Pied Piper Mural at Palace Hotel — "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," one of only two Maxfield Parrish barroom artworks in the country. It debuted in 1909.

14 San Francisco Hotels
With Museum-Quality Public Art

By Aaron Danzig

Not all great works of art are encased behind museum walls or exhibited at conventional galleries in San Francisco. Many are gracing the halls of the hotels you're staying at.

Not all great works of art are encased behind museum walls or exhibited at conventional galleries. Many of San Francisco’s fabulous art collections are an integral part of the city’s hotels. The result is a treasure trove of sculptures, paintings, murals, and tapestries by some of the world’s most notable artists that you can enjoy against the arresting backdrop of a grand lobby or up close and intimate on the walls of your fashionably appointed room.

From the legendary "Pied Piper" painting by Maxfield Parrish at the historic Palace Hotel to the graffiti-inspired art of Shepard Fairey at Hotel des Arts, we’ve distilled a sampling of extraordinary works that you can appreciate on your next stay or just about anytime you want to visit, no check-in needed.

LUMA Hotel

The newest addition to San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood, the LUMA hotel, is a piece of art in itself! The exterior is wrapped in color-changing light art, making it stand out from a distance. Additionally, the three-story lobby area has a suspended installation by renowned artist Jim Campbell. Titled Helical Trace, this dynamic installation looks different from every vantage point. Grab a drink at the cafe and enjoy the beauty of these pieces of art and more!

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Palace Hotel

Enter this landmark historic hotel’s stunning Garden Court and its marble columns, massive chandeliers, and majestic atrium crowned with more than 80,000 panes of stained glass will take your breath away. Then cozy up to the swanky Pied Piper Bar, where you can sip a cocktail or dine on American cuisine under "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," one of only two Maxfield Parrish barroom artworks in the country. Commissioned in the aftermath of the 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire, the legendary 16-foot-long painting made its debut with the hotel's grand reopening in 1909.

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Clift San Francisco

Designed by Philippe Starck, this Union Square luxury hotel features a soaring lobby that is a design museum of sorts, including chairs from Ray and Charles Eames, a coffee table and two lamps by Salvador Dali, and a surreal stool inspired by René Magritte. The classic Redwood Room bar, paneled with the wood of a single redwood tree, features digital images of the original Gustav Klimt lithographs that hung on the walls before Stark redesigned the hotel. Later in the evening, these images transition to depicting an "Italian Soap Opera," a story of unrequited love.

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Hotel Grace

This completely modernized, stately 100-year-old building is one of San Francisco’s newest hotels, just three blocks from Union Square. Decorated with 1930's glitz featuring plush fabrics, lacquered furniture, and chrome accents, the lobby features a white bronze Dress Sculpture from the Nocturnes series by Karen LaMonte, an artist known for her monumental forms made from cast glass, ceramic, metal and bronze. Two works in blown and sculpted glass by Oregon artist David Willis anchor the space in the Pineapple Bistro & Bar, with more fine art and commissioned works scheduled for installation.

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Staypineapple

This completely modernized, the stately 100-year-old building is just three blocks from Union Square. Decorated with 1930's glitz featuring plush fabrics, lacquered furniture, and chrome accents, the lobby features a white bronze Dress Sculpture from the Nocturnes series by Karen LaMonte, an artist known for her monumental forms made from cast glass, ceramic, metal, and bronze. Two works in blown and sculpted glass by Oregon artist David Willis anchor the space in the Pineapple Bistro & Bar, with more fine art and commissioned works scheduled for installation.

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Hotel Union Square

The exquisite mosaic tile murals by Helen Bruton Bell in the entryway are an iconic piece of this chic Union Square hotel. The hotel was originally built in 1908 for the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exposition, but the murals were not added until 1935 when it was known as the Golden West Hotel.

