Skift Take

Collecting eye-catching pieces of artwork is one way to set yourself apart from the competition.

Series: New Luxury

Luxury Travel News

The Skift New Luxury column is our weekly column focused on the business of selling luxury travel, the people and companies creating and selling experiences, emerging trends, and the changing consumer habits around the sector.

Given the sheer number of deals AccorHotels has done over the past few years, some of its acquisitions almost seem to slip under the radar.

That’s kind of what happened with the purchase of 21c Museum Hotels at the end of last month. OK, it only cost Accor $51 million for an 85 percent stake in the eight-hotel group, but it was still a very interesting play.

As Skift Senior Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting wrote in her piece, the “brand is best known for combining the experience of a contemporary art gallery or museum and bringing it into a hotel setting, often in destinations not necessarily known for their art scenes.”

And 21c Museum Hotels isn’t the only hospitality company promoting art in their properties, as our story this week shows.

But the question is: Can a small, idiosyncratic hotel company thrive within a hospitality giant like Accor?

For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @paddywhyte.

— Patrick Whyte, Europe Editor

5 Looks at Luxury

High-End Hotels Can Use Art for Bottom Line’s Sake: In this Instagram era, a hotel art collection can be framed as an insta-marketing tool. We talked with several art curators about how luxury hotels can use art as a platform for branding and for creating local buzz.

Why United Is Considering Putting Flatbed Seats on New Domestic Jets: Here’s another reminder that airlines are fiercely competitive. Until recently, U.S. airlines generally weren’t considering adding premium business class seats on domestic routes beyond New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. But a few years ago, JetBlue disrupted the market with its Mint business class, and now United is considering a similar move.

Travel Agency Association Remakes Itself in New Consumer Marketing Campaign: There is something happening at the newly named American Society of Travel Advisors. It not only has a new name, but has a new energy and confidence about where it is headed as it reaches out directly to a new generation of travelers.

Mandarin Oriental Picks Chile’s Hot Hotel Market for First South American Property: Going with the safer bet is probably a good idea if it’s a hotel’s first time setting up shop on a continent, especially if you’re a luxury hotel company like Mandarin Oriental.

Anbang Spiffs Up Waldorf Astoria to Reopen It in 2021: As Anbang’s financial struggles continue, its best bet remains getting the Waldorf Astoria modernized and open for business. As the renovations drag on, though, one has to wonder if Hilton will simply open a new property in New York City.

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Skift Europe Editor Patrick Whyte [[email protected]] curates the New Luxury newsletter. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday.

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Tags: 21c hotels, accor, art, hotels, luxury, museums

Photo credit: The 21c Museum Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. High-end hotels are spending more money on the art collections. 21c Museum Hotels

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