View source for 21c Museum Hotels

{{Short description|Boutique hotel chain}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = 21c Museum Hotels
| founded = {{Start date and age|2006}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Laura Lee Brown|Steve Wilson}}
| hq_location_city = [[Louisville, Kentucky]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| num_locations = 9 hotels (2 under development)
| area_served = [[United States]]
| industry = Hotel
| parent = [[AccorHotels]]
| website = http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/
}}
'''21c Museum Hotels''' is a [[Contemporary art|contemporary art museum]] and [[boutique hotel]] chain based in [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], Kentucky. The chain also has locations in [[Lexington, Kentucky|Lexington]], Kentucky; [[Cincinnati]], Ohio; [[Chicago]], Illinois; [[Bentonville, Arkansas|Bentonville]], Arkansas; [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], North Carolina; [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], Missouri; and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], Missouri;.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/durham/|title=21c Museum Hotel Durham - Downtown Durham Luxury Hotel|author=21c Museum Hotels|publisher=}}</ref> Each of these eight properties comprises a boutique hotel, a contemporary art museum, and a restaurant. It was acquired by the French hotel group [[Accor]] in July 2018 for $51 million.
21c Museum Hotel was voted among the Top 10 Hotels in the World in the ''[[Condé Nast Traveler]]'' Readers' Choice Awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011.<ref>"2009 Readers' Choice Awards," ''Conde Nast Traveler'', October 2009.  http://www.concierge.com/ideas/luxury/tours/501143?page=5 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928001255/http://www.concierge.com/ideas/luxury/tours/501143?page=5 |date=2011-09-28 }}</ref> It was also voted as the #1 Hotel in the South in the 2012 ''Condé Nast Traveler'' Readers' Choice Awards.
[[Hotel Metropole (Cincinnati, Ohio)|21c Museum Hotel, Cincinnati]] was named the top hotel in America and the 11th in the world in 2013 by ''Condé Nast Traveler'''s annual reader survey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/04/18/21c-museum-hotel-cincinnati-named-to.html|title=21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati named to Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List|last=Demeropolis|first=Tom|date=2013-04-18|website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2017-09-07}}</ref>
==History==
21c was launched in 2006 by [[Philanthropy|philanthropists]] and [[Private collection|art collectors]] Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. They were inspired to create 21c after seeing farmland and rural landscapes developed while the historic buildings of Louisville's downtown sat vacantly. They created 21c in Louisville's downtown arts and theater district to support [[urban renewal]] and regional agriculture, and have developed partnerships with local growers to supply products and ingredients for the Proof on Main restaurant and bar.
Co-founder [[Craig Greenberg]] was named the company's president in 2012 and [[chief executive officer]] in September 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/arts/visual/2017/09/12/21-c-museum-steve-wilson-steps-down/657846001/ |title=21c Museum Hotels founder Steve Wilson stepping down as CEO |work=Courier-journal |date= |accessdate=November 11, 2022}}</ref> He stepped down from 21c in June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotelmanagement.net/operate/21c-museum-hotels-names-new-brand-leader|title=21c Museum Hotels names new brand leader|first=Jena Tesse|last=Fox|date=June 30, 2020|website=Hotel Management}}</ref>
Following the success of the Louisville location, additional 21c locations were opened, with eight<ref>{{Cite web |title=Art Museum, Boutique Hotel & Restaurant |url=https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/ |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=21c Museum Hotels |language=en-US}}</ref> currently in operation and another in the planning stages.
After 21c was acquired by [[Accor]], Brown and Wilson maintained a 15% stake. They continued to be involved with the company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2018/07/31/21c-museum-hotels-sold-to-international-hotel.html|title=21c Museum Hotels to be sold to international hotel chain|last=Mann|first=David|date=July 31, 2018|website=BizJournals.com|access-date=September 8, 2018}}</ref>
In 2023, the Oklahoma City and Nashville locations were both rebranded under new owners. OKC becoming the Hyatt's Fordson and Nashville becoming The Bankers Alley Hotel Nashville, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
==21c Museum==
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2022}}
The museum is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is free to visit. More than twenty special exhibitions and installations have been organized by the 21c Museum since its opening in 2006.
