Today’s most forward-thinking hotels are taking cues from members-only social clubs by hosting performance art, concerts, screenings, and lectures. Whether you’re vacationing or you live around the corner, these hotels are becoming an exciting destination…even if only for the evening. Here’s your guide to the best of the bunch, courtesy of Details.
21c Museum Hotel, Louisville
Not only does this art hotel display a multi-million-dollar collection that includes heavyweights like Chuck Close and Andres Serrano, it also hosts artist talks, monthly film screenings and poetry readings, the “Hear + Now” classical-music series, and one-off appearances by artists like Vetiver and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James.
Ace Hotel, New York City
When it isn’t showcasing Moby or The Drums during CMJ or hosting a special gig by Dirty Projectors, the Ace offers one-month residencies to indie-rock bands on the cusp. Catch them Sunday nights in the plush, always-packed lobby—before or after dinner at the Breslin, the popular gastropub next door.
Sorrento Hotel, Seattle
This century-old Seattle institution draws a hip, intellectually curious crowd to “Night School.” The boozy series offers events like “Chamber vs. Chamber,” which features rock acts and classical musicians in conversation (both literal and musical), and “No Curtain,” in which actors perform scenes from celebrated plays like the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner Ruined.
The Standard, Los Angeles
Staged on the rooftop terrace, “The Series” is a monthly performance piece that casts guests as voyeurs who observe everything from a scripted lovers’ quarrel at the bar to a choreographed dance in the pool. It’s one of the franchise’s efforts (along with a culture website, a publishing imprint, and commissioned artwork available for purchase) to develop “Standard culture.
