When it comes to differentiating a hotel from its competitors , a picture is worth a thousand words . Curated smartly and marketed effectively , permanent art collections and temporary exhibitions give any property the must-see cachet that speaks to guest demand for a one-of-a-kind experience . “ Gallery hotel ” has the same buzz that used to belong to terms like boutique and lifestyle . And , it also has the same power to build a brand or boost the bottom line .
Special report : Hotel art
Curated art is a neW tool to enhanCe brand building as Well as profitability .
by Oriana LErnEr , cOnTribuTing EdiTOr
When it comes to differentiating a hotel from its competitors , a picture is worth a thousand words . Curated smartly and marketed effectively , permanent art collections and temporary exhibitions give any property the must-see cachet that speaks to guest demand for a one-of-a-kind experience . “ Gallery hotel ” has the same buzz that used to belong to terms like boutique and lifestyle . And , it also has the same power to build a brand or boost the bottom line .
Any hotelier who equates art appreciation with a niche audience just needs to search the Internet to see how outmoded that thinking is . Typing “ art hotel ” in the search bar brings up roughly 488 million results in 0.37 seconds . That ’ s a lot of interest , and it ’ s translating into a groundswell of business . In fact , many hoteliers now see art as an important tool for getting noticed . “ Luxury hotels especially must go above and beyond for guests in an ever-changing , competitive and highly saturated market to deliver something special , and a good art program is a strong differientiator ,” says Lisa Zandee , senior vice president , Denihan Hospitality Group , New York .
Customized Curation
Art is now a pillar for brands — not merely a line item in design budgets . “ The art in the hotel needs to have a specific identity that goes with the rest of the concept , but also a presence strong enough to make its own stand ,” says Sune Nordgren , curator for the art collection at The Thief , Oslo , Norway . “ It should add a positive signal without taking anything away and be disturbing , but not offensive ; imposing , but not intimidating ; impressive , if possible . It ’ s different than working in a ‘ white cube ’ gallery space .”
That ’ s easy for groups like The Kessler Collection . Chairman and CEO Richard Kessler , his family members on staff and Corporate Director of Galleries Michael Hall personally curate the visual work that personalizes each hotel — much of which is taken from the owner ’ s private collection .
However , since most hoteliers are not art experts , they need help in building an effective collection . Both the Fairmont Empress in Victoria , British Columbia , Canada , and the Waikiki Parc Hotel in Honolulu used the curation process as a way to connect with the local community and introduce travelers to art they won ’ t see anywhere else .
The Fairmont brought two local philanthropists as volunteer curators who brought their favorite local artists to the attention of the general manager and the director of sales and marketing for an interview process . That ensures artists whose way of working suits the hotel as well as their creations do .
www . hotelsmag . com January / February 2014 HOTELS 25