Motel 6 goes for younger image, offers free stays to rock bands

by Katie Hammel on

When you think of edgy, hip places to stay, I’d venture a guess that Motel 6 isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But the budget lodging chain is hoping to change that with a new promotion – providing free rooms to a few up-and-coming touring rock bands. The marketing gurus at Motel 6 have asked the bands to blog and tweet about their stays, hoping that the buzz will build brand recognition and positive association among younger customers.

The bands, which were chosen by a music promotion company called Primary Wave Music, will receive six weeks of accommodation at Motel 6 locations along the tour routes. The bands aren’t being told what to say about Motel 6, but the company is obviously hoping for positive press. Even the budget motel has been hit hard by declining travel, with occupancy rates down 5-7% over the last year. Jeff Palmer, VP of marketing, is hoping the promotion will help get Motel 6 back on track, and earn the company some new, younger customers. “If they stay with us young, maybe they’ll remain brand loyal,” he said.

Rock on, Motel 6.

Three for Free promotion at 18 Hyatt hotels

by Alison Brick on

If you’re staying at a Hyatt hotel this fall and you want a little extra pampering, you’ll want to know about their Three for Free promotion.

What’s included? A free night, room upgrade, and daily breakfast. The free night is based on either a three-, four-, or five-night stay, depending on the specific hotel.

Unfortunately, it’s not available at all of their hotels–only 18 of them. Two international hotels are available, though: Aruba and Cancun. The other domestic locations range from Kauai to Chesapeake Bay.

And if you become a fan of the promotion on Facebook, you can get an additional welcome gift as part of your stay.

The promotion is valid for travel from September 8th to December 18th, 2009.

[Thanks, NYTimes.com]

$19 hotel room, bed not included

by Katie Hammel on

For $19, I wouldn’t expect much out of my hotel room. But a bed, lights and toilet paper are among the things I would consider to be basic necessities at any price. That’s not the case at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, where guests can elect to have different features of their hotel room removed in order to decrease the price.

The “Survivor Package” starts at $219 for deluxe accommodations and breakfast for two. Take out the breakfast and the price goes down to $199. Take out the AC or heat and you’re looking at $159. The removal of pillows, sheets, lights, linens, and toiletries decreases the price incrementally to just $39. Then things really get interesting. For $19, the resort will remove the bed and replace it with a tent. Basically, you’re paying for an indoor campsite.

The hotel’s manager says he wanted to do “something different” for a promotion. This gives guests on a budget a cheap, and memorable, way to enjoy the resort, which is set on 20,000 acres in San Diego. There’s a a golf course, three pools, three restaurants, and a spa that was named as the best by Conde Nast in 2008.

The deal has already been quite popular, with over 50 people making reservations for the $19 rooms. The promotion will run from August 16 to 31.

[via CNN]

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4320 minutes in LA: V Australia challenges Aussies to weekend in Los Angeles

by Grant Martin on

Now that the Sydney – Los Angeles route is well populated with flights and good prices, Aussies and Americans alike can mull the concept of long weekends overseas. Much like New Yorkers jaunt to Paris or London for a weekend of shopping and hedonism, jetsetters can now cross the pacific for an action packed weekend between surf towns.

As part of the launch initiative, V Australia is kicking off a contest called 4320:LA , where one lucky trio will be given round the world tickets and three whole days (4320 minutes) to party like crazy, rock Los Angeles, and prove that a long weekend in the States can be done.

The catch? All entries have to be in the form of a tweet, that is, less than 140 characters, and you have to tweet the entire time that you’re there. That means that you’d better make the trip interesting — no tweets like “Watching TCM in my hotel room.” You also have to be Australian to enter.

Check out 4320:LA for more details on the promo and to enter.

Tampons with parachutes being dropped on Dutch beaches

by Scott Carmichael on

Bet that headline grabbed your attention? Good. Imagine lying on the beach enjoying the summer sun, and watching thousands of tampons being thrown out of a plane. You watch in amazement as a huge pink cloud of parachutes descends on the sand.

The PR stunt was the idea of tampon firm Libresse, and took place at six of the most popular Dutch beaches. The video clip is in Dutch, but I’m sure you’ll get an idea of the message (and the target audience).

The tampons are not being given away just for fun, the manufacturer is trying to convince women that tampons are a “must have” in the beach gear bag. According to the PR dude, 1 in 7 women avoid the beach during “that time of the month”.

Of course, the Dutch “Green Party” has already objected, and is trying to get the law changed so these promotional stunts won’t be permitted in the future.