Banksy opens art hotel in Bethlehem
British graffiti artist Banksy has unveiled a nine-bedroom art hotel in Bethlehem, called the Walled Off hotel.
Situated adjacent to the Israeli West Bank wall, which divides Palestine from Israel, one room allows guests to sleep underneath one of his artworks showing a Palestinian and an Israeli in a pillow fight. Artists Banksy, Sami Musa and Dominique Petrin have customised guest rooms, with more to follow.
The hotel also houses a gallery dedicated to art created in Palestine and the diaspora, a piano bar, and a museum which tells the story of the wall. A ‘budget' room, outfitted with surplus items from Israeli military barracks, is available from $30 (£25) a night.
Wisam Salsaa, the owner of the hotel, said the establishment will officially open on 11 March. Operated by the local community, the hotel staff did not know about the artist's involvement until today.
The artist's works first appeared on walls in Bristol. His identity is unknown, but his works have been known to be worth as much as $1.8m (£1.5m).
Banksy's website says of the hotel: "The aim is to tell the story of the wall from every side and give visitors the opportunity to discover it for themselves."
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