If you're a hotelier or the owner of a bed and breakfast, you undoubtedly want your guests to feel warm and welcome. As you already know, the small touches can leave a lasting impression on your guests. What you may not know is that art - particularly contemporary fine art - can play a significant role in conveying your desired message to your patrons.

As an independent hotelier or B&B owner, you've probably given much thought to the facade of your establishment, the layout of the lobby, and even the uniforms that your staff wear. You may not have considered the ways in which art can help reinforce your "brand" - what your guests come to associate with your establishment.

Original watercolors, for example, can reinforce feelings of relaxation and rejuvenation among guests who stay in properties located in vacation destinations. The tropical watercolor of a parrot in colorful plumage or a flowering peach hibiscus will bring smiles to the faces of your guests. For the historical establishment, acrylic paintings depicting local history will reinforce the feeling that your hotel or B&B is associated with a particular location or place in time.

Original contemporary fine art is out of reach for many small- and medium-sized establishments, but that doesn't mean that art can't play a role in maintaining the ambience of your hotel. Reproductions are an affordable solution to fine art, and can be incorporated into virtually every public space and private room in a hotel. Giclee prints, for example, can be printed on high quality paper stock, on canvas, or on exquisite silk. The digital ink-jet process uses up to a dozen fade-resistant inks to bring depth and life to a fine art reproduction.

Likewise, lithographs can be reproduced on quality paper, or can even be printed digitally on Baltic birch plywood or aluminum. For the artist, lithographs allow his or her work to be reproduced faithfully, without a "middleman," so to speak. Serigraphy is another option for those in the hospitality industry to avail themselves of fine art at affordable prices. Formerly known as silkscreening, serigraphy is an extremely versatile method of making multiple copies of an artist's work. The inks used in serigraphy will adhere to a variety of surfaces, and so can be used on textiles, woods, paper, and glass.

Whatever the ambiance of your hotel or B&B, contemporary fine art and fine art reproductions can enhance the impression you're trying to convey to your guests - at a price that's affordable.