A Replica of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa was displayed at the Meydan Hotel in Dubai earlier this year, amid a lot of fanfare. The pure alabaster tower, reproduced from the original drawings of the famous Tower of Pisa, was flanked by high-profile attendees, including the Consul General of Italy to Dubai, and the director of Tuscany Tourism Board, who flew all the way from Italy for the event.
This gets one thinking about the unique functions of art in hotels. Why would a hotel make an investment in art or host a travelling showcase, such as the above? From an owner’s perspective, how much should one invest in art and sculpture? How will one calculate the returns on this investment? Do you really need this expenditure? Several hoteliers politely refused to comment on art from the investment point of view.
We briefly chatted with Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO of Rotana Hotels, about this and he said, “Art is a very important part of the success of a hotel. When you walk in, you want to feel comfortable, you want to feel relaxed and happy – art is an important part of the milieu that provides this character and warmth that defines the mood and the brand itself.
“Having said that, how much value does art add to a hotel and whether the investment would be justified in the long run? That is an interesting question to ponder upon. If I put Picassos in my lobby, I will never get my money back. You know how much they cost. So, it follows that if someone over-invested in art, it would probably make their investment financially unfeasible.”
This gets one thinking about the unique functions of art in hotels. Why would a hotel make an investment in art or host a travelling showcase, such as the above? From an owner’s perspective, how much should one invest in art and sculpture? How will one calculate the returns on this investment? Do you really need this expenditure? Several hoteliers politely refused to comment on art from the investment point of view.
We briefly chatted with Omer Kaddouri, president and CEO of Rotana Hotels, about this and he said, “Art is a very important part of the success of a hotel. When you walk in, you want to feel comfortable, you want to feel relaxed and happy – art is an important part of the milieu that provides this character and warmth that defines the mood and the brand itself.
“Having said that, how much value does art add to a hotel and whether the investment would be justified in the long run? That is an interesting question to ponder upon. If I put Picassos in my lobby, I will never get my money back. You know how much they cost. So, it follows that if someone over-invested in art, it would probably make their investment financially unfeasible.”
Iconic pieces of art play a key role in driving visually appealing content for travellers to share with their networks on social media