There's no lack of focus on Asia these days, especially when it comes to hotels; over the course of the last month I've reported on hotels focusing their social media and employment efforts in China, a new designer suite at a boutique hotel in Hong Kong, and new luxury brands opening up hotels in some of China's most engaging cities.
Now, in an effort to entice Asia business travelers into taking a much-needed break, the Ritz-Carlton Hotels of Asia-Pacific are launching a summer promotion using their social media channels to spread the word.
The "Intrigue You, Intrigue Us" program highlights the 17 Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, and the promotions are all catered to the business traveler (who inevitably needs a bit of relaxation after the long flights, anyway). If you're planning a visit to Asia, check out the promotions from these hotels on Ritz-Carlton.com.
Each package includes business travel benefits including internet access, parking (if available and when necessary), breakfast and complimentary room nights across all types of rooms, including the legendary Ritz-Carlton club rooms. But here's where the promotion goes from good to grand:
Ritz-Carlton is asking their social media fans to share their favorite summer vacation "dream" on China's popular social media platforms Sina-Weibo and Instagram. By tagging the photos #summerdreams, and inviting their friends to tag, like and comment on the photos, fans will be in the running for a hotel stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya, The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa or Phulay Bay - A Ritz-Carlton Reserve. The images with the most comments, likes and shares wins the stays.
The purpose of the promotion is simple: to engage and entice. Most business travelers only visit China for corporate reasons, but having an opportunity to stay a few days longer and experience the amazing culture and unprecedented service that comes along with Asian hospitality won't disappoint.
This isn't the first time the luxury hotel group has invited fans to share their favorite photos, experiences and wish list items online. When Ritz-Carlton launched their "Let Us Stay With You" campaign last year, they included a section of their Facebook page where guests could share their favorite Ritz-Carlton experiences.
The concept isn't lost on guests. Since the launch of "Let Us Stay With You", guest have continuously posted stories about their Ritz-Carlton visits, highlighting what makes the brand so beneficial to the luxury traveler.
Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.
Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com