Recent exhibitions include:
* ''Creating Identity: Portraiture Today''
* ''All's Fair in Art and War: Envisioning Conflict''
* ''Tangled Up In You: Connecting, Coexisting, and Conceiving Identity''
* ''Hybridity: The Evolution of Species and Spaces in 21st-Century Art''
21c Museum has presented projects by [[Mikhail Baryshnikov]] and [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]], as well as traveling exhibitions including "Marc Swanson: Beginning to See the Light", organized by the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, and "Constant World: the Work of Jennifer and Kevin McCoy", organized by Beall Center for Art and Technology.
===Artworks===
The 21c Museum features permanent installations and special exhibitions of works by artists, including [[Bill Viola]], [[Tony Oursler]], [[Andres Serrano]], [[Sam Taylor-Wood]], [[David Levinthal]], Yyinka Shonibare, [[Judy Fox]], [[Chuck Close]], [[Alfredo Jaar]], [[David Herbert (artist)|David Herbert]], [[Daan Roosegaarde]], Anastasia Schipani, [[Kara Walker]], and [[Serkan Özkaya]].
The museum also displays several original site-specific commissions, including:
*''Untitled'' by [[Werner Reiterer]], the artist's first permanent public sculpture in the United States (2006)
*''In the Absence of Voyeurism 6 & 7'' by artist and surgeon Sean Bidic (2000–2006)
*"''Cloud Rings'' by [[MacArthur Fellow]] [[Ned Kahn]] (2006)
*''Red Penguin'' by Cracking Art Group (2005)
*''Arilated: The 21c Pip Mobile'' by Monica Mahoney (2005–2007)
*''Text Rain'' by [[Camille Utterback]] and Romy Achituv (1999)
*''Sculptures from the Satyrs Daughters'', 1999 series and Figure 2004 series by [[Judy Fox]]
*''Flow 5.0'' by [[Daan Roosegaarde]] (2013)
*''Echo'' by [[Heather Gordon]] and [[Justin Tornow]] (2017)
==Locations==
=== Louisville, Kentucky ===
In its Louisville location, 21c renovated five 19th-century warehouse buildings listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] to house the museum, hotel, and restaurant. It is located within the city's arts and theater district along "Museum Row", which is home to the [[Louisville Slugger Museum]], the [[Muhammad Ali Center]], the [[Frazier History Museum]], the [[Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft]], and the [[Kentucky Science Center]]. This location has a restaurant called [https://web.archive.org/web/20091009131148/http://www.proofonmain.com/proof/Default.aspx Proof on Main], which was named one of the "Best New Restaurants of 2006" by the [[Esquire (magazine)|''Esquire'' magazine]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Best New Restaurants 2006|work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|date=October 31, 2006|last=Mariani|first=John|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/ESQ1106BNR_110}}</ref>  The menu features ingredients from local farms and food purveyors, as well as 50 types of [[Bourbon whiskey|bourbon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=America's 50 Most Amazing Wine Experiences|work=[[Food & Wine]]|date=October 2006|url=http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/americas-50-most-amazing-wine-experiences}}</ref> Located outside the establishment stands "The Statue of David", a double-size, golden replica of [[David (Michelangelo)|Michelangelo's ''David'']], created by Turkish artist [[Serkan Özkaya]].<ref>{{cite web |title=David (inspired by Michelangelo) |url=https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/museum/exhibit/david-inspired-by-michelangelo-2/ |website=21c Museum Hotel |accessdate=10 February 2020}}</ref> Originally a project for the Istanbul Biennial art exhibition, the statue collapsed under its weight. Özkaya salvaged and restored the statue and created two more casts, one of which was acquired by 21c Museum Hotels.<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Statue of David |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/golden-statue-of-david |website=Atlas Obscura |accessdate=10 February 2020}}</ref>
