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Der Greif Studio Ambassador Julia Faulhaber works with leading properties across the DACH region, including CERVO Mountain Resort, The Chedi Andermatt and the Lanserhof Group. She thinks deeply about what sets a property apart and why guests come back. Diana Poole spoke with her about what guests are really looking for, why the best hotels feel connected to the identity of a place, and where art fits in.
DP: What are guests really seeking from a hotel today, and how has that shifted in the last few years?
JF: I think we sometimes overcomplicate this question. The basics still matter enormously: location, the quality of the product, cleanliness and friendliness, professional service. If those things aren’t right, no amount of storytelling will save a hotel.
But these are the things that make you choose a hotel. They are not necessarily the reason you come back.
You return because a place made you feel something. Because you felt genuinely welcome and valued. Because you shared a wonderful moment with someone you love – or perhaps had a moment entirely to yourself. Sometimes it is something very small that stays with you.
For me, a hotel has never been simply a place to sleep. It is an emotional place. And I don’t think that has changed as much as we sometimes claim. Great hotels have always understood this.
What has changed is that the product level has become incredibly high. Beautiful rooms, excellent food, spas and great design are increasingly expected. So the human and emotional side has become even more important as a point of difference.
At the end of the day, we don’t remember everything that was perfect. We remember how a place – and the people in it – made us feel.
DP: When a property has a strong art programme, does it change what you’re able to say about it?
JF: Absolutely. And I think the word strong is important here.
For me, a strong art programme means that art is genuinely part of the hotel. It tells a story that fits the property, adds another layer to it, or reveals something about the people behind it. It is not simply art on a wall.
Some hotel owners are passionate art collectors, and you can feel that throughout their properties. The CERVO Mountain Resort in Zermatt, the Volkshaus Basel and The Dolder Grand in Zurich are very different examples of this.
But a strong art programme doesn’t necessarily require a permanent collection. Hotels can also create a cultural dialogue through changing exhibitions. The Mandarin Oriental Savoy in Zurich, for example, is currently showing Maurice Haas’ We Remain Strangers until the end of November.
From a communications perspective, this absolutely changes what I can say about a hotel. It gives me another story to tell. But I think it does something even more important for the guest.
Art inspires curiosity. You stop, you look, you ask questions. You want to know who the artist is, why this particular work is here, or what the story behind it might be. And suddenly there is a conversation – with the hotel, with the people you are travelling with, perhaps even with other guests.
That is when art becomes really interesting to me. When it is not decoration, but part of the hotel’s identity and part of the guest experience. It creates emotion, curiosity and dialogue – and those are exactly the things we tend to remember.
"Art inspires curiosity. You stop, you look, you ask questions."
DP: What do you see as the main ways that art can elevate the guest experience?
JF: "Art can appeal to you, it can challenge you, or you may not notice it at all. That is very personal. But I find it particularly exciting when art goes beyond something you simply look at and becomes part of the hotel experience itself.
One of my favourite examples is Le Sirenuse in Positano. Swiss artist Nicolas Party transformed the hotel's swimming pool into a site-specific artwork made from glass mosaics. So you don't just stand in front of the art – you are literally swimming in it. I love that idea. The guest becomes part of the artwork, even changing it through movement, water and light.
Another fascinating example is the Hotel Helvetia in Zurich. Its owners Leopold Weinberg and Adrian Hagenbach have been collecting art for many years. With Room For Art, they work with contemporary artists including Pamela Rosenkranz, Jenny Brosinski, Kerim Seiler and Katja Schenker. Each exhibition eventually leaves something permanent behind: a hotel room becomes an artwork in its own right. Guests don't just see the art. They actually live and sleep within it.
For me, that is where art can really elevate a hotel experience. It becomes something you experience rather than something you simply observe. It can make you curious, create a conversation, perhaps even challenge you. And it gives you a very different connection to a place.
That is much more powerful than simply hanging a beautiful picture above the bed."
DP: What has changed in how Swiss hospitality thinks about culture in the last few years?
JF: I think there is a much stronger awareness that Swissness is a real asset. But Swissness today is not about putting a Swiss flag somewhere or serving fondue. It is about having a genuine connection to the place you are in.
Travellers increasingly want to experience local culture. They want to understand where they are, meet people, discover food, art, architecture and traditions. And I think hotels have understood that they can play an important role in creating that connection.
For me, this comes back to authenticity. A hotel needs its own identity. It needs to know who it is, what it stands for and what connects it to its destination. Otherwise, it becomes interchangeable.
I work in PR for hotels, so I look at this very much from a storytelling perspective as well. We need strong content to build a brand over many years. And that content has to be consistent with the actual hotel experience. You cannot invent an identity for PR purposes.
The most interesting hotels give you stories naturally – through the people, the culture, the food, the art or the history of the place. That is what builds a brand in the long term. And it is also what gives guests a real sense of where they are.
DP: What’s the biggest misconception hotel owners and GMs have about bringing art into a property?
JF: I think the most important thing is that the art has to resonate with the hotel owner or the GM. Art is incredibly personal. What I love, you might dislike completely – and that is part of what makes it interesting.
If there is no real interest or knowledge within the hotel, I would always recommend bringing in a sparring partner. Someone who understands art, but also understands the hotel and can help develop a direction that feels authentic to the property.
Because for me, art is an important part of a hotel. Hotels are stages. We think carefully about architecture, interiors, lighting, music, flowers and even scent. Art is part of that same staging.
But it shouldn’t feel as though someone simply decided that a luxury hotel needs some expensive art on its walls. It has to feel personal and connected to the place.
And ultimately, I think the owner or GM should be able to stand in front of a piece and say: I chose this for a reason.
"Hotels are stages. We think carefully about architecture, interiors, lighting, music, flowers and even scent. Art is part of that same staging."
DP: What makes you stop in front of an artwork?
JF: It starts with curiosity. Something catches my eye and makes me want to come closer. I start looking at the details, I discover something I didn’t see at first, and somehow I stay. There is a certain magic in that moment which is difficult to explain.
I have just been to Homo Faber in Venice, the biennial dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship. What I found incredibly inspiring was not only seeing the finished pieces, but also meeting some of the artisans and watching them work. Suddenly you understand the time, skill and patience behind an object.
And perhaps that is something we need more than ever. We live incredibly fast lives. We scroll, we look, we move on. Art and craftsmanship can make us do the opposite. They make us stop, look more closely and take our time.
There is also something very human about seeing what somebody can create with their hands and skills developed over many years. I find that deeply inspiring, and I really hope we continue to value and preserve this kind of craftsmanship for future generations.
DP: What makes a hotel a perfect hotel for you?
JF: For me, it is the combination of location, genuine warmth, design and charm.
A hotel can be beautifully designed, but if I don’t feel genuinely welcome, something is missing. And charm is very important to me. It is often found in the little imperfections, the personality of a place and the people who bring it to life.
The perfect hotel has a sense of place. It feels right where it is, rather than something that could simply be anywhere in the world.
And in the end, it is quite simple: I want to leave thinking, I would love to come back.