With Halloween around the corner, odd looking and strange hotels are usually the place to be when traveling. Even on vacation, sometimes guests may opt for the something out of the ordinary to make a trip that much memorable. As I’ve said many times, the luxury in travel is in the memories we create, and not as much in the budget we have.
I came across this neat article in Fodor’s which lists their favorite 10 wackiest places to stay in the US and it inspired this blog post. For example, wouldn’t it be interesting to stay in the world’s largest beagle B&B? Too strange for you? Dog lovers staying at Idaho’s Dog Bark Park Inn don’t seem to think so. Or, maybe check-in at Kokopelli’s Cave B&B that offers lodging 70 feet below ground in New Mexico? And of course there’s the Liberty Hotel in Boston that’s been converted from a jail to a luxury property.
From a PR perspective, such hotels have very clear messages to the public. They have whacky design, offer very niche experiences, they are truly unique, and editors love them for it. It can make PR easier to attain because anything quirky stands out to the press. I am not suggesting at all that every hotel should turn into a pumpkin, or a cave, or a submarine to become newsworthy, although I know I’d be interested in reading about them. Instead, I think it is important for all hotels to learn from these ”strange” hotel themes and find the opportunity to create unique and sharp angles that do have an edge to them, to break through the media clutter.