CASE STUDY

Launch of City Inn Leeds

TAGS
hotels, Leeds, Mint Hotel, regeneration, travel & tourism
copyright © Jonty Wilde All rights reserved
Photos

In July 2009 we were appointed by family-owned contemporary hotel group City Inn (now rebranded Mint Hotel) to handle the opening of its sixth hotel located at the recently regenerated Granary Wharf development in Leeds.

Following a competitive pitch process, we were tasked with promoting the opening of the hotel to local, trade and national audiences. We took a three-pronged approach to generating media coverage – firstly in the business press creating features around the story behind the growth of the hotel group and why its founders chose Leeds as the location for its next hotel. Secondly, organising media trips and tours in the regional, national and trade travel press to showcase the new facilities offered by the hotel.

Finally, we generated stories in the regeneration and building press around the hotel, which was one of the few new build developments to complete in the city centre in a difficult climate and its long-term effect in regenerating the Granary Wharf development which had recently undergone a £90 million transformation, by generating footfall to the area.

Key to the promotion of the hotel and in line with the company’s values we delivered a broad communications strategy that created links and developed relationships with employers, business networks, stakeholders and cultural leaders in the city. The campaign, which built momentum from the ‘hard hat’ and staff recruitment milestones to the ‘soft’ opening

of  the hotel and its formal launch, resulted in more than 70 pieces of coverage including features in the regional press, news pieces in the travel and hotel trade, MICE media, business and national press, including reviews in the The Times and Daily Mail.

Hotel, restaurant, meeting and events bookings exceeded targets in its first year of trading. Following the launch of the Leeds hotel, we were contracted to maintain momentum for Leeds and to develop campaigns across the whole group which has hotels in Bristol, Glasgow, Birmingham, Westminster and Manchester.