Rezidor Hotel Group Reveals Commissioned Artwork for Aberdeen Park Inn

BRUSSELS, Dec. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Rezidor Hotel Group has revealed a new collection of celebrity paintings to be displayed in its Aberdeen Park Inn hotel.

Local artist Bob Harper, whose works hang in private collections around the world, has spent the last year producing a unique collection of celebrity paintings for the Park Inn by Radisson in Justice Mill Lane, Aberdeen.

One-off portraits of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Angus Young of AC/DC, and Aberdeen-born Annie Lennox are given pride of place in the new 185-bedroom Aberdeen hotel.

"The paintings are fantastic as well as unique and I think they will be a real talking point," said the hotel's general manager, David Allan.

When Mr Allan saw some of Bob's paintings for the first time, he was so impressed that as soon as he arrived in Aberdeen to take up his new post he contacted the artist and commissioned the works.  

Bob's six paintings -- the Beatles' pair are on one canvas -- for the new hotel will be hung in the conference and meeting rooms on the ground floor that will also bear the stars' names, Lennox, Stewart, Bruce, Presley, Angus and The Beatles.

Annie Lennox's picture is the biggest of the six.

"Well, she is an Aberdonian," said Mr Allan. "We wanted Scottish names or Scottish connections for the room names and, of course, that had to include Elvis. After all, everyone knows that the King's forebears came originally from Lonmay in Aberdeenshire.

"And The Beatles? Well, they toured regularly all over Scotland, including Aberdeen, before they became mega-stars. Springsteen gets his place because of his nominal connection with the clan that gave birth to King Robert the Bruce."

Bob, who has just completed the bespoke artwork, revealed a quirky twist which he includes in many of the paintings of rock stars - lyrics of their most celebrated works that can be read only on very close inspection, written on their faces.

More of Bob's paintings will be hung across the hotel in Aberdeen.   

About Bob Harper:

Bob, 61, who was born and brought up in Aboyne on Deeside, is a graduate of Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and taught at Aberdeen College in the Gallowgate until he retired. He employs his printing skills in his art by paint-printing in layers.

He launched his painting career with an exhibition in Aberdeen just after the millennium, sold it out and has never looked back.

Some of his works, such as paintings of Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams, have been signed by the stars themselves.

About The Rezidor Hotel Group:

The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 400 hotels in operation and under development with more than 86,300 rooms in over 60 countries, including a wide selection of London hotels, Paris hotels and Aberdeen hotels.

Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plus loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.

In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder.

The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.

SOURCE Rezidor Hotel Group