The Midwest Hotel Brand Putting Beds Inside Contemporary Art Museums

Skift Take
21C's footprint is too small to pose competition to the larger players, but its execution on the local art and culture concept positions the brand as an inspiration to others just now looking to engage local businesses.
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As global hotel brands go head-to-head in a race to align themselves with independent local hotels that travelers are increasingly seeking out, a small three-hotel group is quietly building its brand power in the middle of America.
21 Museum Hotel is, as its name suggests, part museum and part hotel. Guests walking into its properties in Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Bentonville, Arkansas are greeted by a curated contemporary art exhibition that changes every six months.
“We start from the notion that we are a true museum. We design our hotels to be a muse