When I went to Cheltenham to visit Maggie’s, The Montpellier Chapter Hotel kindly offered me a complimentary night’s stay. It’s a beautifully designed hotel with an interior that name checks everyone from Eames to Adler. But what really caught my attention was the art. Even the reception desk is a sculpture (by Alison Crowther), and sits in front of a Joel Tomlin painting.
I recently attended an event hosted by EasyArt at which Pippa Jameson talked about interior styling using art – she stressed the importance of not just buying art to match your curtains, but because you had a real connection with it. I don’t know how hotels usually put together their art collections, but The Montpellier Chapter’s approach struck me as unusually brilliant, and resonated with Pippa’s advice.
They worked with Central Saint Martin’s BA Fine Art course director, Jane Lee, to put together a diverse collection including work from new and established artists with connections to the University of Arts London. They also commissioned new pieces, to provide students with the opportunity gain valuable experience of the commissioning process.
And it works really well. The Birds Portfolio (featuring pieces from Norman Ackroyd, Prunella Clough and Paula Rego from The Byam School of Art), together with a welcoming selection of Eames LCW chairs, makes the garden room somewhere you want really to spend time – unusual for communal spaces in hotels.
The floor to ceiling built-in wine fridges in the private dining rooms are pretty impressive, but it’s Anthony Ward’s ‘Drying Out The Tricolour’ that provides the real talking point.
The light filled, art deco conservatory is brought alive by Isabel Hamm’s chandelier. The art throughout the hotel is a real highlight, even without knowing the story behind it, but when you appreciate the hotel’s investment in young talent, it becomes all the more special.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
