The Peninsula Hotels is targeting Chinese travelers who will be in the United States for their New Year’s celebration with hotel packages and Van Cleef & Arpels shopping experiences at its properties in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Each hotel is offering a tailored package and a special room rate of $888 per might since the No. 8 implies good fortune in the Chinese culture. The three packages at the brand’s U.S. hotels are part of a company-wide program to mark Chinese New Year Feb. 10.
“We are proud to honor Peninsula’s heritage as Asia’s oldest luxury hotel brand with our Chinese New Year celebrations,” said Robert Cheng, vice president of marketing at Peninsula Hotels, Hong Kong. “Guests of all nine Peninsula hotels will be able to celebrate the start of the Year of the Snake in style and sophistication.”
Sparkling celebration
The Chinese New Year packages at Peninsula’s three U.S. locations vary slightly, but all center on a shopping experience at Van Cleef & Arpels. Guests receive a $1,000 gift certificate to the jeweler to spend during their trip.
The Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience at The Peninsula New York includes accommodations in a Grand Luxe Room for $888 per night and $795 for each additional night.
Peninsula New York Grand Luxe Room
Guests can shop at the Van Cleef & Arpels New York boutique gift with their $ 1,000 gift certificate and are invited to a private reception at the stored hosted by a brand watch expert.
The package also includes a Chinese New Year welcome gift and Chinese Afternoon Tea for two in the Gotham Lounge.
At The Peninsula Chicago, the Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience is $888 per night for the Executive Suite and $788 for each additional night.
Peninsula Chicago Executive Suite
Guests are invited to the Van Cleef & Arpels Chicago boutique gift certificate for a private presentation on the collections that includes Champagne and collector’s edition book called “Timeless Beauty,” which is available in English and Chinese.
Guests also receive daily Chinese or American breakfast for two, a wine and chocolate welcome gift and one-way sedan transfer from O’Hare or Midway Airports.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience includes accommodations in the Grand Deluxe Room, complimentary Chinese tea set-up and welcome gift, daily Chinese Breakfast or American Breakfast for one and the $1,000 Van Cleef & Arpels gift certificate to spend at the nearby boutique.
Peninsula Beverly Hills Grand Deluxe Room
The package also includes two invitations to The Peninsula Beverly Hills Chinese New Year Celebration Party Feb 11.
“When luxury hotels design and introduce programs that demonstrate a relevant value proposition that cater to the needs and in some instances, cultural nuances of the market segment market they are seeking to attract, then they have a much greater chance of capturing their interest and creating loyalty,” said Andrea B. Werbel, founder and managing director at Parasol, New York.
“These packages seem to address both issues – enhanced value proposition as well as cultural offerings – and I think they therefore offer a greater appeal to the Chinese market,” she said.
Celebrate the season
It is no surprise that Peninsula is targeting affluent Chinese travelers since these consumers are increasing their spend on luxury recently.
"China's rapidly growing economy, increasing college graduation rate and tremendous interest in the luxury market are all components working together to position China as one of the largest luxury travel segments growing in the world,”
U.S.-based retailers are also targeting this demographic.
For example, Italian jeweler Bulgari commenced a three-month-long celebration of its Serpenti collection at the end of November that comprises light displays at boutiques in Tokyo, Rome and New York. The celebration will end at the end of February likely so that it occurrs during the Chinese holiday (see story).
Both luxury hotels and retailers could capitalize on the influx of Chinese travelers to the U.S. during this holiday.
“Hotels such as The Peninsula recognize that they need to intensify their presence to this growing market,” said Tiffany Dowd, luxury hotel inspector and president at Luxe Social Media, Boston.
“Wealthy Chinese travelers make up a vast growing segment of luxury consumers who make purchases abroad when traveling,” she said. “These unique packages will be alluring for Chinese travelers to visit the U.S.”
Final Take
Tricia Carr, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York