the map village street editors

Break up the monotony of staying in the usual chain-store-style hotels and motels on your next intercontinental jaunt by checking into (or at least checking out) Berlin’s Arte Luise Kunsthotel. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the building housed artists, who lived, worked and created in the one space. In its original state the 173 year-old building was dilapidated and some parts were becoming uninhabitable. Jump forward 10 years and the heritage site has been completely renovated and, with a nod to its artistic origins, the ground floor has been converted into a gallery space and a different, well-known artist has designed each of the 50 rooms.

Room 309 (‘Mythos Fliegen’ by Silke Vollmers) takes its inspiration from flight. The bed, constructed from parts from a plane’s tail wing, hangs suspended from the floor by wire cables. Chairs, tables and shelves have all been constructed from airplane parts, including airline seats, propeller blades and turbine components. A flight log is located next to the bed, where visitors can record their dreams and leave for the next guest to discover. Room 431 (‘Future Comfort’ by Jochen Schmiddem) is a leap forward in time where a roaring, open fireplace is simply a two-dimensional digital re-creation and the shower cubicle is reminiscent of a human-sized pod. Steven Spielberg, upon spotting Jochen’s comprehensive futuristic vision for the hotel, consequently commissioned the designer to create some set designs for his 2002 film, Minority Report. On the other end of the scale, room 312 (‘Yellow’ by Brigitte Schroeck) is simply done in a soft, warm, golden hue. Offering “art instead of grandeur, poetry instead of room service”, Arte Luise Kunsthotel is certainly a change from the traditional hotel experience.