As I step into the lobby of the newly renovated Hotel Wiesler in beautiful Graz, Austria, my gaze is immediately drawn to the ceiling where a massive hanging sculpture by Clemens Hollerer called “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” stretches up and sideways from the center of the room. Wood beams, painted with enamel, crisscross the space — letting me know immediately the hotel’s slightly quirky take on luxury is something I’m going to enjoy. I also fell in love with the sunny breakfast room (which serves lunch, Sunday Soul Brunch and nightly dinner) and its giant mural, glittering chandeliers, tomato plants growing up the glass outside the window, classical music and freshly baked croissants.

Why you’ll love it: You’ll probably have a tree in your giant room, a freestanding soaking tub, a hand-painted Talavera sink that looks like a bright piece of art, shelves shaped like birdhouses next to your bed, huge squashy pillows, soaring ceilings, wood floors and cool paint on the walls that will make you feel as though you’re falling asleep inside a Monet painting.

Wiesler Junior Suite © Hotel Wiesler

Other features include a sauna and Oriental Tea Room where a gleaming silver samovar rests on a table in anticipation of your tea needs, plus a 24/7 workout area and an on-site barber ready to address any emergency beard-related issues. Refreshingly scented bespoke bath products are branded Grand Ferdinand Viennese Elegance for Weitzer Hotels (the Wielser’s parent group). In hallways, you’ll find room numbers or directions that look as though they were scrawled by hand next to doorways and on walls in fun and charming script.

The hotel is steps from the heart of it all, and is practically next door to the Kunsthaus Graz, a.k.a. “The Friendly Alien.” This highly unique and imaginative modern art museum is the work of architects Colin Fournier and Peter Cook, who created a show-stopping structure that couldn’t be further from the traditional Baroque buildings that fill much of the city if it tried. Its fascinating, undulating shape is covered in a skin composed of glittering, iridescent blue acrylic panels topped by a roof of red clay tiles. The BIX Façade (“big” and “pixels”) emits lights and sounds depending upon the time of day and acts as a sort of performance screen. Within, ever-changing exhibitions mean there’s no chance of being bored: Deliberately eschewing the concept of a permanent collection, the museum’s multi-floored interior and unique spaces reflect the curved outer shell, which also houses a lovely café and well-stocked museum shop.

Wiesler Royal Oak Suite © Hotel Wiesler