Any decent hotel these days comes with an iPod connector, but for a more immersive musical experience,
it’s time to see a specialist. Here are ten hotels where the sounds are as important as the sights.
Nhow Berlin
Berlin, Germany
If Berlin’s creative energy sparks some musical inspiration, book a session in one of Nhow Berlin’s two studios and lay down some tracks where you lay your head.
Sunset Marquis Hotel
Los Angeles, California
There’s a state-of-the-art recording studio if you want to make some music, and a legendary bar if you’re better at partying like a frontman than singing like one. The guest book reads like a who’s-who of rock-and-roll history.
The Clarence
Dublin, Ireland
Owned by Bono and The Edge of U2, The Clarence is capped by a rockstar-caliber penthouse that features a baby grand piano. Despite an extravagance here and a famous guest there, the overall tone is one of tasteful restraint.
The Setai
Miami, Florida
Even the most demanding diva ought to be impressed by the Setai's penthouse suite. It features an enormous, fully tricked-out recording studio complete with ocean views and a private outdoor patio.
Alexis Hotel Seattle
Seattle, Washington
For Seattle music cred, it doesn’t get much better than the ringing endorsement that the hotel’s Experience Music Project Suite got from a member of Nirvana. Blown-up concert photos and classic album covers on the walls only add to the appeal for rock-history obsessives.
Geejam
Port Antonio, Jamaica
There’s more than one good thing about Geejam, but this low-key Jamaican recording-studio-turned-hotel, owned by music-mogul Jon Baker, has doled out its share of hits from the likes of Björk, Gorillaz and the chart-topping mento band, The Jolly Boys.
Hotel Saint Cecilia
Austin, Texas
Austin is a bastion of indie rock in the vast Texan desert, and the Hotel Saint Cecilia, named after the patron saint of music and poetry, brings the music home with a vast library of vintage vinyl.
Ellington Hotel
Berlin, Germany
Yes, that would be Duke Ellington, one of many jazz greats to frequent the hotel’s famous club during the ’50s. You can still catch the occasional show, while every evening Berlin's internationally acclaimed JazzRadio 106.8 sets up its studio right by the bar.
Hotel Opera
Madrid, Spain
Sure, the Royal Opera is right across the street from the hotel, but you don’t have to leave the premises for a performance. The waiters at Hotel Opera’s English-style bar deliver full-throated arias along with the cocktails.
Ace Hotel New York
New York City, New York
They’ve got vintage turntables and a vinyl library for the old-school audiophiles, plus the requisite iPod hookups for those of us who’ve gone digital, but more than any gadget it’s about atmosphere: the Ace just feels rock-and-roll.
