Ibis Styles has developed a new global campaign that will see the creation of NFT artworks that will go on display in the metaverse. Jenny Southan reports

Part of hotel group Accor, budget sub-brand Ibis Styles has debuted its “#OpenToCreators” campaign that is being produced in partnership with world-renowned digital creators @tikkywow and @naranjalidad.

All the NFTs created by the artists will subsequently be shared in an Ibis Styles virtual art gallery in the metaverse, accessible through spatial.io.

The virtual gallery follows recent physical events at the new Ibis Bangkok Silom and Ibis Styles Sevilla hotels, where original works and NFTs were created.Steamed bun time by @tanstar.artist (CNW Group/ibis Styles)At the Ibis Styles Bangkok Silom, @tikkywow creating an original artwork that is now being exhibited alongside two commissioned works.

At the same event, an NFT of @tikkywow’s art was created for the ibis Styles NFT portfolio and will appear in the newly launched ibis Styles virtual gallery in the metaverse.

In addition to @tikkywow, other artists featured at the Bangkok event included @jeffaphisit and @tanstar.artist. Their digital works will also appear in the Ibis Styles metaverse gallery.

Followers of @ibisstyles on Instagram can now enter for a chance to win an NFT created by the artist Naranjalidad, which will be transferred through Opensea. The winner will also receive gold member status in Accor’s ALL loyalty programme.A digital work by @jeffaphisit that appears in the ibis Styles metaverse gallery available on Opensea. (CNW Group/ibis Styles)Laure Duberga, vice-president of economy brands for Accor, says: “Ibis Styles loves to welcome the unapologetic creators, the artists with edgy style who are bringing to life the freshest content and pushing creative boundaries.

“This year, our annual #OpentoCreators campaign has a unique theme, with a focus on digital artists and NFT creators. We are showing our support for these artistic innovators by providing multiple platforms for expressing their creativity – in our hotels, through our social channels, and ultimately, across the metaverse.”

Described by Accor as a “cool design hotel”, the Ibis Styles Bangkok Silom has a restaurant called PrudRod that serves authentic Thai cuisine, Boho rooftop bar and guestrooms with voice-enabled Google Home devices.

Caroline Bénard, senior vice-president of economy and midscale brands at Accor, says: “The goal of our Open to Creators campaign is to democratise today’s most advanced forms of creation – digital art and NFTs – by involving our audiences in the creative process.

“Through our social networks, we hope to ignite the imagination of ibis Styles guests, fans and followers, and invite them to collaborate with these ultra-talented digital artists.

“At Ibis Styles, we believe creativity must be shared and appreciated as widely as possible, and we are here to support creators, while empowering more people to join the global conversation and participate in the artistic community. That is why we turn our brand into a creative venue: in our hotels, on our social media platforms and in the metaverse.”