There are many places where you can combine visiting nice galleries or museums while staying in a good hotel, but I have so far found only a few places where you can enjoy fantastic art in your hotel. The one for enjoying modern art, is right next to one of Italy’s most fantastic wine areas Valpolicella and it’s Amarone wines – Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista just outside Verona.

In the hotel grounds, lobby, restaurant and hallways you can enjoy works by such great artists as Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Anish Kapoor, Sol LeWitt, Yasumasa Morimura, Marc Quinn, Cindy Sherman among many others and not to mention the design pieces like the ball chair by Eero Aarnio or Tatlin by Mario Cananzi and Roberto Sembrini not to mention Knoll’s Platner wire chairs.

“Mirror” by Anish Kapoor.

Along with the lobby, the reception is packed with great art.

Love by Robert Indiana.

Damien Hirst and Alighiero Boetti.

 And those Murano chandeliers…

One of my favorites by Marc Quinn.

One of the hallways – on the way to our room.

The rooms are modestly said quite peculiar, but at least they are original. The housekeeping is punctual and the room service well worth it. Naturally I prefer the restaurant also in this hotel, but while traveling with a child, it is not always the first choice and in that case a good room service comes in handy!

The garden and swimming pool.

The pool has a marvelous bar and lunch restaurant next to it.

And the whole garden smells of rosemary and thyme.

What a place to have an late afternoon aperitif.

This hotel has a fantastic restaurant, swimming pool and spa, added with delightful service and an interesting set of regulars. And it really is just around the corner from the endlessly flowing Amarone wines and the city of Verona…