It was the Hotel Vik in Milan, the perfectly suitable location to host “Behind The Scenes”, the press event organized by Glion Institute of Higher Education now in its second edition.
The topic addressed? The integration of art into the hospitality sector. A moment of discussion with experts in the luxury hospitality and art sector which highlights how the trend of a dialogue between hotels and art is on the rise.
A visionary approach to education and art
Frédéric Picard, general director of Glion, laid the groundwork to explain the institution’s decision to introduce a Bachelor in Luxury programme. “We created Bachelor and Master programs on luxury because many companies in the sector were recruiting within our school due to the behavior and habits they found in our students.
The art industry, for example, appreciates the level of service provided by top-tier hospitality schools like Glion,” underlining the importance of incorporating art into the campus environment to immerse students in the universe of luxury from day one.
The intersection between art and interior architecture
Natacha Froger, renowned interior designer, underlined the fundamental role of art in interior design. “Art is an essential dimension that transcends our daily lives and is fundamental in our architectural work.”
The architect spoke about her work in Glion, where the challenge was to seamlessly blend the luxury hospitality environment with an educational institution. “The main thing when designing a hotel is passion. When we think about art in a hotel, we integrate it from the beginning because it touches the light, the space and everything,” she added.
Natacha Froger also shared her experiences of inspiration from travel, particularly highlighting an example from Japan, where art takes center stage.
She discussed how art can be the destination, with everything that revolves around it, and highlighted the 3 main applications of art in hospitality: staging existing works, commissioning dedicated works and creating immersive experiences.
Creating an artistic experience in hospitality
Alessandro Riva, art curator of Galleria Vik Milano, shared his reflections on the transformation of a hotel into an art gallery. “To transform a hotel into an art gallery, the integration of art must start from the design phase. Collaboration with architects and interior designers ensures that art becomes an integral part of the hotel environment” , explained Riva, who spoke about the importance of choosing artwork that resonates with different guests and reflects the hotel’s identity.
“Art in a hotel transforms the space into a living gallery that conveys an emotion, where each guest becomes part of an ongoing artistic dialogue. This unique blend of hospitality and art creates an unforgettable experience that resonates deeply with guests” – he added.
Alessandro Riva spoke about the interactive art experiences organized at Galleria Vik Milano, underlining what makes the hotel so popular. “A successful hotel-gallery hybrid needs a diverse art collection that appeals to a broad audience, a perfect balance between different styles and heterogeneous artists, who have great credibility. This diversity enhances the guest experience and positions the hotel as a cultural hub that reflects the global arts scene,” explained Riva.
Enhancing the guest experience through art
Frédéric Picard delved into the role of art in the hospitality industry, highlighting its impact on the guest experience. “Art in hospitality adds value to design and gives guests access to works of art without visiting a museum. Art creates a visually stimulating and emotionally engaging environment, making hotels more memorable and distinctive.”
He added: “There are many 5-star hotels. If you really want to be different from others, you have to bring something different than just services, and art is the best way to do this. In the future, our students will have to create memorable experiences for their guests, and this may come from the design, services, but also the art they bring to their hotels.”
Hotelmypassion has always believed in this combination capable of creating stimuli and emotions during guests’ stay. We have in fact created the section
Hotels Love Art – Art Loves Hotels
About Glion Institute of Higher Education
Founded in 1962, the Glion Institute of Higher Education is a Swiss institution offering bachelor’s, master’s and executive diploma programs in the hospitality, luxury and finance sectors to an international student body across three campuses in Switzerland and London, United Kingdom United. Glion is ranked among the top 10 higher education institutions in the world for hospitality and leisure management. (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024). Part of Sommet Education, the world’s leading hospitality education network, Glion is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
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