The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point is making moves to improve its customer service, even as its owners are prepping to turn over the keys to the resort (see story, page 1).
The luxury resort relaunched its Web site, www.stregismb.com, in May with a number of new features that allow guests to customize their stays before they even arrive.
“Our butler program is synonymous with St. Regis and it only made sense to expand that to the Internet to better service our guests’ requests,” said Michael Mustafa, director of sales and marketing at the St. Regis.
The Web butler feature is broken into two categories: preset options such as chocolate strawberries waiting for you when you arrive or packaged spa treatments and a “whatever you wish” feature, which allows for guests to ask for, you guessed it, whatever they desire.
“A guest could request goose down pillows, a bowl of only red M & Ms; and a Ferrari waiting to rent when they arrive and the resort will have it waiting for you when you get there,” said Steven Seghers, president of Irvine-based HyperDisk Marketing, which designed the site.
On average, guests are willing to spend 20% more if they can customize their experience, Seghers said.
The St. Regis hired HyperDisk in November to build the Web Site and implement the butler feature.
The interactive ad shop redesigned the Web site to be easier to navigate and ultimately serve as the marketing portal for the resort.
“It was an opportunity to use this as a portal for all the marketing efforts for all the different entities of the resort,” Mustafa said.
The hotel already has set up a specialized department within guest services to receive and process all the incoming e-mails sent by the Web butler feature.
It takes about 48 to 72 hours before a guest arrives to fulfill those requests, Mustafa said.
Guests will also be able to access the Web site from their Internet-capable mobile phones in order to customize their visit.
“We’ve already had a Japanese guest use the butler feature from his mobile device before he boarded his plane to request that the surfing instructor give him surfing lessons on his stay,” Seghers said.
The Web site also will feature a Twitter and Facebook.com profile.
The ad shop is still looking to add features to the Web site that would allow guests to post Podcasts or video reviews of their experiences at the hotel later this year.
White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., which manages the St. Regis, has taken a particular interest in the Web site.
Many speculate that the hotel company may start to implement some of the features the St. Regis has pioneered at its other hotel locations.
Vodka Goes TV
Aliso Viejo-based Nolet Spirits USA Inc., maker of Ketel One vodka, has launched its first TV ad campaign.
The vodka maker recently hired New York-based Grey Group to help launch the brand into the larger market.
Ketel One is known for its long-running print campaign, created by Britain-based M & C; Saatchi PLC’s Santa Monica office. The print campaign involved lots of white space and cryptic messages such as “Dear Ketel One Drinker: Thank You.”
The original campaign helped the brand grow 41% in the super premium vodka category from 2003 to 2006, according to Connecticut-based Adams Liquor Handbook.
Nolet Spirits entered a distribution and marketing deal in 2007 with drink distributor Britain-based Diageo PLC to expand its vodka business.
Some of Diageo’s other products include Guinness stout, Harp Lager, Johnnie Walker scotch, Jos & #233; Cuervo tequila, Tanqueray gin and Smirnoff vodka.
Nolet Spirits brought on Grey Group, part of Britain’s WPP Group PLC, last year to revamp the brand’s marketing and expand the brand into TV.
The ad shop’s new campaign strays from the brand’s long-running enigmatic print campaign for a “When men were men” tag. The spots depict well-dressed men in darkly lit commercials drinking Ketel One.
The commercials are expected to run in all major markets and a print campaign is expected to follow.
Spoke Too Soon
My June 5 column should have said that San Clemente-based Motor Creative Marketing is in the running for Irvine-based Lantronix Inc.’s social media networking work. The maker of networking devices has been exploring utilizing social media in its advertising with the help of the ad shop, which is currently handling much of its current marketing, but no official contract has been awarded.
Bits and Pieces:
Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. has been charged by the state of Missouri for alleged deceptive advertising. In a lawsuit filed last month in Clay County Circuit Court, the state charges the automobile maker, part of Japan-based Suzuki Motor Corp., of running a deceptive advertising campaign in which it promised no or low monthly payments for life. The lawsuit charges that the “Drive a Suzuki” ads failed to disclose that the offer covered only 10 months to a year and afterward consumers would have to requalify for new financing agreements at the end of the period Simi Valley-based American Vision Windows Inc. has hired San Juan Capistrano-based White Barn Group to help with a new logo and packaging for the growing home improvement company. White Barn is expecting the account win to include additional duties including strategic development, general advertising and revamping sales and marketing material for its sales people … Newport Beach-based Estey-Hoover Advertis-ing and Public Relations has been hired by Irvine-based ObesityHelp Inc. to help build the Web site’s brand and promote regional events. The company operates a Web site for people looking to lose weight. Estey-Hoover will be launching a series of advertising campaigns for “Learn, Share & Connect with ObesityHelp.com” events in Chicago, Seattle, New York, Atlanta and Orange County. The campaigns consist of radio and TV commercials along with regional public relations support.
