"Art is a must in a five-star hotel,"  

Russell Glotfelty, co-owner  of Hospitality Galleries,  recently told Hotel Interactive (www.hotelinteractive.com), an online source for news for the hospitality industry. "It puts the caliber of the property ahead of its competitors, and it finishes off the space, it is a necessity, as far as it gives the hotel credibility."

Artwork helps Hotels Connect with guests

Whether a hotel uses art packages and events developed by a franchisor or creates a program unlike any other hotel, that artwork can be used to convey an image and make guests feel right at home.  Art is one of the few elements in a hotel design that can make a hotel stand out from the rest. Hotel guests expect certain standard amenities in luxury hotels, and a well developed art program is where a hotel can raise the bar and create a memorable guest experience.  But a hotel doesn't have to be in the luxury segment to benefit from a favorable art program.  Art finishes off the general interior design of a guestroom or lobby. It adds the residential home feel and some guest want to take that feeling home with them.  Many hotels now sell original art and even furniture by local artist as an added attraction for guests.

Travelers Look for Art

"It's logical that people developing [boutique hotels] give their guests not just  interesting architecture and good service, but art," said Peter Yesawich, president
of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, an Orlando marketing services firm for the travel industry. "Art is one of the ultimate forms of personal expression. " That's what travelers look for today." Yesawich backs this up with results from a survey of 1,200 business travelers conducted by the National Business Travel Monitor.  More than one-fourth of the respondents (26 percent) said they look for hotels based on unusual architecture and decor.  One could only guess that leisure travelers would express an even higher interest.  In demographic terms baby boomers (76 million strong and ages 39 to 58) have built furnished their homes and raised their kids. Now, they're ready to relax and splurge on luxury cars, jewelry, cruises and the trips they've always wanted. "It's not about the destination, it's the journey," professes one travel advertisement, resonating the attitude felt by so many in this group. "Don't you think you deserve the luxury? We do."

Scaling Up with Art
"In a hotel where guests are paying $100 a night, it's useless to put up art that's $10,000,"  and hope guests will purchase "an original piece of artwork" to take home as a souvenir. Original art goes everywhere in the hotel, from the reception desk to the guest rooms. "If you like the art that's over your bed and think, 'Hey, this will look good in my living room' we'll take it off the wall and we'll ship it to you." With ES/FA not only does your art package beautify guest rooms and public spaces, it also provides a constant revenue stream. Your hotel décor actually gives you a return on your investment.

Hotel Art Festivals
Each hotel art show revolves around a theme. Local artists display and sell their work during a six-hour celebration in the hotel lobby, featuring wine, music and painting demonstrations. The reactions of guest have proven to be very positive to a hotel's new upscale appeal. Guests look forward to coming back and seeing what the next show will be.

Everett Spruill has an eye for art, a mind for numbers and instincts for space and proportion. As a hotel art consultant and buyer, he knows where to find good artists and how to inspire them to create the right work for the right site. A math whiz too, he's able to juggle costs and stay on budget. This makes him the go-to art consultant among hoteliers.

Based in Orlando, Florida, Everett Spruill was a hotel manager for 12 years, and he works today under the banner of Everett Spruill Fine Art. His mission is to help hotels create cohesive collections that flow naturally between their sites and their communities.

That's one of the reasons Walt Disney World Resorts, hired Spruill to create art for two of their annual Black History Festivals and Pleasure Islands 5th Annual Jazz Festival. Developers of Hotels and Resorts in all areas of the market recognize that art can set their properties apart. Whether it's a collection of contemporary art for a luxury hotel, or traditional images for the small bed and breakfast, Hotels recognize art is as important to guests as the service amenities and decor.

For each art program that we create for our clients, we first determine that hotels target clientele.  Will it be a destination hotel, or will it be a family hotel?  This is critical in deciding how to approach the art program. One of the growing trends in hotel art programs is to focus on the local art community.  This gives guests a real sense of where they are, and it serves as a fantastic bridge to the local art community.  It's a fabulous compliment to any hotel.

HOTEL ART PAGE 1