L7 Hongdae, run by Lotte Hotel, is exhibiting about 30 works by domestic pop artist “Mimi.” Various works will be presented in the lobby, ranging from large character installations to paintings and mixed media, which are good for taking and uploading proof shots on social networking services (SNS). It is an open exhibition that anyone can visit even if they are not guests. Admission is free. If you visit at 5 p.m. on the 23rd, you can meet with the writer and talk.
It also directly forms partnerships with famous art galleries. The Plaza Hotel, operated by Hanwha Hotel & Resort, collaborated with the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which is a hot place for the MZ generation and geographically adjacent. In the case of the Deoksugung Palace Museum of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, you can arrive just by crossing a crosswalk from the main gate of the hotel, and the Seoul Museum is within 30 minutes of a walk. In addition to room accommodation, they will also offer invitations for two exhibitions, an art museum eco-bag, and a hotel limited edition key ring.
This is because the core customer base of the hotel industry and the “art enjoyment” are matched by the MZ generation. Instead of a sharp drop in reservations for foreign tourists after the COVID-19 outbreak, hotel and vacation families in their 20s and 30s filled the spot. An official from the hotel industry said, “For the past two years, the age range of using not only rooms but also auxiliary facilities such as food and beverage and spa has become younger,” adding, “As the exhibition becomes an ‘instagramable’ material and the interest of young people in art has increased, the demand is consistent.” An official from Hotel Lotte said, “We have recruited an outstanding rookie artist targeting MZ generation customers.”
In fact, art marketing is attracting young customers. The Plaza Hotel’s package of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is currently in the top three of the 10 package products sold at the hotel. Unlike 80% of guests in the past were business customers, 70% of customers in their 20s and 30s now account for 70%, an official at Hanwha Hotel & Resort said. “As the proportion of young customers is high, there is a great response to the museum-linked package.”
● Emphasize the hotel’s “elegance” by providing space for purchasing works
As MZ generation’s interest in art technologies such as galleries and art fair open runs increases, hotels are also reborn as spaces for selling works. It was not only an exhibition of the work, but also a purchase.
Vista Walkerhill Seoul is operating an art collection exhibition and sales space on the site in cooperation with “Print Bakery” operated by Seoul Auction. It introduces the works of artists from the Jangheung Ghana Art Center five to six times a year, and the art shop next to the exhibition hall also sells art products such as interior props and tableware. An official from Walkerhill said, “Considering the high proportion of customers in their 20s and 40s compared to Grand Walkerhill Seoul, we select artists and works that MZ generation art collectors will like.”
Art marketing also has the advantage of strengthening the hotel’s luxurious image. Department stores, which are the “original” of art marketing, have differentiated luxury images by installing global works as external sculptures or displaying them in VIP-only lounges in the past. An official from the distribution industry said, “Because there is a strong perception that viewing and purchasing art is a ‘elegant lifestyle’, it can show the hotel brand in a more luxurious way. The cost of recruiting artists or galleries is also cheaper than other marketing methods.”