Editor’s note: To read how art can stimulate demand and create a more meaningful guest experience, read “Art in hotels paints profitable pictures.”
SEATTLE—The hotel industry isn’t the only sector feeling the pain from the global economic downturn. The arts are suffering as well, as donations and ticket sales have decreased significantly.
But while funding may be in short supply, an appreciation for the symphony, theater, ballet and other artistic mediums remains.
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A living space in the Alexis Hotel.
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Take the Alexis Hotel in Seattle, Washington, for example. The 121-room property has found that supporting the arts is “suite” music to guests’ ears. General Manager Jenne Neptune said The Alexis, part of Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, LLC, “works with great organizations that mesh well with us and our theme, ‘A Work of Art.’”
Seven themed suites that highlight local artists and performers are available to guests seeking a more meaningful hotel experience. Overnight choices now include an Author’s Suite; Canlis Glass Suite; KMTT radio—The Mountain Suite; Seattle Symphony Suite; Seattle Asian Art Museum Suite and Seattle Art Museum Suite. The hotel donates 10 percent of the roomnight to the art organization affiliated with that room.
About its Pacific Northwest Ballet Suite, the hotel’s Web site declares: “You don't need to be on stage to feel like you're part of a world-class dance company. The Pacific Northwest Ballet suite offers a glimpse behind the scenes with beautiful, candid photographs of the dancers, stage sets, and the dedication to the art of ballet. A separate living room and dining area provide a spacious and bright escape into the beautiful world of dance.”
The suite features a long hallway accentuated with “those enormous photos of dancers, larger than life-size, with shadowboxes of toe shoes, not new, but worn by the ballet dancers.”
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| The Alexis Hotel features seven themed suites that highlight local artists and performers. |
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“It adds a wonderful authenticity to the suite,” said Neptune. “Arts fans or followers who book directly with us and pay that rate know they’re doing something positive about being committed to the cause.”
The hotel celebrates the art of living, she said. She invites guests to enjoy a glass of wine during afternoons and to explore their inner artist by painting postcards to mail home to friends and family.
Andrea Dawson Sheehan, president of Dawson Design Associates, predicts more hotels will go the philanthropic way of The Alexis, for which her firm completed a US$10-million renovation. The Alexis, with its own rotating “Art Walk” and consistent commitment to local arts, has always been recognized as “The Art Hotel” for Seattle. One purpose of the renovation, she said, was to create a collage of stylish spaces and guestrooms that even further elevated the hotel’s affiliation with local arts and culture.
Although it’s difficult to finitely quantify how the partnerships affect the bottom line, Neptune knows they enhance the Alexis experience. For one, they create tangible value-adds for guests. “The hotel has an annual membership to the Seattle Art Museum, so guests can visit free of charge,” she said.
But above all else, they enhance the guest experience and create a lasting impression on visitors.
“Our participation is connected to what the Alexis experience represents to the guest,” she said. “People who stay with us get a sense of us.”
