Il Giardino Ristorante at Hotel Eden in Rome
Planning a trip to Paris this summer? Perhaps you’re on your way to Rome?
You may want to consider booking a stay with the Dorchester Collection of hotels, because they just announced a few two-hour tours in those cities that let you walk in the footsteps of the art world's greatest luminaries.
Le Meurice in Paris boasts two unique experiences, one that explores Picasso’s beloved Montmartre as he lived it, and one that reflects on Monet’s “Revolutionary Brushstrokes” as imagined and brought to life from the hotel’s vantage.
In Rome, Hotel Eden offers a similar opportunity to learn more about the influential and controversial life of Baroque painter Caravaggio.
See also: Salvatore Ferragamo's Nomadic Stories Collection Invites You To Walk The World This Summer
Picasso’s Montmartre was the first of the legendary artist trails. During the excursion, an expert guide leads guests through the famous Parisian neighborhood, sharing stories of his life in front of the buildings where they happened, including stops at bars Picasso frequented and a visit to his first home.
“These trails will take our love of art out onto the historic cobbled streets of Paris, to see the city through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest artists,” says Franka Holtmann, General Manager at Le Meurice. “Inspired by Picasso celebrating his wedding feast at Le Meurice in 1918, we began this series of bespoke private walking trails by celebrating his fascinating life. As the hotel of artists and thinkers, it’s a wonderfully fitting tribute to follow in the footsteps of legendary artists.”
Le Meurice hotel in Paris
After the success of Picasso’s trail, Le Meurice unveils Monet – Revolutionary Brushstrokes. The latest tour takes fans of the impressionist icon’s work to the hotel’s rooftop to admire the view and compare it with Monet’s 1876 painting of the Tuileries Garden. The tour ends with a visit to the painter’s immersive waterlily panels at the Musée de l’Orangerie.
Meanwhile in Rome, Hotel Eden announces Caravaggio – Rebel and Rome, offering guests a chance to hear all about the notorious painter’s life. Caravaggio was born poor and died a landmark artist, though he dealt with a few lawsuits and eventually a banishment from his home city before his death in 1610. This tour shows you some of those court documents, visits his workshops and even takes you to the tennis court where Caravaggio played a match that led to his exile.
“We were inspired by Caravaggio’s only known ceiling painting,” says Helen Smith, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Dorchester Collection, “located a mere stone’s throw away from Hotel Eden in a grand building that was originally part of the aristocratic Villa Ludovisi Estate, on whose original land our hotel now stands. This wonderfully unique experience gives our guests the chance to get to know the ‘real’ Caravaggio.”
The tours are sold in packages that include a one-night stay for two at the accompanying hotel, a full breakfast in the morning and the two-hour, expert-guided tour. Prices range from €1,470 to €973, or about $1,500 to $992.
Visit dorchestercollection.com for more details.
Photography by: Courtesy of Dorchester Collection