[[Deborah Berke & Partners Architects]] designed the facility, for which they won the [[American Institute of Architects]] Kentucky Honor Award in 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aiaky.org/index.php/calendarj/honor-awards/73-events-and-programs/honor-awards-program/honor-awards-2011/191-honor-awards-2011|publisher=AIA KY|title=Honor Awards|year=2011}}</ref> the AIA NYS Excellence for Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse in 2007,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aianys.org/awards/2007_awards.htm |year=2007 |publisher=AIA NYS |title=Design Awards Layout |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225182419/http://www.aianys.org/awards/2007_awards.htm |archivedate=2012-02-25 }}</ref> and the Best of Year Award for Hospitality Design, Interior Design Magazine, in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interiordesign.net/article/481328-Best_of_Year_Awards_2006.php |title=Best of Year Awards |year=2006 |work=Interior Design |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325025839/http://www.interiordesign.net/article/481328-Best_of_Year_Awards_2006.php |archivedate=2012-03-25 }}</ref> The hotel was also inducted into [[Historic Hotels of America]], the official publication of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hotel History - 21c Museum Hotel Louisville by MGallery |url=https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/21c-museum-hotel-louisville-by-mgallery/history.php |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=Historic Hotels of America |language=en}}</ref>
=== Cincinnati, Ohio ===
In its Cincinnati location, 21c undertook the complete renovation of the historic [[Hotel Metropole (Cincinnati, Ohio)|Hotel Metropole]], a building previously used for housing low-income residents. It cost $48 million to renovate the hotel.<ref name=jernigan>{{cite web|last=Jernigan|first=Meg|title=History of the Metropole Hotel in Cincinnati|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/history-metropole-hotel-cincinnati-62135.html|work=USA Today|access-date=9 January 2014}}</ref>
=== Bentonville, Arkansas ===
The third location opened in Bentonville in 2013. The hotel is located on land that was once a cornfield outside the urban center of Bentonville.<ref>{{cite news|title=Waltons back 'arts' hotel|work=[[Arkansas Times]]|last=Brantley|first=Max|date=2010-06-08|url=http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2010/06/08/waltons-back-arts-hotel}}</ref> The Bentonville location was named one of the top 15 hotels in the US by the [[Travel + Leisure|Travel + Leisure Magazine]] in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://5newsonline.com/2017/07/28/bentonvilles-21c-museum-hotel-ranks-among-top-in-nation/|title=Bentonville's 21c Museum Hotel Ranks Among Top In Nation|date=2017-07-29|work=Fort Smith/Fayetteville News {{!}} 5newsonline KFSM 5NEWS|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Durham, North Carolina ===
In March 2015, 21c opened its fourth hotel in [[Durham, North Carolina]].<ref>[http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/durham-news/article14569736.html 21c Museum Hotel opens], ''The News & Observer'', March 17, 2015</ref> In 2013, the company bought the historic [[Hill Building]] for $5.25 million. With an investment of $48 million, the [[Hill Building]] was renovated and converted into a hotel with 125 rooms.<ref>Barbara De Lollis, [http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/08/21c-museum-hotel-durham-oks-6-million-in-incentives/819552/1 "Durham, N.C., to get artsy, luxury 21c Museum Hotel"], ''[[USA Today]]'', August 8, 2012.</ref><ref>Amanda Jones Hoyle, [http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2013/06/28/construction-starts-on-21c-museum.html "Construction starts on 21c Museum Hotel in Durham"], ''[[Triangle Business Journal]]'', June 28, 2013.</ref> The hotel is centrally located in Downtown Durham and is a short walk from the Durham Bulls Stadium, the DPAC, and the Carolina Theater.
=== Lexington, Kentucky ===
In February 2016, the Lexington hotel opened in the [[Fayette National Bank Building]].<ref>[https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/lexington/blog/2016/21c-opens-fifth-property/ 21c opens fifth property], 21c Blog, February 2, 2016</ref><ref>Janet Patton, [http://www.kentucky.com/2013/08/31/2798151/lexingtons-21c-hotel-delayed-to.html "Lexington's 21c hotel delayed to 2015, but 'definitely not dead'"], ''[[Lexington Herald-Leader]]'', August 31, 2013.</ref>
=== Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ===
In June 2016, 21c opened a hotel in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]] in the Fred Jones Assembly Plant. The plant was built in 1915 and was known for being where the [[Ford Model T]] was assembled.<ref>[https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/oklahomacity/blog/2016/21c-museum-hotel-opens-oklahoma-city/ 21c Museum hotel opens in Oklahoma City], Press release, June 6, 2016</ref><ref>Steve Lackmeyer, [http://newsok.com/steve-lackmeyer-new-21c-museum-hotel-will-spur-redevelopment-of-other-okc-buildings/article/3945616 "New 21c Museum Hotel will spur redevelopment of other OKC buildings"], ''[[The Oklahoman]]'', March 21, 2014.</ref> In 2023, the location was released by 21c and became the Hyatt's Fordson.
