Luxury Hotels Shouldn’t Offer Packages Keyed Off the Occupy Movement

by Gary Leff

With a $349+ room rate, the occupy tie-in doesn’t count as ‘clever’.

From my in-box this morning:

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte’s “Re-Occupy Charlotte” Post-DNC Package Announced



For Immediate Release

 THE RITZ-CARLTON, CHARLOTTE INTRODUCES RE-OCCUPY CHARLOTTE

 September Weekend Package Will Usher In the City’s Post-Convention Return to Normal

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – August 27, 2012 – When the convention crowds depart Charlotte on September 7, local residents will be able to reclaim their beloved city, enjoying the late-summer beauty for which Charlotte has become renowned.

To celebrate this return to bliss, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has introduced Re-Occupy Charlotte, a special weekend package which is valid between the end of the Democratic National Convention and September 30, 2012. Re-Occupy Charlotte offers a luxury weekend in “The Queen City,” with the package available to guests from any and all states, be they red, blue or in-between.

Priced from $349 per night, the Re-Occupy Charlotte weekend package at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte includes:

·         Deluxe accommodations

·         $50 hotel food & beverage credit

·         Valet parking

·         Guest room Internet access

·         3 p.m. late checkout for Sunday departures

The (Re-)Occupy package includes valet parking. That is all.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. I wonder which marketing genius came up with that? They could at least have “99% off your third night” or something. Of course Occupy is so last year, they might as well have a “Where’s the Beef” tie in.

    Ike

  4. I think it’s a cute promotion. You can’t assume that being able to afford a ritzy hotel room means you don’t sympathize with the Occupy movement.

  6. Interestingly, the Ritz in Charlotte is in a location which is dead on the weekends. As Charlotte is a business city, you can probably score a much better deal on the weekends.

  7. @PSL cognitive dissonance? sympathizing with the occupy movement while booking a Ritz-Carlton weekend package at $350 per night inclusive of valet parking?

  8. IME, most luxury hotel “packages” have a pretty awful definition of “package.” It doesn’t surprise me the same people have no taste in how they name them.

  9. I don’t see the big deal. I also never had a problem with any of Spirit’s unique ad campaigns.

  10. Another Ritz Carlton give away lol
    I agree its not appropriate for a luxury brand and down right tacky from a brand thought of to be in good taste considering that companies like Ritz Carlton may be seen as one of the enemies by such groups.
    Very surprised that a Ritz Carlton would take such an approach and approve such a campaign.
    No matter who side you are on there are some pretty bad past memories.while I can find some humor in all of it
    it still seems mighty inappropriate to me.
    And while we are it most in house hotel promotions have gotten as stale as they have ever been while hotels and their corportaions have had a chilling effect with deals drying up on Travel Zoo or elsewhere unless you count IT mistake rates :)Not to mention some of the worst program promotions in decades.Translation value has deeply diminshed except for the top tiers in some programs while costs for both revenue and reward have gone up considerably.

  13. Hey, with digs like those, maybe they’ll get more traction this time. Just need to find a corporate sponsor to pay for the rooms, eh? 🙂

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