When people think about decorating a boutique hotel, they often begin with furniture.
Paint colours.
We started somewhere else.
The building and neighborhood.
During my interview with Sarah Riley, one of the very first things we talked about was the building.
What is the best expression of this building in front of us.
I noticed the ceiling heights per room and the Spanish architecture.
Coming out of COVID-19 was hard for us all. Immediately, I thought of colors and artists.
When we were creating CasaJOMO, we knew we didn't want guests to simply stay in Rio.
We wanted them to experience Rio.
That meant bringing the neighbourhood itself into the property.
Santa Teresa has long been one of Rio de Janeiro's most creative communities.
Artists.
Musicians.
Designers.
Craftspeople.
Creative people have shaped the character of this neighbourhood for generations.
It would have felt strange to create a boutique hotel here without inviting that creativity inside.
So we began working with local artists.
Not because every boutique hotel needs artwork.
But because every boutique hotel should reflect the place it calls home.
The artwork became much more than decoration.
It became conversation.
Guests would pause in front of a painting.
Ask who created it.
Want to know the artist's story.
Sometimes that single question became the beginning of a much larger conversation about Brazilian culture, Santa Teresa and the community surrounding us.
That's exactly what we hoped would happen.
Hospitality isn't simply about designing beautiful spaces.
It's about creating opportunities for meaningful connection.
Sarah Riley observed during our interview that guests increasingly want authentic local experiences rather than simply another hotel room.
I think local artists help create that authenticity.
The artwork reminds guests they aren't staying inside an international hotel chain that could exist anywhere in the world.
They're in Santa Teresa.
They're surrounded by local creativity.
They're participating in a living community.
As hosts, it's easy to think our responsibility ends at the front door.
I've come to believe it extends much further.
Every decision we make either strengthens our local community or overlooks it.
By showcasing local artists, we weren't simply improving our interiors.
We were helping guests discover the neighbourhood through the eyes of the people who create within it every day.
Looking back, I don't think guests remember individual paintings nearly as much as they remember the feeling those paintings created.
The feeling that they were somewhere genuine.
Somewhere connected.
Somewhere with a story.
That's one of the greatest gifts local artists gave CasaJOMO.
They didn't simply decorate our walls.They helped tell the story of where our guests had come to stay.