Heritage Days with MGallery : a time for stories and secrets

For four decades, European Heritage Days has paved a pathway between past and present. Each September, revered historical sites and natural areas open up unknown corners to be explored. Over the years, the concept has become international. People around the world have the opportunity to explore places that are often closed to the public and to discover their stories in delightful detail.

With keen intuition towards cultural connections, MGallery Collection embraces the event with heartfelt resonance. Heritage at MGallery is expressed differently across locations, as sublime architecture, modern design, local craftsmanship and distinctive gastronomy. All entwined with stories of people and nature, and artwork that define communities.

This remarkable event gives those with curious minds a unique opportunity to learn more about local hotels and their communities, as part of a two-way conversation. At MGallery Collection hotels, Heritage Days celebrates the idea that tradition is something living, evolving, shared. Through guided tours, workshops and creative encounters, we invite you to form enriching connections with destinations and the people who shape them. In certain hotels during Heritage Days, anecdotes, stories and fascinating dialogue get to the heart of each hotel's architectural and historical identity.

While some hotels have age-old secrets to uncover, others sit at the forefront of pioneering design. New architectural beginnings dawn through reinventions that fuse tradition with daring originality. Engage in illuminating conversations with world-class architects who reveal the deep thinking behind their grand concepts, along with intricate details you might never have spotted. 

These experiences are designed to offer you a dialogue with your destination. Let local residents guide you down corners only they know, past façades softened by time, through streets that hum with quiet rhythms. Meet artisans who might let you run your fingers over raw materials mid-creation, the scent of fresh paint or aged wood still lingering in the air. Speak to architects as they unveil the thinking behind what you see, and to historians who breathe life into forgotten details, their words echoing gently through storied corridors.
 

Heritage Days are an occasion for MGallery Collection to celebrate the relationship we nurture with local communities all year round, through our commitment to Give Back to Communities. This involves:
 

• Curating mindful travel
• Maintaining a resolutely local focus
• Working with local sustainable producers
• Donating food surplus
• Organising local producers’ markets
• Identifying local nature issues
• Providing exhibition spaces for local art

At MGallery Collection, we know how satisfying authentic cultural encounters can be. We invite you to meet exceptional local creators, participate in cultural workshops, and learn unique crafts. Explore hidden areas of storied hotels, seek out meaningful souvenirs, and discover signature cocktails, their stories shaped by a region's nature and people.

At the heart of Heritage Days is the Heritage Tour, a curated experience unique to every MGallery hotel. On a truly immersive journey, explore the fine details of historic façades, decorative elements, and design inspirations that showcase the character of each hotel. Stories of people's lives embody the connections between each hotel and the esteemed historical figures who inhabited the buildings in years gone by.

We know that it is people who continue to write the story of each locale's heritage, bridging generations. That's why we encourage you to meet prominent local experts through hands-on experiences. 

 Alwadi Hotel Doha - MGallery Collection

Delve into a Heritage Days project developed with local Qatari artists, featuring workshops and interactive experiences that celebrate Qatar's artistic traditions, craftsmanship, and cultural essence. Between visits to the effervescent Souq Waqif and walks on the Corniche, relish meaningful moments contemplating the detail of a brushstroke or sculptural curve.

The Artisan Hotel Istanbul - MGallery Collection

In the company of Mois Gabay, a consultant on Netflix period drama The Club, explore the heritage of 1950s–1960s Beyoğlu. Admire the period's architecture as the captivating metropolis transitioned into the modern era, and become immersed in Yeşilçam cinema from Turkish film's golden age. 

In this cosmopolitan city at a culinary crossroads, Heritage Days in Istanbul naturally celebrates cuisine. Encounter the atmosphere of traditional meyhane taverns, where community is as important as food, exemplified by shared meze platters. Finish the tour in the hotel’s rooftop Topaz Restaurant, recommended by the Michelin Guide Istanbul, with a special menu by Chef Tevfik Alparslan.

