Hotels are evolving beyond mere lodging, transforming into vibrant cultural hubs with unique musical offerings. These properties provide spaces to discover – and rediscover – music in innovative ways.

Proper Hospitality: Proper Presents

Proper Hospitality launched “Proper Presents” to establish its hotels as city hotspots and “dynamic platforms for creativity, community, and cultural exchange.” According to Casey Dolkas, VP of Activations and Experiences at Proper Hospitality, the program gave focus and intention to existing cultural programming.

Intimate Performances & Dedicated Venues

Recent events have included rooftop DJ sets, singer-songwriter nights, and music-driven parties during events like Frieze, Art Basel, and SXSW. Artists like Leon Thomas, Maren Morris, Phantogram, Cut Copy, Arlo Parks, Questlove, and Anderson .Paak have performed at Proper properties.

In Austin, the Proper transformed an event space into the “Quill Room,” a dedicated music venue. Santa Monica’s Proper introduced a custom Kelly Wearstler-designed Edelweiss piano in Palma restaurant, creating a “built-in stage for spontaneous moments.”

Brian De Lowe, President and Co-Founder at Proper Hospitality, emphasizes that music isn’t background noise. “It changes how a room feels. It shapes memory,” he says, adding that sound is “part of the architecture of the experience.” Proper Hospitality plans to restore a theater and add a recording studio and Hi-Fi listening lounge to a Lake Tahoe property formerly owned by Frank Sinatra.

W Hotels: W PRESENTS

In 2023, W Hotel launched “W PRESENTS,” a traveling series complementing local music activations at its Living Room Bars. The series features both established and emerging DJs and artists.

Giobbi is utilizing the platform to “amplify underrepresented voices in music” through a partnership with FEMME HOUSE, a nonprofit supporting female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ creatives. The collaboration includes DJing and music production lessons, and performance opportunities for FEMME HOUSE participants.

Local Music Scenes & Hotel Tie-Ins

Many hotels are connecting with local music scenes. The Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville hosts a monthly writers round, featuring local musicians performing original songs and sharing their inspirations.

Regional Music Experiences

  • The Lodge on Lookout Mountain (TN): Features a summer Songwriter’s Series showcasing Americana, folk, and roots music.
  • The Settler’s Crossing (TX): Offers “Campfire Songs & Stories,” with stripped-down performances in the outdoors.
  • Hotel Drover (TX): Hosts “The Backyard Unplugged,” a weekly live music series in its creekside garden.
  • The Fairmont Breakers (CA): Celebrates its 100th anniversary with musical events honoring its jazz heritage, including Latin Jazz Fridays and a CSULB Alumni Series.

As Casey Dolkas explains, “Hotels today have the opportunity to be living cultural spaces, not just places to sleep, but places where people gather, discover, and connect. Guests leave not just remembering where they stayed,” he says, “but what they experienced.”