INVIGORATING AN HISTORIC HOTEL

The Challenge:
A boutique hotel in downtown St. Louis sought to increase its weekend occupancy rates, elevate it presence in the community and communicate more effectively with its most important ambassadors, its employees.

The Solution:
We created a public relations plan built upon community relations, media relations and employee communications strategies.

- To increase weekend occupancy rates, we positioned the hotel to attract leisure travelers. Our strategies revised the hotel’s brochures, lobby communications and website to highlight the hotel’s beauty, award-winning restaurant, history, amenities, and its rating as a top five boutique hotel in the world.

- To raise awareness among key audiences and to position the hotel as a downtown entertainment destination, we recommended a “signature drink” contest. In the contest, St. Louis bartenders compete to make and name the hotel bar’s signature drink. All proceeds benefit local charities.

- To elevate awareness of the hotel among local and national media, we designed a media relations campaign to build relationships with the media and to gain placement in travel magazines and websites.

- To improve the hotel’s relationship with employees and to prepare them to act as hotel ambassadors, we devised an employee communications strategy that was inclusive of employee’s needs and management’s objectives.

- To bridge the communications gap between the two, advised the hotel to create a “question portal” in break rooms, where employees can anonymously ask important questions and receive timely answers.