Boutet Bastille Hotel Paris - MGallery Collection

Eclectic history, unique in the capital. Exquisite architectural design worthy of paintings and pottery. The inside story of a boutique hotel in Paris. 

Take this exclusive opportunity to learn unexpected details about the craftsmanship of a landmark 1920s building, which once supplied wood to local artisans and later became a chocolate factory. The journey features guided tours exploring the hotel's industrial heritage and the resonance of Art Deco Paris, including original mosaics that delight the soul. Savour a complimentary signature beverage.

Avista Hideaway Patong Resort & Spa Phuket - MGallery Collection

In the verdant hills above Phuket, enjoy a sensory immersion with a "garden to heritage" botanical journey. The afternoon features interactive Thai craft workshops and traditional rituals. This distinctive Heritage Days encounter also includes food tastings and exclusive cocktail pairings deeply rooted in Sukhothai-inspired hospitality. Picture a Phuket food tour right within your hotel. 

Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - MGallery Collection

Ancient mountains dusted with snow. Lake Wakatipu, peaceful and magnificent. In this enchanting environment at Hotel St Moritz, join us for an exclusive afternoon to connect to the living history of Queenstown. 

Take an intimate hotel tour and a revelatory guided walk of this alpine town to discover how the two interlace. Then unwind over a wine and cheese mixer back at your lodge-style hotel as you listen to stories of Māori culture and ancestral heritage shared by local elder Darren Rewi.

Santa Teresa Hotel RJ - MGallery Collection

The dynamism of Rio de Janeiro inspires limitless creativity, and the setting of Santa Teresa Hotel RJ - MGallery Collection on an 1850s coffee farm evokes the past. Celebrate both Brazilian heritage and leading-edge invention during a Heritage Days moment with gastronomic experiences, signature cocktails and a walking tour, as well as artistic activations and community events. Authentic cultural immersion in one of the world's most charismatic cities.

Le Talaia Hotel & Spa Biarritz - MGallery Collection

Here along the sandy shores of the Bay of Biscay, engage in guided discovery of the hotel, uncovering lesser-known details of this landmark that combines classic beach chic with authentic Basque touches. Your exploration of our Biarritz surf hotel culminates in the debut of our brand-new Surf Room, in collaboration with Roxy. This space, dedicated to coastal lifestyle, local wave culture and the spirit of the ocean, intertwines with existing wellness offerings like the rooftop pool and serene Talaia Spa by Cinq Mondes.

Grand Hôtel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port - MGallery Collection

Peek into the nooks of Marseille's oldest hotel. Here, amid original Napoleon III woodwork and Provencal fabrics, trace the footsteps of illustrious historic figures such as the composer Frédéric Chopin and author George Sand. The celebrated 19th-century female novelist once stayed in this 18th-century building beside the splendour of the Vieux-Port; Heritage Days is the opportunity to hear her story. The experience also features our signature cocktail, lovingly crafted to capture the sun-drenched flavours of the Mediterranean.

Fashion Town Hotel Shenzhen - MGallery Collection

Shenzhen pulsates with creativity, hosting fashion events and providing a place where artistic minds meet, particularly within the Dalang Fashion Town cultural hub. The city's manufacturing sector is also crucial to the global fashion industry. During Heritage Days at Fashion Town Hotel Shenzhen - MGallery Collection, celebrate a heritage of fashion with enlightening embroidery experiences that link cultural past and present. Bespoke cocktails represent the enticing Dual City lifestyle of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Hotel Costanero Montevideo - MGallery Collection

Within the walls of an architectural masterpiece forged in glass, hear a talk by architects Ivan Arcos and Rafael Lorente that shines a light on how they lovingly conceived this striking hotel building, bringing it to life. Set along the vibrant Rambla promenade on the shore of Pocitos Bay, the edifice reflects the elegant light of Montevideo's sea and sky on the Rio de la Plata. Meet the architects to ask questions on anything that intrigues you about this exceptional architectural concept.