Banksy creates “world’s worst view” at Bethlehem hotel

A post shared by Reuters (@reuters) on Mar 3, 2017 at 11:56am PST

Surreptitious street artist Banksy is getting into interior design. The famously cheeky artist has decorated the interiors of the Walled Off Hotel in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, creating what he calls the “hotel with the worst view in the world.”

The nine-room guesthouse’s windows overlook the barrier that separates the territory from Israel. And now, the hotel boasts a “Banksy Room,” where the artist has painted a mural on the wall above the bed, which depicts a Palestinian and an Israeli having a pillow fight, according to the New York Times.

The hotel is sure to become a mecca to fans of Banksy’s political and irreverent style, and somewhat surprisingly, the hotel isn’t planning to gouge its guests for the privilege of sleeping beneath a Banksy. The hotel will open to guests next week with rooms starting at just $30 a night.

A Palestinian guest house packed with artwork of the elusive British graffiti artist Banksy unveiled itself Friday in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, with a sneak peek of what the owner sarcastically called the “hotel with the worst view in the world.” Wisam Salsaa, 42, said the nine-room establishment named “The Walled Off Hotel” will officially open on Mar. 11, but he offered a handful of reporters a tour of the hotel looking directly at the West Bank separation barrier erected by Israel to ward off potential Palestinian attackers. The barrier is heavily decorated by artists, and Banksy has previously painted several murals on a walled segment of it. Photos by @dusanvranic For more, visit apimagesblog.com – link at profile. #Banksy #border #wall #pillowfight #Palestinian #Israeli #TheWalledOffHotel #DusanVranic #AP #AssociatedPress

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[NYT] —Christopher Cameron