Contemplate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as you take in “the worst view in the world,” ensconced in Banksy visuals in your room at The Walled-Off Hotel. Yes, this ‘art hotel’ is real, with fully functioning ensuite facilities and car parking, designed and financed by the elusive England-based graffiti artist and operated by the local community, and anyone can book one of its nine rooms overlooking the West Bank barrier. Banksy painted the rooms (and commissioned other artists, like Sami Musa and Dominique Petrin) and outfitted the hotel in dystopian decor, like security cameras mounted on a wall in the style of taxidermy trophy heads.

Banksy is well-known for painting right on the barrier itself, including a recent work depicting a girl being pulled by red balloons, and last year he painted four street murals in Gaza. Guests who stay at the hotel will get “privileged out of hours access to Wall*Mart next door,” a graffiti supply shop, so they can make their own mark.

And if you think you’re going to get away with booking a room and sawing Banksy’s work right off the wall to make a buck, expect to pay for it: the hotel takes a hefty deposit for the duration of your stay to safeguard against theft, and inspects rooms before guests leave, warning that anyone found attempting to steal or deface hotel property will be arrested and prosecuted.

The hotel will open to guests on March 11th, with rooms starting at just $30 per night. Accommodations range from ultra-budget-friendly bunk rooms to a ‘presidential suite’ complete with a cheesy faux rock hot tub. An adjacent gallery, open to the public, offers a collection of works from notable Palestinian artists from the last 20 years, and a ‘homemade museum’ offers a biography of the wall.

On the choice of location, Banksy says, “This place is the center of the universe – every time God comes to earth it seems to happen near here. The architecture and landscape are stunning, the food delicious and the current situation remarkable and touching. This is a place of immense spiritual and political significance – and very good falafel.”

Well known for polarizing political artwork, the infamous street artist Banksy recently returned to the Middle East and filmed a short video about his new work while also commenting on the culture and conditions in a famously contentious place.

Regarding a cat mural created on this trip, he writes: “a local man came up and said ‘Please — what does this mean?’ I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”

His snark knows few boundaries, if any, and is sure to spark global debate on multiple fronts: “Gaza is often described as ‘the world’s largest open air prison’ because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons — they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day.”

The title of the video below, “Make this the year YOU discover a new destination,” framed as a sort of satirical low-budget travel ad, speaks volumes about his opinions and intentions in revisiting Palestine, where he has worked previously and along similar lines (mainly on dividing walls in the West Bank).

Crossing into Gaza from the north generally requires Israeli permission, hence the tunnels as an alternative- there is no functioning airport, sea vessels are turned away by the blockade and land access is limited though possible through Egypt in the south. Some argue Banksy’s work is one-sided with regards to Israel and Palestine, ignoring the role of Hamas in the ongoing conflict that has rendered so much of Palestine into rubble, and this new series is sure to spark some serious conversations, arguments and debates.