You'd be forgiven for thinking a giant has left some luggage behind - but despite appearances, that's not an enormous suitcase in St. Petersburg, Russia, but the record-breaking new look of the Karelia Business Hotel.

This makeover has earnt the hotel a Guinness World Records achievement for the largest 3d painting, with the suitcase imagery covering a total area of 15,682 m² (168,800 ft²) - more than two football pitches.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Jack Brockbank paid a special visit to the hotel on December 4 2012, and after a careful measuring process, was happy to confirm it had set a new Guinness World Records title.

" We had a lot of ideas for how to transform our facade," explains Commercial Director NV Ovechkina, " We tried images of a yellow submarine, an accordion, and books, among many others. But then we came across the idea of a suitcase, which clearly corresponds with tourism and trips."

The painting of the hotel was undertaken by local young artists, and required the use of over 10,000 litres of paint - almost twice the volume of the largest cup of lemonade!

The project's aims were to support mural art, and to strengthen the cultural status of the city of St. Petersburg. The end result, two volumetric suitcases, is a combination of creativity, and a nod to the building's purpose as a business hotel.

" I hope that today our hotel will become one of the major tourist destinations of the city," said General manager AL Putyakov, " Tourists from Russia and across the world will want to visit this work of art!"