Have a look inside Banksy’s hotel
When Banksy redefines the codes of spiritual travel experience.
“Walls are hot right now, but I was into them long before [Donald] Trump made it cool.” — Banksy
Banksy, the “enfant terrible” of the street art scene, has once again provoked surprise by opening a peculiar hotel in Bethlehem: the Walled Off Hotel. After Dismaland, the anonymous artist has turned a former pottery shop in what he defines as an “all-inclusive vandals resort”.
By being 5 meters away from the wall separating Israel and Palestine, the least we can say is that the location is charged with stories and emotions. With only 25 minutes a day of direct natural sunlight, the hotel is ironically advertised as “the worst view of any hotel in the world”.
The tea shop
The hotel’s piano bar is strongly influenced by British colonial influences. Among the old fashioned book shelves and the freshly baked scones served every day, some of Banksy’s most irreverent artworks are beautifully curated in such a kitsch environment.
The independent gallery
While the hotel is in itself a hybrid art gallery, the Walled Off Hotel also features an independent art space curated by Dr. Housni Alkhateeb Shehada that celebrates Palestinian contemporary art.
The Museum
The Walled Off Hotel’s experience is highly enhanced thanks to an on-site museum dedicated to the wall.
The Bookshop
In order to deepen their knowledge about the wall, the residents can enjoy an old-fashioned bookshop specialised into publications about the wall.
The Bunk Beds
The Walled Off Hotel meets every budget thanks to a falsely modest military inspired dorm starting from $30 a night.
The Classic Rooms
Banksy, helped by Sami Musa and Dominique Petrin, went way beyond a tasteful interior design exercise; the Walled Off Hotel is in itself a masterpiece. Each of the scenic rooms has its very own universe and are equipped with “wifi, fridge, radio, personal safe and air conditioning” but no TV!
The Presidential Suite
This ostentatious suite is beautifully described as:
“equipped with everything a corrupt head of state would need — a plunge bath able to accommodate up to four revellers, original artwork, library, home cinema, roof garden, tiki bar and a water feature made from a bullet riddled water tank. Comes with a complete set of Dead Sea bath minerals and an in-room dining service available upon request.”
