Vogue Magazine: 21c Museum Hotel among world's 'most innovative' hotels

If you’re planning a vacation this year and a 21c Museum Hotel is in the area, don't pass up the opportunity to stay there.

At least, that's according to Vogue Magazine, which recently featured the combination contemporary art museum and boutique hotel chain among its list of innovative hotels making travel better in 2018.

The Louisville-based hotel chain was featured in the magazine alongside five other hotels around the world, including The Standard, Hilton Hotels and Mama Shelter.

The brainchild of two contemporary art collectors and preservationists, the 21c hotel chain quickly became a pioneer in the art hotel space after it opened in 2006. It has since expanded to six other cities, including Cincinnati, Lexington and Nashville.

More:21c Museum hotels among Condé Nast Traveler’s top hotels in the world

The secret to its success? Presenting works in an accessible, everyday context.

It initially achieved this by integrating throughout the hotel both site-specific works of art and pieces by world-renowned artists, such as those by Carrie Mae Weems and Jenny Holzer in 21c Cincinnati's current The Future isFemale exhibition, the magazine said.

Not only that, but the hotel took accessibility a step further by making those galleries free and open to everyone — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

And it hasn't stopped there.

Fast forward to today, and the 21c hotels have only continued to innovate through the use of other artistic mediums, including sound, video, photography and painting.

In Nashville, for example, the hotel recently commissioned actor Adrian Grenier, visual artist Sebastiaan Bremer and rapper Yung Jake "to transform its guest suites through experiential installations ... that invite guest participation," the magazine said.

In addition to its galleries, which, like typical contemporary art museums, feature rotating exhibitions, the 21c hotel chain also offers guests a chef-driven restaurant, in-room dining; an in-house, full-service spa; pet-friendly rooms; free Wi-Fi and more.

Lucky for travelers, the hotel plans to add two more locations — Kansas City and Miami — in 2018. Plans for an Indianapolis location fell through early last year.

To see Vogue's full list of innovative hotels, click or tap here.