For decades, hotel rooms have been perceived as urban refuges that shield their occupants from the complexity and stress of city life. From New York, Cairo and Paris to the hearts of Hong Kong, New Delhi and Jakarta, hotels are considered temporary anchors that can masquerade as transient homes. Their rooms, unlike private bedrooms at home, are generic, controlled and predictable in nature because they are designed to meet the expectations of the many. Yet these are some of the exact qualities that have drawn artists – primarily writers – and staycationers to check into hotel rooms as a means of escaping the daily grind.