Art in hotels: How to elevate the travel experience by Culture A

It’s time to think outside the box when it comes to hotel artwork. With the recent boom in experience design, expectations are higher for brands to create new and noteworthy experiences for their customers. And hotels are no exception. For too long, hospitality design has relied on catalogue prints and predictable posters to fill blank walls for…well…the sake of filling blank walls.

Culture A is changing this. We want to elevate the travel experience by re-imaging the impact of public artwork in a hotel setting. We curate art that enhances client engagement and showcases diverse artists, encouraging storytelling and discovery through a rich mix of aesthetics. 

Here are our top 5 tips for curating art in hotels:

Make it aspirational

For hospitality projects, we like to create aspirational moments that inspire and surprise. A hotel’s architecture, interior design, and art experience can elevate a guest or visitor’s sense of style. Well-integrated art enhances the comfort and intimacy of a hotel setting while also enlivening the space. Design the layout to allow for well-timed pops of color or shapes that aid the flow of the experience. Pay attention to the angles and scale of focal areas in order to maximize the art’s impact. The client should enjoy discovering the art throughout the hotel.

Celebrate the audience

We love the diversity of audience that a hotel can attract, so we research the clientele - current and targeted - and curate an art program to best appeal to the brand’s ideal customer. When developing curatorial themes, ask questions such as: what will provoke curiosity? how will the guests relate to the works?  Research travel trends and travel influencers in order to create art experiences linked to contemporary travel expectations and a hotel’s ethos.

Build the story

Each hotel brand has a story and the art experience should enhance it. As in more traditional art curating, we begin a project by conceptualizing the “exhibition”, using the brand story to guide the design. The selected program should create an interesting dialogue between the hotel, its audience, and the art and decor on display. Consider the flow of theme and scale throughout the space. Test out various viewing points to see how the story comes together from all angles.

Pay attention to materials

Art in a hotel - especially permanent art - is more susceptible to damage and theft than in galleries or museums. When curating art in a hotel, take care to select works made of durable materials or art that can be protected with quality framing. It’s important to consider the level of maintenance needed for each artwork and to communicate these details to the hotel staff. When installing frames, we recommend security hangers, which lock securely to the wall and reduce risk of damage, crooked frames, and theft. Any sculpture placed should also be well secured. If it’s a freestanding work, consider if it can be secured to the floor or to a strong plinth. 

Connect with the local culture

We like our art experiences to connect with the local culture. We recommend sourcing a nice representation of artists and artisans working in the same city or country. If a guest or visitor likes a particular work, it’s a great opportunity for staff to share the story behind the selection and its tie to the hotel mission. If the artist is local, there’s also the possibility of arranging a studio visit to further personalize the travel experience.

-About Anne Trouillet Rogers, Founder, Culture A:

Anne Trouillet Rogers is an innovative design leader and artistic director with multi-disciplinary expertise in implementing brand vision, visual storytelling, and arts programming. Anne has worked extensively with emerging and established artists on site-specific commissions and collaborative projects. She has an instinct for digital and physical aesthetics, as well as a global perspective on strategic partnerships and collaborations between artists and brands.

Culture A is a full-service art and innovation agency that curates branded art and design for physical and digital environments. www.culture-a.com

Culture A projects: Images from left to right, first row: Project board for Inhabit Hotel; Frame design; Mood board; Inhabit Hotel art installation // second row: Lobby sculpture; Material design; Hotel elevation study; Inhabit hotel library decor detail, styled by Culture A. Inhabit photography courtesy of Inhabit Hotels.