How to Curate Art for Luxury Hotels (Guide 2024)?

While entering a luxury hotel, one can expect a warm welcome, beautiful interiors, gourmet cuisine, splendid spa, wellness and in-house entertainment opportunities. Five Star Hotels generally tend to meet all these expectations; thus, what makes a hotel noticeable?

How can you incorporate that wow factor to make the guest experience remarkable? Integrating art into luxury hospitality helps improve the guest experience and engages them on multiple sensory levels.

Luxury hotels have admitted the transformative power of art as it embodies sophistication and luxury. Curating art for luxury hotels involves choosing pieces that evoke a sense of luxury, elegance and cultural richness. Rather than limiting art to traditional gallery spaces, hotels have welcomed the concept of transforming their lobbies, interiors, and public zones into dynamic displays of artistic expression.

Hotels intend to involve guests on various sensory planes by integrating specifically curated collections of contemporary art, sculptures, and sculptural installations. This also helps in nourishing an environment of cultural engagement and intellectual curiosity.

Art for Hotels: Why Display Art in Hotels?

Exhibiting art including large-scale paintings, sculptures, and installations by renowned artists help elevate guest experience and boost ambience at hotels. The selected works can also complement the hotel's aesthetic, location, or the client's preference, providing a special touch to its identity.

While travelling the globe to gather for new experiences, what does the high-end traveller search for in a luxury hotel? How could a hotel lobby or a suite surprise the traveller who is in touch with the highest standards of luxury?

From paintings and sculptures to immersive installations, hotels are now akin to galleries displaying numerous works by renowned artists that connect with the guests on a different level.

Curating art for luxury hotels includes opting for pieces that evoke a sense of luxury and sophistication. Here are some suggestions:

• Research Makes all the Difference!

Thoughtfully curated and commissioned art collections can offer the guests a sensory experience with a remarkable impression. Memorable art collections which clearly complement with the mood and design of the space can set the tone for an extraordinary immersive experience.

Artworks that are apparent choices or are found online will never satisfy the expectations of a sophisticated and critical client. This is the same for all kinds of interior designs, especially hotel wall art. Discovering high-quality artists ensures a range of prime artworks that can create a profound response in the viewer.

• Elevating the Interiors

Be it a bland, insignificant space, art has the capacity to elevate it. Thus, it is always better to choose the artwork at the conception of the project rather than later. Professional curatorial skill is required to understand space and recognize opportunities to create statement pieces which are in harmony with their intimate environments. A broad understanding of artistic processes, mediums, and techniques is necessary to discover remarkable pieces. It helps bring an extraordinary impact to space and brings together the concepts of the artist and the client.

• Exclusivity is Key

For a luxury art market, the rarity of an artwork is essential; the work of art should be desired yet maintain an element of exclusivity. The more the work is high-quality, the better the client understands that only a few others possess similar artworks. Commissioning artworks according to the requirement of the client will also ensure the uniqueness of the artwork.

• Monetary Benefits with Art

The presence of art can be converted into tangible benefits for the hotels while looking at it from an economic perspective. Many studies have proven that guests are willing to pay a premium for accommodations providing unique and enriching experiences. Hotels can ask for higher room rates, raise occupancy, and attract more contemporary, lifestyle, and luxury travellers by investing in art. Boutique hotels and small hotels can also make use of art to develop a unique brand identity and enrich the guest experience.

• Cultural Benefits of Exhibiting Art

Integrating art into luxury hospitality signifies a synergetic relationship between culture, creativity, and the hotel industry. Along with improving guest experience, hotels can develop themselves as cultural hubs and destination venues for contemporary travellers. Luxury hotels can create a narrative that surpasses the ordinary through investment in art, thereby offering the guests a profound, soulful journey and the spirit of the destination.

Thoughts and Strategies Before Curating Art for Hotels

Picking works for a hotel is an art; along with beautifying a space, the chosen artworks tell a story and strengthen the brand identity. This guide takes you through the critical thoughts and strategies for curating art for such a distinct atmosphere.

Define the Story!

Every hotel has a unique story to convey, whether it’s profoundly embedded in local history, influenced by a distinct theme, or built based on architectural style. Most of them feature a specific motif that is visible throughout all aspects of the establishment, including decor, dining, and public areas. It can also represent the region’s traditions, landscapes, or prominent landmarks. This makes their stay more meaningful and genuine by fostering a sense of place and helping them bond with the local community. You need to discover artworks that complement this unique element while curating art for hotels.

