REPORT FROM THE U.S.—Hotels worldwide outdid themselves with Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing campaigns this year. Chains such as InterContinental Hotels Group, Starwood and Red Roof Inn smartly tagged their discounts for December and the first quarter of 2011 onto two of the most popular shopping days of the year.
Early results from hoteliers prove these promotions work. The top Cyber Monday and Black Friday specials included:
InterContinental Hotels Group
Promotion: 50 Free Friday
InterContinental Hotel Group’s first-ever Black Friday deal was a playful, Twitter-only campaign. From 1 November through 29 November, travelers could “uncover” IHG’s link to the global chain’s Black Friday deal when they followed @IHG_Deals on Twitter. “50 Free Friday” offers U.S. travelers US$50 off any flight on any airline to any destination through 30 April 2011 when they stay at least one weekend night at any InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
The @IHG_Deals followers also could win a US$50 prepaid gift card when they retweeted #50FreeFridays tweets. “The product can be consumed any time within the stay window, into early spring. You have lots of time to plan your trip and maybe even buy your spring break,” said Del Ross, VP of U.S. sales and marketing for IHG. Promoting the special on Black Friday made guests think of hotel stays a “giftable option,” Ross added.
By mid-November, IHG’s “50 Free Friday” campaign already had generated 6,000 tweets. “We see Twitter as a great way to influence the influencers,” Ross said.
Red Roof Inn
Promotion: Cyber Monday Sale
Recognizing that Cyber Monday is profitable for both hoteliers and retailers, Red Roof Inn executives wanted to get in on the action this year. The chain offered guests who booked their hotel stays on 29 November a 15% discount.
“We saw the trend and media hype of Cyber Monday. It has really increased in popularity. The public relations results of the campaign have been huge: We have had 145 million impressions, including articles in The Wall Street Journal and USA Today,” said Marina MacDonald, senior VP of sales and marketing for Red Roof Inn.
Because of Red Roof’s Thanksgiving and Christmas promotions (30% off for stays on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day) running alongside its Cyber Monday campaign, sales rose about 5% in November compared to last year, MacDonald said.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
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Promotion: Cyber Monday Sale
Starwood enhanced its Cyber Monday sale—now in its second year—with Twitter and Facebook components. From 29 November through 3 December, guests received varying “special” rates that were as much as 50% off. On 29 November, Starwood also ran “One Day Wonders” discounts on various properties around the globe.
In a neat twist, fans of Starwood’s Facebook page or followers of its Twitter feeds had insider access to the “One Day Wonders” specials for six hours before its launch on Cyber Monday. “Based on the social media element, we have seen a spike in Twitter and SPG (on Facebook) followers and expect to exceed last year’s metrics,” said Sean Brevick, director of field marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Other intriguing holiday and early 2011 promotions include:
• Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is offering up to one million Wyndham Rewards points to meeting professionals who book events at any of its Wyndham properties globally. It is offering double rewards for events booked and held at any of its Wyndham hotels in China.
• Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ “Spark Your Spirit Campaign” offers guests who follow the company on Facebook and Twitter complimentary perks such as restaurant appetizers and room upgrades through the holiday season.
• Travelodge’s current special is “Stay Three Nights, Save 30%.”
• The Pan Pacific Seattle’s unique “Snuggle Up and Shop Package” offers guests a US$50 dining credit in its hotel, a US$50 Amazon gift card and a “holiday’s top gift list” to inspire shopping. Available from 2 November through 31 December, rates start at US$255 a night.
• The “Experience Winter, New York Style” package from Helmsley Park Lane in New York features a three-course dinner for two in the hotel’s Park Room Restaurant, a half-hour massage for two and a 90-minute private chauffeured tour of Manhattan’s highlights. The package, available from 3 January through 31 March 2011, starts at US$675 per night.
• The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel and its 606 Congress restaurant are offering a “New Year’s Eve Beantown Bonus” package, which includes overnight accommodations, dinner for two at 606 Congress and late checkout-out on New Year’s Day. Package rates start at US$259 per night.