Banksy is back at it again with the Walled Off Hotel, a full-service art hotel located in the West Bank city of Bethlehem billed as having “the worst view in the world.” With windows overlooking the wall separating the Palestinian territory from Israel, it’s hard to disagree.
Its opening coincides with the centenary year of 2017, marking a hundred years “since the British took control of Palestine and helped kick start a Century of confusion and conflict.”
According to the FAQ section on its website, the Walled Off Hotel was entirely set up and financed by Banksy and is not aligned with any political movement or pressure group. The aim is to tell the story of the West Bank wall from every side and give visitors the opportunity to discover it for themselves.
Lodging ranges from a $30 per night for a budget room outfitted with surplus items from an Israeli military barracks to a presidential suite that sleeps up to six people. The real attractions, however, are the customized guest rooms curated by Sami Musa, Dominique Petrin, and Banksy himself — they’re designed to be like living inside a work of art.
In addition to the hotel itself, there’s a colonial-themed piano bar open to non-residents, along with a museum curated in association with Dr. Gavin Grindon of Essex University and a gallery curated by Dr. Housni Alkhateeb Shehada.
Of particular interest is the aforementioned piano bar, which houses an automated player piano featuring original scores from Massive Attack’s 3D, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Flea, Hans Zimmer, and more. A different pre-recorded “concert” will play every night at 9 PM.
The hotel officially starts taking bookings on March 11 at 9 AM GMT. Apparently, Banksy’s aiming to keep the hotel open for the whole centenary year, so expect more news to come.
Below, watch a video presenting the hotel as posted to Banksy’s Instagram. Additional photographs follow.