Know the Guests!

Consider who visits these establishments. Travellers on a business trip? Families? Professionals? Movie stars? Couple on a short-term retreat? The artworks exhibited at the hotel should resonate with them, providing a sense of solace, inspiration, and passion based on the demographic.

Scale Matters

Considering the dimensions of the space is necessary before deciding what kind of artwork to be installed. Large hotel lobbies may need massive installations or huge paintings. Carefully chosen Photography works by masters and contemporaries like Raghu Rai or Vivek Vilasini can also be exhibited in large spaces. Large scale Bronze sculptures and installations by the renowned Indian contemporary artist Paresh Maitycomplement well with public areas of hotels.

Interactive and Vibrant Art

Modern art includes static paintings, sculptures, digital installations, immersive art, and interactive art. Incorporating this style of artwork can create a striking impact and shared experience for guests. Recently, five sculptures by the renowned contemporary Indian artist Paresh Maity, including Sound of Silence, a sculptural installation made using 4,000 brass bells, have been installed at the newly expanded Terminal 1 of IGI Airport, Delhi (2024). These types of work can be employed for hotel lounges or gardens.

Consider the Space

Take into account the layout, lighting, and architecture of the hotel spaces while picking and placing the artwork. You can enhance visibility and impact by positioning the pieces in high-traffic areas and central points like halls, lobbies, or close to entrance/exit. However, it is to be noted that the works are durable and able to endure high traffic. Modern masters such as Sakti Burman’s large-scale sculptures, including Samudra Manthan and Paresh Maity’s bronze sculptures, can effortlessly draw the attention of the viewer with their Indianness and unique perspectives.

Create a Dynamic Collection!

Ensure that the artworks form a cohesive collection that enriches the overall aesthetic of the hotel. Balance diversity with consistency to develop visual interest while keeping a similar theme. Mix up paintings, abstract paintings, sculptures, and installations for that extra zing!

Engage Guests

Integrate interactive and immersive elements into the art collection to connect with guests and create remarkable experiences. Host art events, walkthroughs, art workshops, or artist talks to enhance guest experience.

Maintain and Rotate

It is necessary to maintain and refresh the works regularly to keep them relevant, exciting and matching with changing trends and guest preferences. Rotate the pieces every so often to keep the space vibrant and appealing. This also helps offer a sense of newness and a commitment to maintaining the environment, especially for returning guests.

Here are some suggestions on the artworks that are ideal for luxury hotels.

Large-scale Paintings: Consider elegant and timeless pieces reflecting the theme of the hotel or local culture. Landscape paintings, abstract paintings, and other abstract art, as well as figurative paintings by established artists, can be considered in significant areas. Masters such as M.F Hussain, Ram Kumar, Manjit Bawa, and Ganesh Haloi are trending choices in the art market, as per the recent auctions.

Masters in Indian contemporary art, such as Paresh Maity's mesmerizing landscapes, Manu Parekh's soul-stirring flowers, and the Banaras ghats, can capture the inquisitive eyes of any visitor. Jayasri Burman's large paintings depicting the motifs of the archetypal mother and her fabulous mythological universe and Thota Vaikuntam's paintings portraying the life of women and men in rural Telangana are also ideal to welcome the contemporary traveller. These artists can create focal points in areas like lobbies, corridors, and dining spaces.

Sculptures: Choose sculptures that add depth and visual beauty to the hotel's public spaces. Opt for artworks made from materials like bronze, marble, or glass with designs complementing the hotel's aesthetic. Paresh Maity's brass sculptures display unique aesthetics and can adorn public areas and hotel gardens Sakti Burman's vast oeuvre combining Eastern and Western influences can enchant premium customers with a penchant for art. Sculptures by Laxma Goud and Krishen Khanna's exuberant Bandwala evoke elements of joy and liveliness

Fine Art Photography: Display spectacular photographs that highlight iconic landmarks or landscapes. Limited edition prints by masters can provide a touch of individuality to guest rooms and common areas Art Alive has a collection of photographs by Raghu Rai and Paresh Maityalong with limited edition prints by masters like Akbar Padamsee

Installations: Commissioning custom-made art installations that are personalized to the hotel's architecture and design concept ensures exclusivity. These exclusive creations can serve as signature pieces, leaving a lasting impression on guests.

Incorporating these elements will ensure authenticity and add a sense of place to the hotel's art collection.