Here, austere elegance defines luxuryno TVs in rooms, no gym, not even a swimming pool.
This pioneering concept has spawned a global movement of art hotels that have transformed luxury accommodations worldwide.
During a meeting in 1985, the two men laid the groundwork for what would become Benesse House Museum.
These philosophies manifest in Benesse House’s deliberate restraintspaces designed for contemplation rather than excessive comfort and convenience.
Soon after its opening, Benesse House Museum transformed the entire island of Naoshima into an immersive art experience.
From a single museum-hotel, an entire archipelago has metamorphosed into a comprehensive art destination.
Each accommodation comes with a guide to its artwork, establishing a common trait with the museum below.
Guests enjoy free entry to Inhotim, even when the museum is closed to the general public.
Horacio Villalobos/Getty Images
Beyond Brazil and South Africa, this trend continues in Europe, too.
The outside fair faced concrete walls of the Benesse House contemporary art museum and hotel on Naoshima Island, Japan.Credit:SBWorldphotography/Getty Images
Interior of the Benesse House Museum and the light Installation 100 Live And Die by Bruce Nauman.CHROMORANGE RM/Alamy
Interior of the Benesse House Museum and the light Installation 100 Live And Die by Bruce Nauman.CHROMORANGE RM/Alamy
Exterior of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in South Africa.Paul Saad/Getty Images
An interior lounge area at the Clara Arte Resort, Brazil.Clara Resort
Lobby of MACAM Contemporary Art Museum and hotel in the Condes da Ribeira Grande Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.Horacio Villalobos/Getty Images
Aerial view of the Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima Island.Ruben Earth/Getty Images
