“Art hotels” are certainly becoming more common in our industry. In this case, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa recently announced an exclusive, multi-faceted partnership with the Academy of Art University, San Francisco’s leading art school and one of the largest private, accredited art and design schools in the nation. The new hotel seeks to celebrate the local arts community by incorporating curated student works into the property’s public spaces as well as featuring them in the hotel’s executive and presidential suites.
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa worked closely with internationally recognized design firm BHDM and the teams at Academy of Art University to commission artwork from select students and alumni in a variety of unique mediums, including sculpture, digital motion graphics, photography, mixed media, painting, drawing, landscape architecture and architecture.
“It is truly an honor to partner with the talented teams at Academy of Art University and display their incredible student and alumni pieces throughout our property,” said the hotel’s area Director of Sales and Marketing, Mark Benefield-Tuten. “Showcasing the work of talented local creators adds Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa to the city’s prime destinations for art lovers to visit. We’re proud to be part of the longstanding San Francisco tradition of celebrating our community talent.”
On the hotel’s ground floor, the commissioned artwork will be displayed throughout the public spaces, including the new lobby bar and restaurant, garden bar and lounge, check-in area, innovative grab-and-go marketplace, workstations and the new Regency Club, an elevated experience tailored to meet the needs and expectations of global travelers. The hotel’s 20 executive suites and two presidential suites will also display pieces in mixed mediums such as framed artwork, headboard art and sculptures throughout the rooms.
‘Will…Bring Joy to a Lot of People’
“Being so fully entwined in the San Francisco Art scene is something that makes Academy of Art University truly unique,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President, Academy of Art University. “We couldn’t be prouder to showcase the evocative and inspiring talents of the Academy’s students within Hyatt Regency’s remarkable new hotel. Sharing their work and vision with hotel guests, as well as the wider San Francisco community, is an incredible opportunity and I expect will ultimately bring a lot of joy to a lot of people.”
Additionally, Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa’s 30,000 square feet of redesigned meeting and event spaces, including 16 function rooms, two ballrooms and several breakout rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, will feature large-scale commissioned pieces including framed and wall-mounted art in the form of paintings, drawings, and sculptures. To further promote the local arts community, each function and breakout room will be named in honor of an iconic Bay Area-based artist including Ansel Adams, Richard Serra, Margaret Keane and Fnnch.
The extensive $70-million-dollar redevelopment to transform Park Central Hotel to Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa is slated to be completed by the end of 2021. The redevelopment includes the addition of a lively lobby bar and innovative grab-and-go marketplace, room refurbishments and upgrades, five new guestrooms, an upgraded 3,200-square-foot fitness studio outfitted with state-of-the-art gym equipment and Peloton bikes, and redesigned meeting and event spaces named after prominent local artists, all marked by contemporary décor and an art-driven narrative envisioned by BHDM.
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa is managed by Highgate. Owned by Morgan Stanley, Highgate manages a significant portfolio of hotels in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.
