You Can Now Pay For Your Hotel with Art–At Least in Sweden

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Clarion Hotel Stockholm

How’s this for a hotel promotion? Submit an original work of art to the Clarion Hotel Stockholm and stay the night free of charge.Starting this month, art will act as currency in the Swedish hotel, and guests can take advantage of the deal for up two nights a year. The Clarion was inspired by the Chelsea Hotel in New York, which famously let artists and musicians stay gratis in exchange for their art.

“It all started with the fact that our general manager’s grandfather was an artist,” Clarion’s PR and marketing manager Tess Mattisson told Swedish newspaper The Local. The GM’s grandfather had some of his own art hanging in the Chelsea Hotel; after its closing, the manager was inspired to launch his own version of the program.

For guests vying for a free night or two’s stay in Stockholm, the protocol is simple. The art must fit on an A4 piece of paper and be signed by the artist, and presented upon arrival to the hotel, along with a Room for Art form.  Full ownership and rights to the art is transferred to the hotel upon submission, so artists must be sure they’re willing to part with their work.

(READ: How to Steal a Precious Salvador Dali Painting in Two Easy Steps)

Also, for anyone worrying about whether their drawing would pass as “art,” Mattisson reassures, “Who are we to be judgmental about art?” Meaning, yes, that haphazard painting of your cat will qualify.

“Accommodation is what we know and we’re happy to provide it. Everyone is welcome here, from young and upcoming artists to those that are already established,” he told The Local.

Submissions have already been pouring been, and the response has been “overwhelming,” Mattisson said. Get in line, budding artists!

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