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HSMAI’s 2019 Adrian Awards competition will honor creativity and innovation in hospitality advertising, digital marketing, and public relations at the Awards Gala January 21, 2020 at the New York Marriott Marquis. Until this year’s winners are unveiled, take some inspiration from one of last year’s Platinum winners: C&R, whose “Urban Glamping at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel” was honored in the Public Relations/PR Campaign/Experiential category. (View all of last year’s Adrian-winning submissions here.)
BACKGROUND: The Four Seasons tasked C&R with creating an out-of-the-box experience to bring light to the 90-year-old Beverly Wilshire in the heart of Beverly Hills. What was created was an urban glamping experience, the first of its kind available in Los Angeles. Prior to the activation of the urban glamping experience, the property’s Veranda Suite was a relatively unused space, despite previously being owned by actor Warren Beatty for more than 10 years. 
THE CAMPAIGN: Guests are treated to a deluxe experience in the Veranda Suite, the only one on the property to reside on its own floor, and accessible by a wrought-iron and marble staircase. The unique studio-style suite features a 2,140-square-foot terrace with 270-degree views of the Hollywood Hills and Rodeo Drive.
As part of the campaign, the property’s Beverly Wilshire’s PR director set up a glamping tent and brought in items from Restoration Hardware and World Market to create a luxurious experience, complete with gold-coated s’mores. The package was targeted to specific groups, including national and international hotel guests, local staycation guests, and MICE groups. The goals were to garner fresh/young brand awareness and drive revenue. This was the first time the Beverly Wilshire hired an outside PR agency, and it strengthened C&R’s relationship with Four Seasons, securing the agency extra business from Four Seasons’ existing properties and new openings. 
RESULTS: The Urban Glamping Suite originally was only supposed to be available for a quarter, but due to the success of the package, the experience has been expanded indefinitely. The hotel has made more than $215,000 in room revenue alone and an additional $20,000 in food-and-beverage revenue. The experience was covered on Forbes.com and in Food & Wine, and broadcast via AP News, which was picked up by more than 250 networks worldwide. Additional media placements include The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and Architectural Digest. All together the total media impressions exceeded 200 million.