The Arlatan hotel in Arles is genuinely unique in its approach. Pharmaceutical heiress Maja Hoffmann is on a mission to transform Arles into a hotspot for creativity and young talent. She installed the second outpost of her art foundation, Luma, in the city, which dates back to the Roman Empire.
As such, she saw the need for hospitality establishments at the same level of creativity to which she aspires. She gave Cuban born artist Jorge Pardo carte blanche to create a truly unique hotel experience, in line with her ultimate goal of putting Arles on the worldwide design map.
In creating the hotel, Pardo had to combine multiple buildings dating from different historical eras into one cohesive story. In doing so, he did not strip down the design elements; rather, Pardo added plenty more. As an artist, he designed almost every object in the hotel, from the custom floor tiles to the light fixtures to the ornate staircase.
If you have a chance to visit Arles, I highly recommend staying at this hotel. Or even grab lunch or dinner, it’s delicious.
CPR
ARLES, France
