SALES & MARKETING
An installation at Opposite House in Beijing
The art of
BRANDING
FROM PERMANENT COLLECTIONS TO TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS , ART PROGRAMS BUILD AWARENESS AND CREATE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES .
Contributed BY DEBBIE CARLSON
Creating an art program for your hotel goes beyond hanging pretty pictures . Executing an art program that works takes vision and planning .
Some hotels are using art programs as way to authentically reflect their identity or philosophy and to attract a certain type of guest who looks beyond traditional hotel amenities . And much-desired publicity doesn ’ t hurt , either , if guests are encouraged or inspired to post images on social media .
“ People who come to stay with us and eat with us , their own advocacy is by far the most effective way , in our view , of spreading the brand ,” says Toby Smith , managing director at Swire Hotels , which manages small luxury hotels in Hong Kong and mainland China . Swire completed its first art program , the House Collective Art Programme , in 2018 .
The program featured a multidisciplinary artist using a single theme to connect four of Swire ’ s hotels to the city where it ’ s located and to make connections to the hotel itself . Each property has a different name — Upper
House , Middle House , Temple House and Oppposite House — so it ’ s not obvious even to guests that there is more than one hotel in the collective .
“ We ’ re not a big brand , we don ’ t have the global reach . We felt it helped put us on the map a bit more ,” Smith says .
Jonathan Plutzik , owner of The Betsy in Miami Beach , runs several arts programs including a writer ’ s residency , curated music program and an extensive , respected photography collection .
The family-run hotel wanted to highlight Miami ’ s reputation as an arts and culture destination , and many of its luxury and corporate guests choose The Betsy specifically for its arts program .
“ Everybody ’ s looking for a differentiated experience . They don ’ t want a predictable , windowless box ,” Plutzik says .
FOUND OBJECTS Soneva Fushi in the Maldives started its art program as part of the hotel ’ s Waste to Wealth program to recycle items , says Evan
Venaas , the hotel ’ s chief glass specialist . Soneva Art and Glass creates items for Soneva properties by recycling the hotel ’ s glass bottles and containers , allowing both guests and visiting artists to create works in the hotel ’ s studio . Venaas says the art program supports sustainability and is an opportunity to talk to patrons about larger issues related to material use and intentional design that feeds new processes and eliminates waste .
There are costs to consider , including artist pay , insurance and logistics . A hotglass studio is expensive to run , Venaas says , with supplies , fuel and staffing , but the offset is the marketing value and the return on the donations of work to the permanent art collection , which he says is valued at “ well over ” US $ 1 million . The art is for sale , and the hotel shares revenue on a standard gallery agreement .
Hotels that want to start an arts program should figure out their objective and a potential project ’ s scale , Smith says . Reach out to local artist communities and
January / February 2020 hotelsmag . com 53