Canopy by Hilton Cancun La Isla, Mexico

The details: For the recently opened Canopy property in Cancun, HBA and Kalisher worked in tandem to translate the vibrant signature styles of local artists into pieces that evoke the otherworldliness of the location. “Street art and the muralist movement have become an important influence in Cancun,” says Brittany Spinner, senior project designer at HBA. Over the bar, for instance, a large, colorful fox “undertakes the search for something special in the desert,” says artist Sleepwalck. Adds collaborator Marisol D’Estrabeau: “When he arrives at an oasis of magical agaves, drinks from them, and stays in that place where everything is forgotten, fear is lost.”

Photo by Ione Ascanjo Green

Moxy Boston Downtown

The details: Found in Boston’s theater district, the city’s first Moxy hotel—with a design from local firm Group One Partners—embraces the brand’s irreverent style thanks to an art collection, curated and sourced by Faulkner + Locke, which is “centered around the backstage, with antique props, old theater playbills, and painted mannequins, to name a few,” says cofounder Sally Faulkner. Among the installations is a food truck adorned with vintage speakers that doubles as check-in. Further inside the truck, a collage of theater programs creates an Instagrammable moment.

Louix Louis, St. Regis Toronto

The details: Locally based DesignAgency transformed the St. Regis Toronto’s 31st-floor restaurant Louix Louis by referencing Canada’s history as manufacturers of distilled whiskey and spirits. “The restaurant evokes the sparkle of refracted light through crystal glass and the warm amber tones of whiskey,” says founding partner Allen Chan. To achieve this, Kevin Barry Fine Art commissioned Madison van Rijn for a large-scale, hand-embellished ceiling mural that “was born out of an exploration of alcohol inks, which allowed the canvas to take on a life of its own,” says the local artist. “The smooth colors and rhythm of the artwork act as a visual representation of the complexities of the whiskey tasting palette.”

Photo by Brandon Barré

Lizzie’s Starlight, Kimpton Sir Francis Drake Hotel, San Francisco

The details: Offering 360 views of San Francisco, the newly renovated Lizzie’s Starlight cocktail bar in the Kimpton Sir Francis Drake Hotel features a design by Seattle-based Dawson Design Associates based on rumors between the property’s namesake and Queen Elizabeth I. The firm tapped Julie Coyle Art Associates to create a portrait that imagined Elizabeth as young queen Lizzie, taking cues from “the notion that she may have been more than friends with Sir Francis Drake,” principal Julie Coyle says. The piece was created digitally, then printed on film laminated between two pieces of tempered glass, so it can be viewed from both sides.

Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection, Louisville, Kentucky

The details: Dallas-based Flick Mars was inspired by Louisville’s historic Whiskey Row when designing the Hotel Distil, which resides within a former bourbon distillery. To pay homage to the building’s past, “all the artwork was purposefully selected to highlight the [space’s rich history],” says Flick Mars designer Alyssa Stanley. Take the steel and copper installation behind the reception desk. DAC Art Consulting enlisted artist Przemyslaw Kordys to create a piece that referenced the heating of copper distilling kettles. To achieve its rich patina and the element of movement, each steel square was welded in place, copper leafed, and then exposed to chemicals.

Photo by Charissa Fay