Want an original travel souvenir? Artist’s US$2,700 holiday portraits that apply architectural techniques
- French painter David Djian’s portraits are a new offering at the Hotel Métropole in Monte Carlo, part of its series of ‘Just for You’ guest amenities
- Portraits are just as in style now as they were in the past, Djian says. But he’s had no takers at the hotel yet
Travel’s ferocious comeback has exposed our innate need for human connection and a desire for hyper-experiential, personalised moments on the road.
That’s what the Hotel Métropole, in Monte Carlo, is counting on with its latest offering in its series of “Just for You” guest amenities: sitting for a portrait by French painter David Djian (or Djiango), starting at US$2,700.
“I do believe that a lot of people now, particularly after the pandemic, want to get back to real life, to socialising, meeting people, to see the artists and exchange with the artists,” says Serge Ethuin, general manager at the Hotel Métropole, a 19th-century elite escape that was modernised in 2004 by French interior designer Jacques Garcia.
“Having somebody taking a picture of you lasts about a few seconds – it’s something you’re going to keep, but it’s not an experience.”
“Your Métropole Portrait by Djiango” is one of 10 “Just for You” amenities, a programme that Ethuin says was launched long ago as part of the hotel’s ethos that it is not in the business of selling bedrooms or restaurant seats, but the business of selling emotions.
