Sundowner Magazine: Spring/Summer 2020

ACCESS
ART
In the eye-catching world of art hotels, many hoteliers use their properties as
galleries to showcase their private collections. Read on for our own curated
exhibition of hotels in which you can wake up next to a masterpiece
ELLERMAN HOUSE
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Art lovers will delight in staying at this landmark hotel on Cape Town’s
coast. Within the elegant Edwardian mansion of Ellerman House, close
to 1,000 works of art reflect the changes in South Africa’s social and
geographical landscape since the 1930s. Artists included in the collection
include John Meyer, Erik Laubscher, Jan Volschenk, Cathcart William
Methven, and Pieter Wenning to name but a few. Guests can take a
self-guided art tour, with an electronic tablet providing insight into each
piece. If you prefer the human touch to the touchscreen, the in-house
guide is on hand to take you around the extensive collection – or beyond;
guests can request guided excursions to the city’s local galleries, enjoying
behind-the-scenes access and unmatched insight.
THE SILO
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
A disused grain silo may seem an unlikely candidate for an art hotel,
yet this imposing building on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront has been
transformed in recent years, its image a Brutalist bastion for African
arts. The lower portion of the building is now the Zeitz Museum of
Contemporary Art Africa, while its literal crowning glory is The Silo
hotel – six storeys of luxury accommodation brimming with curated
artwork. The Silo’s owner, Liz Biden of The Royal Portfolio, has used
space across the 28 rooms to display her personal collection of African
pieces. There are works by upcoming artists as well as more established
names, such as Nandipha Mntambo, Cyrus Kabiru, and Mohau
Modisakeng. The hotel even features its own boutique gallery, The Vault.
WORDS: JOE MEREDITH
52 | SPRING/SUMMER 2020