“Room for Art” is the latest idea conceived by the Clarion Hotel Stockholm. The initiative, which has been in place since the 8th June of this year, enables guests to pay for their sojourn with art. With the scheme the hotel aims to support struggling artists.
“What is art?” is a question often faced by students of Philosophy the world over. At the Clarion Hotel Stockholm, the general philosophy is “If you consider it art, we don’t argue.” The new Room for Art scheme allows guests to sell a piece of art in exchange for one night’s stay. The only conditions: the artwork must be original and signed by the artist.So far, the scheme has proved very popular, with the hotel currently receiving around 20 pieces of artwork a week; a number which is steeply rising. To participate, artists must download a form from the hotel website and submit it upon arrival alongside their creation. So far, the hotel has been able to accommodate all those who have wished to participate, although their preferred date is subject to availability.The idea is to support young upcoming artists, both by offering them free accommodation for the night (the offer can be used up to two times a year per person), and by promoting their work. For this reason, participants are not required to have already presented their work in exhibitions or sold their pieces before.The lack of restrictions begs the question: Is the scheme abused? Tess Mattisson, the hotel’s PR & Marketing Manager, explains that so far people have been respectful and have not abused of the initiative. “If in the future this changes, then yes, we may have to introduce more restrictions,” she says, adding: “In any case, the worst that can happen is that we give away a free room for one night.”And the benefits from a business perspective? "Apart from benefitting from increased occupancy rates, the scheme has attracted worldwide media interest," Ms Mattisson explains.What does the hotel do with the artwork? “We haven’t decided!” she says, “We have many ideas.” Amongst others, the hotel is considering a virtual gallery enabling people to view the artwork online; an annual exhibition displaying the best pieces; and possibly an auction, the proceeds of which would be used to fund local culture projects and promote tourism in the region. As part of this commitment, Clarion Hotel has also teamed up with nearby Steinsland Berliner Gallery. Together they try to bring exposure to youth art; their latest exhibition is entitled “Snabba Linjer” and aims to pay tribute to street art and graffiti.Amongst the hotel’s other aims is reducing the impact of hotel stays on the environment. Clarion prides itself in being the only hotel in Sweden that enables visitors to calculate their carbon footprint for the entire length of their stay, whether they are there overnight, for a conference, or for dinner in the hotel restaurant. The hotel’s environmental policy is manifested in its constant efforts to reduce the use of non-renewable materials, chemical, water and energy and minimise waste and transport within the company.
