The Marriott-controlled ultra-luxury superyacht brand The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection would like to raise as much as $400 million to add two superyachts to its current three, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
25.08.2023 - 13:28 / skift.com / Carley Thornell
Anyone still in touch with their inner child may be drawn to the whimsy, color, and movement in Shangri-La’s new brand video. But will the marketing campaign resonate and boost bookings among guests looking for a luxury hotel experience?
The 90-second story follows a bellhop as he guides a blooming peony that’s a traveling protagonist, in a parallel that will be familiar to fans of ’s iconic enchanted rose. Shangri-La’s lush blossom is escorted to Paris, China, Muscat, and Singapore to experience the brand’s core offerings: wellness, family travel, culinary excellence, and special occasions.
“It’s the ultimate Shangri-La, so this campaign really speaks to me,” saidChekitan Dev, who has written a textbook on hospitality branding and who is a distinguished professor at Cornell University’s Nolan School of Hotel Administration in the SC Johnson College of Business.
Although the video doesn’t focus on Bhutan specifically, Dev said that it’s reminiscent of the time he spent living there.
The “Find Your Shangri-La” campaign passes his litmus test for a solid campaign that helps the brand stand out in people’s memories, the professor said. “If I was to replace the branding for Shangri-La at the end of this video, would I be able to simply insert another one? My response is definitely no.”
Other people might be more critical of the video. While a bubble-blowing toy train may be analogous with a multigenerational adventure, whether swimming pool penguins equate to wellness or a hummingbird sipping nectar to fine dining is a fuzzier corollary.
Like Peninsula Hotels’ bid to capitalize on celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz for its recent ad campaign, Shangri-La enlisted Grammy-Award-winning video director Dave Meyer. While he’s renowned for his fresh and thought-provoking work with musicians like Missy Elliott and Kendrick Lamar, the Shangri-La campaign leans into convention by using a tune as iconic as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Yet while the music may be unoriginal, Shangri-La’s new themed experiences that it’s rolling out globally seem exclusive and unique.
In Paris, Shangri-La just launched a new package featuring the iconic Guerlain fragrance boutique on the Champs-Élysées. The private tour includes a special bottle filled with the guest’s perfume of choice, as part of a package recently priced starting at about $3,400. In Istanbul, guests can try their hand at painting Ebru marble art or meet with the city’s first “Baklava butler” for a private demo.
Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat is introducing Oman’s first “Frankincense butler” for a history lesson on Omani culture and a private tour of the resort’s Frankincense garden. It’s complimentary for guests.
The rarity of the experiences helps to give
The Marriott-controlled ultra-luxury superyacht brand The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection would like to raise as much as $400 million to add two superyachts to its current three, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.
My dog Poppy was begging me for a pampered, luxe vacay, so I took her to The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco in the heart of the Nob Hill neighborhood to experience the storied hotel’s “Love Your Pup” package. From the moment we checked in to our room on the club level, we were impressed.
Guests commonly come in contact with numerous hotel personnel, even during short stays. They are less likely to meet—or even know about—some of the people who work behind the scenes. One of those roles is the Hotel Operations Manager.
Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, said on Tuesday that Omer Acar will head its brands Raffles & Orient Express as of March 1. Acar will join Accor’s other brand CEOs in its luxury and lifestyle group (Fairmont, Sofitel & MGallery, and Ennismore) — all of whom report directly to group CEO Sébastian Bazin.
While luxury boutique hotels have always appealed to a certain set, Small Luxury Hotels of the World is trying to create more converts. In October, it launched a marketing campaign around a so-called “private collection” to amplify the message that “smaller is better.”
The Portrait Milano debuts December 1 in the heart of Milan’s fashion district. The location makes sense, given that the 73-room property belongs to the Lungarno Collection — a group of Italian boutique hotels founded by the family of Italian loafer king, Salvatore Ferragamo.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, December 20, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Hotel company Sonesta said on Tuesday it would launch a new brand, Sonesta Essential, and offer a just-added brand, The James, to developers.
Luxury hotel companies could flash a half-decent report card this year thanks to a post-pandemic surge in demand. But they could do better long-term if management teams sharpen their focus on opportunities to woo well-off consumers who increasingly care about experiences.
Success in luxury hotel marketing was a little more black and white before the world became more woke. That’s the reality facing The Peninsula Hotels, which last week launched its Peninsula Perspectives campaign. A review of three ads from the campaign — set in Hong Kong, Istanbul, and London — reveals the high bar for success facing all luxury brands in marketing in an evolving media era.
When international travelers visit Portugal, some may look for a big chain you’d find in, say Phoenix. But AlmaLusa, a boutique hotel brand founded in 2016, is banking on travelers looking for something more authentic.