Hotel Artwork: A Comprehensive Selection Guide — Photo by Bizzmark

No matter what type of art we're talking about, whether it's the pattern on the carpet, intricate graphics on columns, framed portraits or any other type of ornament, art can truly elevate the look of any hotel. Not only that, but a hotel that doesn't feature any type of art is sure to feel simply weird and too sterile.

However, when choosing the appropriate artwork for your hotel, you should avoid going too overboard, try to follow a certain theme and stay consistent. Here, we'll explore some useful tips that should help you out on your journey of selecting the best artwork for your hotel.

Know your theme

First and foremost, in order to be able to find art that truly matches your hotel, you should first decide on the theme. However, we're not talking about the hotel's theme here, but the artwork. For instance, you first need to decide if the prevailing art in your hotel will be in the form of paintings, pictures, sculptures, etc. Then, you should try to find a common theme between those pieces in order to avoid coming off as too random and creating an environment that feels hectic.

Ask culture to help you out

Alternatively, if you don't really know what type of art you want to feature in your hotel, you can always ask your regional culture and history to help you out. The fact of the matter is that people generally like to learn as much as possible about the place they're visiting and staying at, and your hotel might offer them a great opportunity to do so through a careful selection of wall art you choose to display.

Decide how much you want to invest

Next, once you decide on your preferred type of art, you should consider how much you're willing to spend. First, do understand that art is not cheap, which means that you will have to set aside a hefty budget. Next, if you are running a luxurious hotel, do know that "cheaper" art can potentially lessen the overall vibe you have going on. Finally, decide if you'd like to go with art created by famous artists or you'd prefer to support your local artists instead.

Know your hotel

In order to be able to choose the best type of art, you also need to know your hotel. What kind of people are staying in your hotel? Is it more oriented to youth or it attracts senior guests? Not only that, but you should consider your location and brand as well and try to incorporate all of that in the process of selection. To make it a bit clearer, look at it this way - a casino hotel in Las Vegas can easily afford to have artwork that's a bit more on the weird or unconventional side of the spectrum, while a cute little family hotel on Long Island should go for a more toned down and gentle vibe.

Try to keep it consistent

It's also important to note that, for the best possible outcome, you should aim at consistency regarding the artwork you choose to implement in your hotel. For instance, every hotel should feature a breathtaking statement piece in the lobby that will sort of set the tone for what can be expected throughout the rest of it. So, let's say you opt for interesting canvas prints to be displayed in your hotel. You can order an oversized canvas print for your lobby and scale down throughout the rest of the hotel. This way, you will have uniformed and cohesive art that will look simply amazing, but it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Get ready for some questions

Furthermore, you should prepare to answer questions regarding the art pieces you decide to display in your hotel. People, when they find something they like, usually like to find out more about it. That's why you should either have a printed flyer promoting the artist(s) featured in your hotel, or you should display their name below the art itself so that anyone who's interested can find out more about it.

Contrast

Finally, if the complementing and cohesive design simply doesn't seem to work the way you wanted it to, you can opt for completely contrasting art instead. This will allow you to make a statement without coming off as too aggressive with your choice. If the overall colour scheme of your hotel is based on neutrals and pastels, consider making a bold statement by implementing loud and colourful art pieces to break off the monotony.

When choosing the art for your hotel, make sure you choose something that will leave an impression on your guests, but that won't make them feel uncomfortable in any sense. Alternatively, you can choose to tell a story through the displayed pieces or simply go with something bold and appealing.