21c Museum Hotel, Durham

Character and identity

Set in a converted downtown building in Durham, this 125-room boutique doubles as a contemporary art museum, drawing from founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson's collection of more than 2,000 works. Expect rotating exhibitions throughout the public spaces, with pieces by artists like Nick Cave, Mickalene Thomas and Robert Wilson having featured since the property opened in spring 2015. The aesthetic is industrial-chic, anchored by a restaurant and bar of the same temperament, plus a spa. Service runs informal and design-literate rather than white-glove, in keeping with the gallery-meets-hotel concept.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The art collection is the headline experience here: you are effectively sleeping inside a working contemporary museum, and that defines whether the hotel is right for you. Worth booking for design and art enthusiasts who want Durham as a cultural base; pick a larger room category if you want breathing room beyond the public galleries, and time a visit to a fresh exhibition rotation.