If you’re not already aware, Art Basel is a pretty big deal in Miami. International collectors flock to our beachfront city every year for this art show, which has evolved into Art Week—a 7+ day city-wide extravaganza focused on the arts.

Like many other major events where demand for hotel rooms exceeds supply, Art Basel is a boon for short-term rental operators, with homes booked months in advance at healthy nightly rates.

Past Art Basel Guests

We've hosted artists, gallery owners, and non-profits who create murals on local high schools, etc, during this event for years, but we were unprepared for what we experienced last week.
 

Currently, we are hosting the featured artist from a show at the Museum of Graffiti in Miami's Wynwood Art District. The artist, who lives in Paris, booked one of our properties for 28 days to create installations for the museum, which will be part of their permanent collection.

Art in progress

A few days ago, he called us for assistance, and I went to our listing. I wasn’t prepared for the scene that unfolded before my eyes: I found him lying on the floor of our pool house with a large canvas spread out, applying the final touches to his piece. Hundreds of markers, a large canvas, and he with a head lamp illuminating his canvas.

He had moved much of our furniture to make space for the large piece. I paused to watch him work, thrilled that he turned the floor of our pool house into his creative workspace.

Long story short, he invited us to his opening today, where he was painting a live installation at the museum. When he saw us, he stopped, took some time to chat with our daughter (who's an artist), my wife, and me, and posed for selfies with the ladies.

We then got to see the painting he had worked on at our home mounted on the museum wall in all its glory.

An unexpected lesson in hospitality

You may ask yourself what the lesson in hospitality is.

Well, I'm glad you asked.

First of all, we never know what guests are looking for when they search for a listing. In his case, he wasn't simply looking for a place that was large enough to accommodate four guests, but – and this is something we've never considered – a room with an easy-to-clean tile floor that was spacious enough for him to spread out his canvas and complete his work.

Put yourself in potential guests' shoes - especially for those major events in your area. How can you make your listings stand out from the rest by offering something unique?

Even if it turns out to be something you've never even thought about, like being part of an artist's creative process.