Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2019 | Page 129

Business / Interview
E/ If in the past artistic elements were only
used as decoration for luxury hotels, now there
is ARTOTEL: a contemporary hotel brand which
places art as its main concept. Every guest
who visits and stays at an ARTOTEL will feel like
they are at a design studio rather than a hotel.
Art is a major component that features
prominently in various aspects of each hotel.
It is found not only in the contemporary paintings
spread across the walls of the rooms,
but is also adapted in the company’s
promotion and marketing concepts.
As a hospitality product, ARTOTEL appears
strong and different compared to mainstream
hotels. The uniqueness of this product meets
the rise of the millennial tourist segment who
like to look for unique and anti-mainstream
destinations. ARTOTEL was developed amid
a vibrant social media scene with a backdrop
of artistic photos. Erastus Radjimin, the CEO
of ARTOTEL Group, carefully adapted this
millennial trend as part of his business
development strategy. That strategy was
effective in popularising his hotels at the
very centre of the trend.
Erastus says that, apart from hard work and
working smartly, the other big factor that led
to the success of his hotel brand is momentum,
focusing on the emerging market of millennial
travellers and the digitalisation of tourism.
Success was also determined by distinctive
products and services. In terms of content
and culture, ARTOTEL has characteristics
that are difficult to duplicate.
The young entrepreneur who started his
business at the age of 25 truly understands
the interests of the millennials at the heart of
the digital trend. He launched the first ARTOTEL
in Surabaya in 2012 as a start-up. Together with
his sister, Christine Radjimin, he led a small,
multitalented team.
From Surabaya, ARTOTEL spread to Jakarta, Bali,
Yogyakarta, Bandung, Batu and then Semarang.
Now there are 10 ARTOTELs, and there will be
15 more opening in 2019. After that, 25
ARTOTELs will be ready for launch in 2020,
including new hotels that are under ARTOTEL
management.
Creative Business
Now, ARTOTEL has moved beyond the start-up
stage and is beginning to enter a new phase
as a medium sized business with around 1000
employees. Erastus and his team are preparing
their next moves, including growing new brands
such as ARTOTEL Suites, targeting the premium
sector; Bobotel, a budget hotel concept which
incorporates a mall; and the Curated Collection,
stylish properties artistically curated by ARTOTEL
and placed under its management.
ARTOTEL is also developing
a Food & Beverage business,
which includes the
ARTOTEL Beach Club
(ABC), the first beach
club in Sanur, Bali.
This will be followed
by the first beach
club in Jakarta, soon
to open in the Indah
Kapuk Beach area,
and then the first
Day Club in
Yogyakarta. ARTOTEL
is also developing
business events,
in particular those
connected to art exhibitions
and music concerts, along with
a merchandise business that
markets everyday items such
as bags and clothes that are part
of the wearable art category.
“So, this is already much more than a hotel
I want to develop ARTOTEL not just as a hotel
business, but more specifically as a 'creative
business', because it is also about experience
and lifestyle," says Erastus, speaking at his
Jakarta headquarters, which looks more like
a co-working space than a standard office.
Go International
Although it is already big as a creative brand,
ARTOTEL has not forgotten its main
commitment, which is to develop Indonesia’s
artistic community. From the beginning,
the primary motive of Erastus and his sister
has been to introduce contemporary artists
at the international level.
In every city where ARTOTEL will open,
they first select contemporary artists whose
works will colour the ARTOTEL in that city.
Because of this, the company incorporates an
Art Division to find and select talented artists.
A number of talented young artists from various
Indonesian cities have already decorated
ARTOTELs with their contemporary artworks.
Every ARTOTEL always involves several
emerging artists chosen by the Art Division.
To name a few of them, there are Darbotz and
Ryan Tandya whose works appear at ARTOTEL
Thamrin-Jakarta, Heri Pemad and Ronald Apriyan
at ARTOTEL Yogyakarta, then Ines Katamso
and Natisa Jones at ARTOTEL Sanur in Bali.
Art is always the centre of attention at ARTOTEL.
With this concept, Erastus is beginning to
prepare his company for expansion. After his
success in Indonesia’s cities, Erastus is now
ready to export ARTOTEL and become a global
brand from Indonesia that is ready to compete
on the world stage.
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