Mandarin Oriental, New York gets in the holiday spirit
Luxury hotelier Mandarin Oriental’s New York hotel is relying on social media and direct email marketing to fill its rooms and increase sales this holiday season.
The hotel has been sending out email blasts to alert consumers of its various holiday packages and, most recently, its eGift card options. Mandarin Oriental has also been leveraging its annual New Year’s Eve Gala to help entice New York tourists to stay at the hotel.
“Mandarin Oriental, New York prides itself in being one of Manhattan’s top celebration destinations,” said Tammy Peters, director of communications for Mandarin Oriental, New York.
“There’s nothing like celebrating the holiday season in New York City and we strive to mirror that festive, holiday magic throughout the hotel,” she said.
Social butterfly
Social media is becoming increasingly important for Mandarin Oriental’s New York location, per Ms. Peters.
The hotel has been using its New York-specific page to post pictures of holiday decorations and holiday-themed drinks and snacks since the beginning of the month.
Mandarin Oriental's Facebook page
Indeed, the New Years Eve gala has its own tab on the brand’s Facebook page that features an invitation and a link to book the hotel online or a phone number to make a reservation over the phone.
The hotel has a number of other holiday-themed packages throughout the Winter season (see story).
For example, it is offering a “Hansel and Gretel” package with the Metropolitan Opera, which includes four orchestra prime tickets to the Metropolian Museum of Art’s Hansel and Gretel production, a horse and carriage tour of Central Park, a holiday afternoon tea in the hotel lobby and one-night stay in two adjacent rooms.
Mandarin Oriental, New York has been using this partnership along with partners such as Moet & Chandon, Lincoln Center, Time Warner Center and American Ballet Theater for cross-promotions.
E-greetings
Mandarin Oriental, New York is relying largely on email to promote its various themed packages.
The hotel has been leveraging the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s worldwide database to alert brand loyalists to the offerings of the New York location and engage with them with the glamour of the city during the holidays.
“Email blasts using Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s proprietary database is one of our most efficient and cost-effective tools we have for implementing well-targeted promotional campaigns that inspire sales and interest,” Ms. Peters said.
Mandarin Oriental, New York has been focusing many of the email alerts around its gift cards and new eGift card options as well as the New Year’s Eve gala.
The hotel's New Years Eve invite
The virtual gift cards can be used for any location worldwide presenting an ideal present for last-minute shoppers, per the hotelier.
The company prefers email blasts due to the high-targeting options and the fact that they are opt-in.
“We target fans of Mandarin Oriental hotels, local community and Tri-State guests, travelers and luxury hotel consumers from emerging markets such as Brazil and China, as well as our key markets throughout the United States and Europe,” Ms. Peters said.
“The great thing about database marketing is that we can do holiday niche campaigns that target these varying markets for different offerings and during timeframes that are specifically appropriate for that particular market,” she said.
Final Take
Kayla Hutzler, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York