Some couples bond over sports and some over food. But aesthetes connect for life over art. The attraction might have started when you stood beside one another by chance at a museum, your jaws dropping at the same time over the same painting — rom com style. Perhaps your love affair gained momentum when you discovered you both preferred Monet to Picasso. And the kismet culminated with that proposal at the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, poised in front of Robert Indiana’s LOVE installation. Sound like you? Make your honeymoon a personal masterwork when you celebrate at a hotel as well known for its art collection as its luxurious suites and pampering service.
Houston at La Colombe D’Or
Its location in Montrose just steps from The Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel would be enough. But as avid art aficionados you’ll be drawn to La Colombe d’Or too, for its own astonishing cache of 425 museum-worthy masterworks. Add in that the intimate, elegant hideaway was inspired by the hotel of the same name in Southern France’s Saint-Paul-de-Vence and all your Francophile dreams will equally be fulfilled. With 32 peerless suites set primarily in a mansion, its garden and an adjacent tower, the hotel has a stylish pool, cutting edge fitness facility, a French bistro (Tonight & Tomorrow) and an elevated cocktail bar (Bar No. 3).
Room to Book: Choose one of the five suites located within the mansion, each named for a French artist. lacolombedor.com
Dublin at The Merrion
Steeped in history, Dublin may be best known for its spectacular Georgian architecture. Step into that world at The Merrion, a sophisticated five-star hotel that incorporates four exceptional Georgian townhouses, situated in the heart of the city center. With a Michelin-starred restaurant, a spa, gym and lap pool, not to mention the world famous Cellar Bar ensconced in the 19th-century wine vaults, the urbane hotel appeals to art buffs for its riveting private art collection. Find a trove of exceptional pieces by 19th- and 20th-century Irish masters, including Jack B. Yeats — perhaps Ireland’s most prominent painter. Explore them via the hotel’s own Art Tour, an in-depth audio guide to 20 of the most notable works. For the pièce de résistance, sit down for The Merrion’s Art Tea, which serves sweets inspired by the hotel’s artworks.
Room to Book: Overlooking The Merrion’s fragrant gardens, The Lord Monck Suite mirrors the outdoors with a curved, boat-shaped ceiling ornamented with a flower and bird motif. merrionhotel.com
Hawaii at Sensei Lāna’i, a Four Seasons Resort
For art buffs who also harbor a penchant for wellness and a hankering to experience a lesser traveled Hawaiian Island, Sensei Lāna’i gratifies on every level. Nestled into some 90,000 acres of the sacred Ko’ele uplands on sparsely populated Lanai, minutes from the ocean, Sensei Lāna’i offers guests innovative fitness, detox and health-oriented programs led by elite guides. From spa to hiking to water play to yoga, bespoke activities and stellar cuisine compose busy days, balanced by time in the tranquil outdoor sculpture garden. Meditate amongst peerless pieces by Fernando Botero, Jaume Plensa, Baltasar Lobo and more. In other parts of the property Ju Ming’s “Taichi Arch’’ opens to an onsen garden and Robert Indiana’s iconic “Imperial LOVE” sculpture reminds couples why they’ve come in the first place.
Room To Book: The spacious Kaiholena Suite encompasses 1,200-square feet. Like a blank canvas to support healing and transformation, the art-adorned oasis is a symphony of off-white hues. sensei.com
Cusco at Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel
On a honeymoon to spellbinding Machu Picchu, you’ll bookend your visit in Cusco, Peru’s high altitude, ancient Inca capital, an extravaganza of mystical ruins, buzzy markets, cobblestoned streets, adorable llamas and colonial architecture. Stay at Palacio del Inka, sheltered in a restored colonial mansion, which doubles as a fascinating art gallery. Chock-full of more than 195 pieces of artwork, the collection represents multiple eras, including pre-Inca, Inca, Colonial and Republican periods. Sixty stand out as original paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña. Relax beneath original arches, in the atmospheric patio and beside ornately carved furnishings and design elements. Unravel in the onsite Andes Spirit Spa and sample indigenous cuisine with the Ancestral Tasting Menu at Inti Raymi.
Room To Book: The One Bedroom King Suite, with terrace, evokes a bygone era with its painted ceilings, walls, gold leaf details and richly upholstered carved wood furnishings. palaciodelinkahotel.com
