by Adele R
Originally published in the November 2003 Currents

The new luxury establishment, Le Royal Méridien, opened September 1 in Hamburg just down the street from an old-timer, The Atlantic Hotel, and with an even more spectacular view of the city and the Alster Lake. But spectacular views are often part of luxury hotels the world over, as are fabulous furnishings (in this case, all cool and ultra modern), luxurious baths and wonderful service.

The new Méridien sets itself apart from other such hotels in a unique way: a permanent collection of 640 works of contemporary art from 2000 to 2003 by 50 Hamburg artists – paintings, videos, sculptures, photographs and even an Internet program which allows you to produce your very own artwork. The artists, many of whom designed works especially for designated locations in the hotel, were chosen by a jury of experts, including Dr. Christian Heinrich from the Galerie der Gegenwart (Gallery of Contemporary Art) and gallerist Ruth Sachse, who put the collection together.

In addition to the art collection, owned by the landlord, the Volksfürsorge Versicherung GmBH, the hotel is a geek’s dream of state of the art high tech accessories – from multimedia TV on 106-cm flat screens to the room safes which are big enough for your laptop, with a docking station to recharge the batteries while you go to dinner. And the contents of the minibar are included in the room prices. Whoopee!

Some of the art is really interesting. One innovative example by Inga Svala-Thórsdóttir: a video (available on all the TVs) of a woman walking down the corridor on the 10th floor, disrobing as she goes; on the corridor itself are glass jars of the pulverized clothing and accessories she is discarding in the video. Or the montage by Simon E. Wassermann of a nude stearin figure from the back lying on a piece of carpet which is set under glass in a classy, blond wooden make-up table in the President’s Suite. Or, one of my favorites also by Wasserman: the message in a bottle – a neon light and blown glass sculpture with 18 large glass bottles holding flashing, handwritten neon messages, hanging overhead in the 9th floor restaurant.

On one floor a door – looking like all the other doors on the corridor – is leaning forgotten against the wall as if the workers hadn’t quite finished the job. It has posters and cutouts much like you’d find in a teenager’s room, and guests are invited to add their own stuff.

If you are not a guest, you can still view the art on all the floors and in the public spaces of the hotel, including in the spiffy Le Ciel restaurant and bar on the 9th floor, with its spectacular view and private elevator on the outside of the hotel.

But I like Becky T’s idea of a great getaway: a weekend at the Méridien, lying in bed (headboards: etched glass in various designs by five of the artists) watching television and videos on the flat screen, writing emails to all your friends, and drinking Sekt from the minibar, admiring the art as you go. And all for bargain prices from now until February 29: double rooms from EUR 125 (small but elegant) to EUR 255 for a junior suite.