai dishes from their Michelin starred restaurant to mirror the artistic focus.

Let's not forget the delectable Georgian and Victorian art periods, which some London hotels portray so well. The Cannizaro Hotel in Wimbledon whispers back to its 300 year old roots. The rooms are plush and have played host to distinguished individuals, such as King George III, through to writers Oscar Wilde and Henry James. The nearby Wimbledon Village (yes, where the tennis championships are held) is a delightful spectrum of fashion boutiques, some of which are the best in London.

But for boutique-lovers, nothing can surpass the selection available in New York. If you like avant-garde then the Seven boutique downtown is for you. Fashionistas hunting the next big thing should head to Debut (also downtown), as it showcases all the fresh New York designers. If the midtown big name stores are more to your taste, check out New York hotel, The City Club. Originally built in 1904, it provided a non-partisan atmosphere where Democrats and Republicans could meet to discuss the politics of the day. The layout of the building has not changed since 1904, but the decor certainly has. Abstract art twinned with vintage books and framed maps will delight art and fashion-lovers and compliment any cultural trip to New York.

If you fancy a change from the Big Apple, Miami's Art Deco area will certainly provide this. Splendia, the luxury hotel operator describes The Betsy Palace as the benchmark in Miami hotel accommodation. Its colonial façade and chequered rooms are an ode to the roaring twenties, with twenty-first century luxury mixed in. Further up the strip and in complete contrast, The Sanctuary Hotel and Spa offers a taste of the Modernist period. Influenced by Japanese art, it has a secluded Zen-like courtyard with bright reds and clean, sleek lines that provides a peaceful hideaway from the buzz of Miami life.

Finally, when discussing art, fashion and hotels in the same article, it would be a sin to not mention the flair of San Francisco hotels. For the bold, fashion-forward, Hotel Frank with its punchy dog-tooth-patterned interior will wow even the most daring followers of fashion. However, if a calm literary theme suits your style then visit the Hotel Rex. Originally inspired by the San Francisco literary salons of the thirties, the hotel has a wide collection of antique objects and drawings from this period to browse during your stay.

From the days of Dali and the Bocca sofa, it's clear how art has influenced fashion and how we seek it in our everyday lives. Luxury hotels are like post-modern museums, reflecting all different artistic periods, as well as a welcome retreat after a hard day's shopping in designer shoes.