=== Nashville, Tennessee ===
In May 2017, the Nashville hotel opened in the historic Gray & Dudley building in downtown.<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2017/05/11/inside-look-21c-debuts-downtown-nashville-hotel.html Inside look: 21c debuts downtown Nashville hotel], ''Louisville Business First'', May 11, 2017</ref> In 2023 the location was released by 21c and became The Bankers Alley Hotel Nashville, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
=== Kansas City, Missouri ===
In July 2018, the group opened their 120 suite and gallery hotel in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], inside the historic [[Savoy Hotel and Grill]].<ref name=":0">Kevin Collison, [http://www.kansascity.com/2013/12/02/4664298/savoy-hotel-deal-moving-forward.html "Savoy Hotel deal moving forward"], ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'', December 2, 2013.</ref>
=== Chicago, Illinois===
In February 2020, 21c opened a hotel in [[Chicago, Illinois]], renovating The James Hotel in Chicago's [[River North Gallery District]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/chicago/|title=Art Museum, Hotel & Restaurant &#124; Chicago, IL &#124; 21c Museum Hotels|website=21c Chicago|accessdate=May 7, 2021}}</ref> with 297 rooms and over 10,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space.
=== Further developments ===
Additional properties are in active development, including a location in [[Pittsburgh]] in 2024, & [[St. Louis, Missouri]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/downtown-ymca-building-to-become-contemporary-art-themed-hotel/article_a6bcf1b6-977a-565e-8e69-ed1b348a1a80.html|title=Downtown YMCA building to become contemporary-art themed hotel|work=St. Louis Post Dispatch|last=Barker|first=Jacob|date=2019-03-13|access-date=2020-09-16|language=en}}</ref> which is expected to open in 2023. The future of another planned location in [[Des Moines, Iowa]] is unclear now that "The Fifth" project, of which it was due to be a part, has stalled.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norvell |first=Kim |title=The Fifth's garage will open soon — next to two empty lots. The site's future is unclear. |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/development/2021/03/04/downtown-des-moines-development-fifth-future-unclear-apartments-hotel-parking-garage-skyscraper/6877062002/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
The company had been looking to open a hotel in [[Indianapolis]] in the [[Old Indianapolis City Hall|old city hall]], with construction scheduled to begin in 2017; however, these plans were scrapped at the end of March 2017 due to problems with financing.<ref>[http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/03/27/deal-21c-boutique-hotel-old-city-hall-falls-apart/99699962/ Deal for 21c boutique hotel at old City Hall falls apart], ''Indianapolis Star'', March 27, 2017</ref>
==Restaurants==
Each 21c location has an onsite restaurant, with many receiving recognition and awards, including multiple [[James Beard Foundation Award]] finalists for excellence in cuisine.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2018/feb/16/bentonville-chef-nominated-for-james-be/|title=Bentonville chef nominated for James Beard award|work=NWADG.com|access-date=2018-05-27|language=en}}</ref>
Each restaurant reflects the local flavor and cuisine of its home city. The current lineup includes:
* The Hive - Bentonville
* Metropole - Cincinnati
* Counting House - Durham
* Lockbox - Lexington
* Proof on Main - Louisville
* Gray & Dudley - Nashville
* Mary Eddy's - Oklahoma City
* The Savoy - Kansas City
* Lure Fishbar - Chicago
* Idol Wolf - St. Louis
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Portal|Companies|Visual arts|United States}}
* {{Official website|http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Hotel chains in the United States]]
[[Category:Luxury brands]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Hotels established in 2006]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries established in 2006]]
[[Category:Companies based in Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Boutique resort chains]]
[[Category:American companies established in 2006]]