Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi will be constructing a luxury hotel room around Singapore's national monument, the Merlion, for the Singapore Biennale 2011.
The Merlion is an 8.6 metre tall sculpture of an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish; it sits proudly at Marina Bay, Singapore's pre-eminent lifestyle precinct. The Merlion is also a mascot of Singapore.
When completed the 100 square-metre room -- creatively called the Merlion Hotel --will be equipped with a queen-sized bed and other mod cons. Its bay-facing balcony will afford privileged guests unique views of Marina Bay Sands, the other de facto icon of Singapore.
Although The Merlion Hotel will only be open from March 13 to May 15, we hear that all available room nights have already been snapped up. Not surprsing as this is the first time a "hotel room around monument" will be seen in Singapore and a never before chance to sleep with the Merlion. This provocative art installation is clearly intended to challenge how one interacts with Singapore's national mascot.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Artistic Hospitality
- Opportunity for hotels to collaborate with artists to create unique and immersive art installations within their establishments.
- Monumental Tourism
- Travel and hospitality industries can capitalize on significant national monuments and create bespoke experiences around them for tourists.
- Bespoke Accommodation
- Opportunity for hotels to tailor rooms to specific themes or surroundings, creating personalized and unique guest experiences.
Where This Applies
- Hospitality
- Hotels can leverage the power of art to create unique, immersive experiences for guests, encouraging repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
- Travel
- The travel industry can further capitalize on significant national monuments as tourist destinations by creating bespoke experiences related to the monument.
- Art
- Artists can collaborate with hotels to create novel and thought-provoking installations that provoke deeper engagement and dialogue between art and society.
