Where the art is

The old doctrine may be "art for art's sake", but in the hotel world, it now appears to be "art for business's sake". The walls of the world's hotels have never been blank, but they have never been covered with as much art as they are today.

So why are hoteliers getting so arty? For many it seems that the art they display on their walls is a way of differentiating them from the competition and responding to the ever-increasing demands of hotel customers.

Michael Attenborough, head of design for Radisson Edwardian Hotels, says there used to be prints in the company's hotels until it realised the walls were "covered in crap". The group then started using Oliver Richardson prints, which at £1,000 to £1,500 a frame weren't cheap, but still weren't noticed by guests. Then it began using work by controversial stark portrait artist Heidi Harrington and started to get a lot of comment.

People either loved the work or hated it, but it made an impression, Attenborough says. "If people are discussing it then people remember the hotel for that art."

Radisson Edwardian now spends an average of £100,000 a hotel on art, with many of the pieces sourced directly from the Far East, meaning it can pick up work direct from the artist at a fraction of the price it sells for in this country. "Art unites the group," Attenborough says. "People walk in and say ‘Why does it feel like I've been here before?' It's like brand awareness, but at the same time sets us apart from other hotel groups."

Ivan Tennant, director and owner of Plan Art Consultants, has worked with several hotels, including London's One Aldwych, to put art in their properties. He says art is being used as a marketing technique and because hotel customers expect it.

"Art sends the right message to the people you are trying to attract. If people are paying a five-star rate for their hotel they expect the bed to be comfortable and the service to be great. What they will remember will be the great painting in their room or the fantastic sculpture in the lobby," Tennant says. He adds that hoteliers are being forced to be more conscious about art and that hotel designers are encouraging them to become more imaginative.

Hugh Ridway, chief executive of Hustyns hotel in Cornwall, which has artist Mitch Griffiths on the payroll, says: "Art is the whole ethos here. We've pitched ourselves right at the top of the leisure industry in the West Country. Cornwall has a wonderful tradition of art and it was a natural progression to put art in the hotel. It's about attention to detail, about putting ourselves at the top."

Putting yourself in a position that separates you from your competitors appears to be the main thrust of the art trend. But with more and more people jumping on the bandwagon and leaving the cloned bedroom prints of yesteryear behind, hoteliers will have to do even more to differentiate themselves.

Peter Tyrie, managing director of the Eton Group, which owns and operates the Glasshouse hotel in Edinburgh, has done just that. The hotel opened in June to considerable controversy because each of its 65 bedrooms features photographs of naked women by Scottish artist Trevor Yerbury. Although the work was branded by one Scottish MP as "saucy wallpaper", Tyrie says the photos are not about sexual titillation, but about art and being different.

"It's all about uniqueness. I wouldn't want people going to another hotel and seeing the same thing. We want to make people talk about it. It's all part of the parcel. Art plays an extremely important role," Tyrie says.

Alistair Roy, commercial director of Apex Hotels, which uses its wall space like a gallery, says art complements the style of its hotels. "We're a contemporary, design-led, four-star hotel group," Roy says, "and we wanted to stand out."

Robert Henke, sales and marketing director of Park Plaza Hotels, agrees. "We have design-led hotels so we need contemporary art pieces to complement the decor we have," he says. "It makes an impression and that's its purpose," he adds. "It makes us a bit different from the competition."

Robert Claesson, general manager of the Victoria Park Plaza hotel in London, says art is vital to the hotel. "It's important because it complements the whole design and style of the hotel. It creates a soul that otherwise we wouldn't have."

Getting art into your business can be expensive, with many hoteliers spending a minimum of £100,000 to deck out a single property, but it doesn't have to blow the budget. A growing trend is for hoteliers to use their properties as galleries, hanging art that's for sale and which changes regularly.

Roy says using Apex hotels as galleries is a cost-effective way of getting art into them. He says there is minimal capital expenditure for the group as all they have to pay for is insurance and transportation.

Apex, which changes the art in its properties every three to six months, reckons its hotels are enhanced by the ever-changing range of art, which adds to their style and design. "Using hotels as galleries gives artists a wide breadth of clients and constant traffic," Roy says. The deal also brings people into the hotel and benefits its food and drink operations.

Henke's Victoria Park Plaza hotel borrows work from consultancy Artlink. He says this means the hotel remains a cut above its competitors. "This hotel has just a bit extra because it changes every so often. It's also an additional service for our clients, because if they like it they can take it home," he says. Park Plaza, the artist and Artlink all get a cut if a piece of work is sold and any work that isn't is put up for auction at Sotheby's in London, Amsterdam or New York. Although the hotel has sold only a handful of pieces since opening in September 2001, Henke hopes the deal with Artlink will eventually become a profit generator.

But not all hoteliers are getting into art for their customers and profit margins. Some do it simply to boost staff morale. Christian Grage, general manager of the 544-bedroom Corinthia Towers hotel in Prague, teamed up with British graffiti artist Chris Fenwick to liven up the back-of-house areas.

Fenwick painted a number of cartoon images in staff areas, which Grage says has done wonders for the happiness and productivity of his staff. "My employees are smiling all the time," Grage says, "which is good for business and I've got all this without training, just pictures."

So whether you want your hotel to make sure you're giving your more discerning customers what they expect, or are looking for a way to lower staff turnover, art it seems, may have some of the answers. Without it, say those who have it, you risk being just as dull as the cloned Athena prints hanging on every other hotel bedroom wall.

You buying?

Phoenix Contemporary
0141-552 0702
www.phoenixcontemporary.co.uk

International Art Consultants/Art for Offices 020 7481 1337
www.afo.co.uk

EasyArt
0845 1662 732
www.easyart.com

Blink Red
0131-625 0188
www.blinkred.com

Plan Art Consultants
020 7739 3007
www.plan-art.co.uk