The art of accommodation

The reception desk at China World Summit Wing Beijing. Provided to China Daily

Hotels are now showcases for world-class treasures, Li Fusheng reports.

Art lovers tend to hang out at museums and art galleries. But now they have another option as more hotels in Beijing show art collections.

Greeted by a traditional Chinese painting 9 meters long and 6 meters high, visitors to the Sofitel Beijing Wanda might think they found a museum by mistake.

By renowned Chinese painter Shi Qi, the painting shows the prosperity of China's Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) with the application of bright colors to depict more than a dozen opulently dressed figures including monarchs, subjects and court ladies with traditional Chinese buildings in the background.

The work is said to be among the largest traditional paintings on the Chinese mainland. Another highlight in the hotel's art collection is something that delicately blends East and West.

Created by Swarovski AG from Austria, it is a trio of crystal peony flowers - a symbol of riches and luxury in China - shining on the wall.

With its sparkling beauty, the artwork never fails to impress those lucky enough to see it. And collections in hotels are becoming trendier. Star-rated hotels, as well as luxury social venues, now often have the additional mission of showing the property owner's taste and meeting increasing aesthetic expectations of guests.

The China World Summit Wing Beijing managed by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is home to more than 100 artworks including murals, paintings and sculpture commissioned from a dozen prominent artists on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States, the hotel's Communications Executive Yin Yibo told China Daily.