Hotel Dena
Pasadena, California
- Hospitality
- West Coast
- Art curation in public amenity spaces and guest rooms
- Hersha Hospitality Trust, Monarch Alternative Capital, and Dash Design
Spanning 5 floors of public amenity spaces and guest rooms, the art collection highlights the local creative and performing arts scene of Pasadena, CA.
The local LA collective Media Pollution created two custom installations, one of which features rotating video artwork playing on vintage TVs.
Artwork behind the reception desk and in 311 guestrooms features a custom design by well-known street artists WRDSMTH.
Artist Erin Harris transformed sound waves into three-dimensional wooden sculptures, which feature QR codes that take viewers to the YouTube links for the songs his installations represent.
The Story
Branded as the “ultimate artist’s retreat in the heart of downtown Pasadena,” Hotel Dena, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Hersha Hospitality Trust and Monarch Alternative Capital, was created to honor the bold creator in all of us. The hotel’s art collection celebrates this concept, featuring a range of mediums and typologies to showcase the breadth and depth of the local creative and performing arts scene.
Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by a massive, exterior black-and-white mural by local artist Ian Schuler. The mural’s title, “The 11 O’Clock Number,” refers to the show-stopping moment that takes place during many performances in which the protagonist often has a major realization. It’s the moment that tends to stick with viewers long after a performance is finished, just like this captivating mural is sure to remain a memorable part of any guests’ stay.
At times the art collection expresses the creator through abstract, dynamic mark-making that is suggestive of movement, such as the wooden installations in the lobby by Erin Harris. By transforming sound waves into three-dimensional wooden sculptures, Harris creates a visual display of the intangible world of sound. QR codes near the installations share the YouTube links for the songs, “Jump” and “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” inviting visitors to read about, dance with, or sing along to two famous songs that are reflective of Pasadena’s rich arts and cultural scene.
Other highlights on the first floor include a custom designed wall vinyl by WRDSMTH featuring a passage from his debut novel; vibrant fine art prints by MsGonzalez, the alter ego of Spanish artist Paula Gonzalez; and two mixed-media installations by Brian Fox of the LA collective Media Pollution. These installations in particular add eccentricity and intrigue to the hotel, with one featuring a stack of vintage stereos and the other displaying rotating video footage nodding to the gritty exploitation of show business – a fitting piece for the hotel bar, Agents Only. Entitled “Hotelevision,” the TVs playing Fox’s video footage pay homage to the first ever TVs installed at a hotel in 1947.
For the hotel’s restaurant, Lyric, we curated a lyrical guitar installation by artist Rebecca Puig, which Dash Design then transformed into a mosaic tile installation. Complementing the piece are a variety of unique styling objects for the restaurant’s niches, the lobby, and the screening lounge, as well as vintage typewriters for the reception.
As guests move throughout the hotel, they can enjoy Kate Neckel’s custom vinyl of buildings and motifs related to performing arts in Pasadena, adorning the elevator vestibules throughout four floors. And as they venture toward the back of the property, an exterior mural by local artist Leah Tumerman brings joy and whimsy to the guest experience, telling a colorful story about movement, interaction, improvisation, and connectivity.
Altogether, the artwork at Hotel Dena aims to inspire and excite guests, connecting them to the city’s creative scene and creating a backdrop for “possibility” to happen.
