Creature Comforts
Hilton Anatole Offers Guests a Glimpse of the World
WORDS Maggie Hayes
PHOTOS Michael Wilson, Marty Perlman
G
uests that check into the Hilton Anatole are treated to more
than a great turn-down service. There are dining delights
throughout the hotel, including the chic SER restaurant,
boutique shopping destinations and urban lounges to kick
back and relax in, but there is also an unexpected treat: an impressive
art collection.
The Asian influence of the collection can be attributed to the Crow
family – the collection’s owners – and their love for the region.
“My mother and father were avid collectors of Asian art,” said Harlan
Crow. “When my father constructed the first phase of the Anatole over
30 years ago, he determined to place a meaningful portion of his Asian
art collection in that hotel. As the years have gone by, we have expanded
the hotel and the collection along with the hotel.”
Travel - especially to previously inaccessible sites on The Orient - has
enabled expansion of the collection.
“My business life permits me to enjoy a good deal of travel in
China and other Asian countries,” Crow said. “In the course of this travel,
I am able to acquire new examples of Asian art, both antique art and
more contemporary art. It has been and continues to be a pleasure to
adorn these wonderful buildings in this way… More recently, travels in
Burma or Myanmar, which is newly-opened to the western world, has
presented good opportunities for new acquisitions.”
The art is located throughout the hotel for guests to enjoy at their
convenience, and the hotel has even created a website, AnatoleArt.com,
to act as a portal for all its art-related activities, according to General
Manager Harold Rapoza.
“The first, ‘The Top 50 Art Treasures of the Hilton Anatole,’ is a
leisurely walking tour of the hotel’s 50 most iconic art pieces,” Rapoza
said. “Accessed by a visitor’s smartphone, we’ve divided the hotel into
four separate areas: Atrium I, Atrium II, Tower and Sculpture Garden. This
enables our guests to stroll at their own pace. We’ve included colorful
photos of each art piece, along with interesting tidbits about each.”
The “One-Mile Anatole Art Walk” was created for health-conscious
visitors who enjoy a brisk walk. This one-mile trek includes fabulous
art pieces as markers along the way, along with an audio soundtrack
explaining each piece.
“We’ve also included two scavenger hunts,” Rapoza said. “One
is leisure-based that can even be enjoyed by children; the other is
business-related and draws some interesting parallels between our art
collection and the business of meetings and conventions.”
The “Anatole Art Dine-Around” is a fun, progressive dining
experience for small groups of up to 100 people, where the group visits
up to six art pieces, all from different parts of the world, while enjoying
food and beverage pairings from that particular region. The event is
booked directly through the hotel’s catering department. Guests can
visit the website for more details and a menu.
GrandLuxe Magazine 25
Scheduled for later this year, a new activity “50 (More!) Art Treasures
of the Hilton Anatole” will soon be added to the website. This art stroll
will take guests on a leisurely walk among the artwork of the hotel,
highlighting 50 different works.
The collection of art makes the Hilton Anatole as much a gallery
as a hotel. “There are virtually no other hotels in the country that can claim an
art collection as prolific as this one,” Rapoza said. “It is especially attractive
to leisure guests who are always searching for new and creative ways
to enjoy their experience at the hotel. However, convention groups are
also finding ways to incorporate the art collection into their programs.
It gives them a unique way to reinforce their message and provides
attendees a cultural and creative experience.”
The collection contains historic pieces from virtually everywhere
around the globe including China, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam,
England, Scotland, Germany, Russia, Sweden, India, Denmark and of
course America.
The collection is constantly evolving, Crow said.
“A number of years ago, my parents established the Margaret and
Trammell Crow Asian Art Museum in the Arts District,” he said. “My
brother, Trammell, and other people who run that museum work in
close collaboration with the management team at the Hilton Anatole
to ensure that the Asian art displayed is constantly changing and
offering expanding dimensions for a good experience.
“Although the idea of adorning this hotel with Asian art started
long before the explosive growth in the Asian hemisphere, it is a
wonderful opportunity to present a small Asian experience here in
Dallas, Texas at this hotel.”
Guests visiting the hotel are given a glimpse of the world from
Dallas: No passports required. 26 GrandLuxe Magazine