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Hotel des Arts

This boutique hotel in San Francisco’s “French District” offers 51 guest rooms where you’ll find imaginative installations and edgy graffiti-inspired works of art. Every room features different local or international street artists such as Shepard Fairey, David Choe, Kelly Tunstall, Matsu Misk, Jet Martinez, Buff Monster, Jeremy Fish, Casey O’Connell, and many more. Not only will you find art in the rooms, the hotel also functions as an art gallery, which is reflected on all five floors.

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The St. Regis San Francisco

Located next door to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with an entrance to the Museum of the African Diaspora through the lobby, this sophisticated hotel also has its art collection lining its public spaces. It’s an extraordinary setting, with 30 percent original works by Bay Area artists and featuring contemporary works by artists Alison Rossiter, Hans Shule, Mari-Ruth Oda, and Chip Cooper.

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Four Seasons

Just steps from Union Square and around the corner from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and other museums and galleries, this high-end modern hotel offers two self-guided tours of its outstanding contemporary art collection (brochures at the Concierge desk). With more than 90 paintings, sculptures, prints, and works in glass by more than 40 California-based artists, the hotel is a must-stop for San Franciscan art lovers and visitors to the city.

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Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Adjacent to the sculpture-filled Embarcadero Center complex (which offers its own self-guided art tour), this dramatic waterfront hotel features a reflecting pool in the soaring atrium lobby that is the setting for Charles O. Perry’s "Eclipse," a 40-foot high geodesic sphere consisting of 1,400 pieces of curved metal tubing joined together in pentagons and supported by three massive steel legs. Fabulous tapestries and paintings by local and international artists can also be found throughout the hotel.

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W San Francisco Hotel

Inside this stylish SoMa hotel’s three-story entrance is a vibrant, otherworldly light sculpture: "Lumina" by MadLab. This lustrous, 27-foot mass is reminiscent of bioluminescent jellyfish, cosmic star clouds, and the brain’s neural networks. Perforated ceiling panels behind the check-in desks represent the fog of San Francisco, accented by a sculptural piece commissioned to represent the city at night. Lisa Gemmiti and her team at Gemmiti Model Art sculpted the art map's topography to emphasize changes in grade, and 2,000 LEDs in four colors on four circuits were installed, with red LEDs representing points of interest and a single purple LED to designate the W Hotel.

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Hotel Zelos

Complete with an elegant chandelier, art deco touches, and modern art, this sexy 198-room SoMa hotel doubles as a hip art gallery, with paintings from local museums lining the walls. The middle courtyard is an urban oasis, adorned with fountains and a fire pit, and the Dirty Habit restaurant, bar, and patio draw locals and visitors alike.

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Inn at the Presidio

Surrounded by hiking trails and open spaces, this Georgian Revival-style hotel in the heart of the Presidio was built in 1903 to serve as U.S. Army barracks. Now a historic landmark, the inn’s art program curated by Julie Coyle is an impressive and cohesive collection, providing a true sense of place to where and how San Francisco began. The Commissary restaurant also has some wonderful pieces expressing the history of food at the Presidio. On top of that, internationally acclaimed artist Andrew Goldsworthy has found the Presidio to be an inspiring location, and it houses four of his installations within walking distance of the inn, including his latest, "Earth Wall," inside the Hardie Courtyard in the Officer’s Club.

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The LINE San Francisco

This trendy boutique hotel on Turk and Market streets is one of San Francisco's hottest hotels. Thoughtfully designed and radiating California cool, the hotel is decorated in local art and constructed from an eclectic mix of wood, glass, and metal. As soon as one enters the LINE, they're presented with a sprawling sculptural installation by Sasinun Kladpetch, constructed of flora from the Presidio. There is also a live art chandelier by Brute Botanicals and a photo light box by artist Laura Plageman.

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Aaron Danzig

Aaron is the Manager of Digital & Social Media Marketing at San Francisco Travel. He has lived in San Francisco for over 10 years and has worked in Travel & Tourism for over 8 of those. He is usually exploring the Bay Area hunting for that new and unique experience and good food too!