For a number of years hotels have been inviting local artists to adorn the walls of their lobbies and hallways to distinguish themselves from every other run of the mill hotel. Now, hotels are taking the artist-hotel partnership to new heights, allowing guests to interact in a gallery-like setting and purchase the work they see on the walls.
The Lancaster Arts Hotel in Pennsylvania sells art and furniture found in rooms and it owns an in-house gallery space which showcases work from local artists and designers. The Omni Hotel in Dallas has over 6,500 original art pieces from local artists in public spaces and rooms.
At the Principe Forte Dei Marmi in Tuscany, Italy the hotel hosts artists in residence for months that guests can order custom pieces of art from.
Even at chain hotels like the Renaissance Arts Hotel in New Orleans owned by Marriot, guests who are interested in art can talk to the staff to get pricing and possibly purchase art.
Ed Netzhammer, managing director of the Dallas Omni, said to the Associated Press that the hotel has "more art than a lot of the galleries and museums around the country. It makes it fun and interesting and adds a whole different level of energy to the hotel."
The dean of New York University's hospitality school, Bjorn Hanson said that the push for local art comes from a younger clientele who crave a unique hotel experience per city they live in.
"This age group has a special appreciation for local sensitivity. That would be things like helping local artists, helping local growers whether that's produce or bakeries or wine producers," he told the AP.
