Color me intrigued: A new hotel lets you pick your room according to your mood

When you check into the Angad Arts Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, after you choose between a queen- or king-size bed, you can choose between happiness and tranquility. Or maybe passion is more your speed…

The 146-room hotel, which opened earlier this month, is bursting with color. And the choice isn’t purely for aesthetic reasons: The hoteliers want the rooms’ decor to match—or influence—your mood. “We realized the experience of being in a room that’s all blue or all red is going to have a different effect on the guest,” Steve Smith, CEO, told Travel + Leisure. “If we were going to saturate the rooms with color, why not promote the emotions?”

There are four colors in the hotel’s palette: yellow to boost happiness, blue to inspire tranquility, red to ignite passion, and green to encourage rejuvenation.

But is this a gimmick, or can soaking in a blue bathtub really make you feel extra Zen? “Color has a very strong impact, as our color choices are a reflection of what we need emotionally,” color therapy expert Walaa AlMuhaiteeb, founder of Walaa’s Color Ways, tells me. “The color of our spaces tell us how to live in this space, so a blue space will tell us to relax and let go and even have lovely laid-back conversations. A red room would bring out all kinds of passions and energy; red is infinite vitality.”

The best news about the colorful hotel is that booking a trip isn’t going to break the bank. According to its website, rates start at $95 for the opening month (early bird special!), then will range from around $185 to $315/night. And you can bring your pup along, too, who will be spoiled with a doggy bed and blanket, water and food bowls, and treats. Color therapy and total relaxation with your furry BFF? Sold.

Here’s where the next destination on your travel bucket list should be. Or, find out the cold-busting hack Meghan Markle stole from Leonardo DiCaprio.