Do you want to sleep in a contemporary art museum? With 21c Museum Hotels, you can do just that. In the stylish-yet-storybook setting of the Bentonville town square in downtown Bentonville, AR you will find 21c Museum Hotel, an award-winning 104-room boutique hotel and contemporary art museum with chef-driven restaurant, The Hive. This charming downtown setting is anything but ordinary; the square plays host to numerous upscale speciality shops, cafés, and fine dining options – even a weekend farmers market.
Upon arrival to 21c Museum Hotel, you’ll be greeted by the dramatic piece, Making Change, a Fleetwood Cadillac limousine covered in thousands of coins. Not to mention, the iconic Green Penguin – a 21c staple – which sits on the rooftop. The open-air lobby of the hotel serves as a part of the contemporary art museum and lends itself to several large-scale installations – including a life-size sculpture of a child and an upside-down polar bear joined in a kiss. Just off the main lobby, The Hive restaurant led by executive chef Matthew McClure will leave you impressed. Since his time at The Hive, McClure has been named the winner of FOOD + WINE “The People’s Best New Chef” award in the midwest region and is also a six-time James Beard Foundation Best Chef Semi-finalist Nominee. The oversized “beehive” motif is woven into each element of the restaurant and serves as an excellent pre-dinner conversation starter.
As is typical of 21c Museum Hotels, our room accomodations were airy and luxurious – and of course, art-filled. Trendy touches coarsed throughout the room, from furniture to light fixtures to printed pillows.
Whenever I travel, apart from the bed and coffee situation (21c offers in-room Nespresso machines), the bathroom has the potential to make the greatest impact. From the gold lacquered fixtures, to the heavy plush robes, the MALIN + GOETZ amenities, and deep walk-in showers – 21c has this one figured out. (Expert tip: Be sure to visit the hotel’s gift shop to take home your favorite MALIN + GOETZ products.)
If you’re in the Bentonville area, book a stay at 21c Museum Hotel. You’ll be immersed in culture and luxury, at the same time. For more travel essays, visit ART & OBJECT.
NEARBY MUST-DO AND SEE:
DINING:
MUSEUMS:
CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
