West Bank hotel with 'the worst view in the world' unveils guest rooms decorated by elusive street artist Banksy
The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem will open to the public on March 11.
— -- The Bethlehem hotel with the "worst view in the world" just got a million-dollar upgrade in the form of several murals by elusive British street artist Banksy.
The artwork was unveiled Friday at The Walled Off Hotel, a nine-room Palestinian guesthouse in the West Bank dubbed the hotel with the worst view in the world. The hotel has views of the West Bank separation barrier, which was erected by Israel in what Israeli authorities said was an effort protect itself from Palestinian attackers. Several of its rooms also overlook a security watchtower in Israel.
The hotel's entrance features a chimpanzee carrying old-fashioned luggage and wearing a red bellboy's uniform. Room No. 3 -- known as Banksy's Room -- showcases a mural showing a Palestinian and an Israeli engaged in a pillow fight and feathers appearing to float in the air, over a king-size bed.
Inside Banksy's hotel
Also featured at the hotel are a presidential suite and a museum dedicated to Banksy's politically charged work. The museum contains an installation of security cameras mounted to the wall, similar to taxidermy trophies.
The hotel won't open to the public until March 11, but Banksy gave a small group of reporters a tour today. The project took 14 months to complete and was commissioned under complete secrecy -- a request made by Banksy to protect his anonymity. It was unclear whether Banksy's identity was revealed to the reporters on the tour.
Rooms at the hotel start at $30 per night.
Banksy spent time in the West Bank in years past and has previously painted several murals on a segment of the barrier, and in February 2016, several murals by Banksy popped up in the Gaza Strip.
Despite earning a large following for his penchant of tagging walls with his artwork, the mysterious artist has managed to keep his identity a secret and rarely comments on his work.
Last June, Banksy surreptitiously painted a mural of a flower at a British middle school that renamed a building after him.
In 2013, Forbes estimated Banksy to have a net worth of $20 million. His work has fetched as much as $1.8 million at auction, but he also notably sold original black-and-white signed prints from a Central Park pop-up stall for $60 each in 2013. Some of the pieces were estimated to be worth up to $20,000 each, the BBC reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
