The May Fair
The Situation
Once a flagship of Radisson Edwardian Hotels, a collection of upscale hotels in London, the iconic May Fair Hotel was showing its age and losing market share to a new breed of stylish hotels opening in London. Following a $150 million renovation, the historic May Fair Hotel in London was transformed into a modern, eclectic luxury property. The newly designed hotel now boasts ten signature suites, an Asian-inspired spa, The May Fair Bar, the largest private theater in London and the largest Baccarat chandelier in Europe.
The Strategy
To introduce the media to the newly renovated May Fair, the agency created high-end gift bags/media kits showcasing this new, modern hotel with historic roots. These kits were used to aggressively pitch top media. MMG Mardiks also planned and implemented an exclusive first-look press trip and individual visits. To position the hotel as a place to “see and be seen” amongst a sea of competitive properties, MMG Mardiks promoted the stays of key celebrities, including an extended stay by Whitney Houston who was “hiding out” in the hotel prior to her first public appearance in years. The agency also developed creative sales promotions to showcase the hotel’s one-of-a-kind signature suites. The promotions included a Breast Cancer Awareness program, called “Stay for The Cure,” showcasing the hotel’s “pink” Schiaparelli Suite and “A Suite Year in London” package, offering one guest the opportunity to purchase the hotel’s Amarillo suite for an entire year for $585,000.
The Results
Placements were secured in top media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Houston Chronicle, New York Post’s Page Six, The Daily News’ Rush & Molloy, OK! Weekly, Travel + Leisure, The Robb Report, ELLE Decor, Celebrated Living, CITY Magazine, Brides, Golf Connoisseur, Passport, Angeleno, Riviera (Miami), Dallas Modern Luxury, CS (Chicago) and The Atlantan. Placements in travel and meeting trades have appeared in Travel Weekly, Travel Agent, Agent@Home and Successful Meetings. Top online placements have included Condé Nast Traveler’s Concierge.com, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times’ About.com. National and regional print and online coverage resulted in total readership in excess of 31 million.