Love Hotels and Unconventional Marketing

Scandalous indeed! In honor of Valentine’s Day this past Saturday, we take an unconventional look at the steamier side of hotel marketing. While we’re not recommending this as a revenue generation strategy, it is an interesting look at the times and trends.

In Japan, “Love Hotels” feature rendezvous fantasy rooms that often have bizarre cross-branding designs such as a Star Wars Alien Abduction theme. In a culture where multi-generational households offer little privacy, these hotels fill a void for loving couples. It certainly is an unusual twist on granular marketing.

For a Parisian sophisticated shabby-chic love shack, check the Hotel Amour in Pigalle, the city’s racy red-light district. In notorious French fashion the Costes family, the tastemakers of Paris, renovated a former house of ill repute into a chic establishment. Frequented by the uber set for not only the hotel but the hip bar and Sunday brunch, it seems that formerly lowlife lodging has now reached the height of cool.

Shocking! But could the stylish repurposing of buildings with a shady past help revitalize depressed districts – or would the history of illicit activities be too great of a challenge to overcome?