Artagonist Art Hotel in the centre of Vilnius is not just a hotel but an experience. Meet Artagonist, a character who dominates reception and appears in other corners of the building.
History of Artagonist Art Hotel in Vilnius
Architecturally the building occupied by the Artagonist Art Hotel is a medley of several different styles going back to the fifteenth century when a Gothic building occupied this site on Pilies St. During the sixteenth century it was rebuilt in the style of the period, Renaissance. During the seventeenth century it was sold with two other adjacent buildings and these buildings were given to the Pauline monks of Częstochowa in Poland at the beginning of the eighteenth century. At the time this order was very popular across Europe. It is recorded that the building came under new ownership in the mid-eighteenth century when it was rebuilt ‘after the fires’. By this time the Pauline Order was in decline and its monasteries were being destroyed. It was then the courtyard building area was built. The building has also been a warehouse, a workshop, a pharmacy and a block of apartments. A tailor and a watchmaker have also operated businesses from here. Finally, in 2018 it opened as a hotel.
Accommodation at Artagonist Art Hotel in Vilnius
Is Artagonist an Art Gallery or a hotel? Neither, but a clever combination of both. Sixteen Lithuanian artists were involved in the decoration of the hotel. Every one of the thirty-four rooms in the two beautifully renovated buildings is different. Some exhibit murals and in the bedrooms there are art installations, murals, paintings and some have walls stripped bare in patches to reveal the frescoes and sixteenth century brick work.
The hotel offers four different types of room. The Standard Room has a Queen-sized double bed and a Chemex coffee maker. A Superior Art Room is decorated by a top Lithuanian artist and has a glass bathroom. A Classy Room says, look at me, not elsewhere and the Business Room is designed as a space for ideas. Also on offer are a junior suite with terrace and a suite with balcony.
All the rooms have large-screen televisions, telephones, free WiFi and water is supplied with Binchotan white carbon, which acts as a water filter, is offered. The rooms are also designed to be smart rooms and electrics can be controlled on mobile phones.
Facilities at Artagonist Art Hotel in Vilnius
Artagonist Art Hotel does not have a restaurant as such but a sumptuous breakfast buffet is served in the vaulted basement, the oldest part of the building. It also has a bar area on the ground floor that offers an a la carte menu. Its large window looks out on a pedestrianised stretch of Pilies st.
Historic Pilies st. is the oldest street in Vilnius and the centre of the old town with the Town Hall Square at one end and Cathedral Square at the other end. The twentieth century neo-gothic façade of Artagonist fits well here. And its location is ideal for exploring the best attractions in town.
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Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller . An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 27 years ago. She has written four books and has an online travel journal.