Sea Otter at Vancouver Aquarium
Four Seasons Vancouver is offering guests a special aquarium package as a part of the brand’s Extraordinary Experiences.
Guests will have the opportunity to travel behind-the-scenes of the Vancouver Aquarium and learn about the housed species and play the role of a marine mammal trainer. As the first Canadian luxury hotel to host the Ocean Wise conservation program, this experience will offer guests a unique, environmentally-conscious experience in the hotel’s neighborhood.
"Environmentally-friendly positions are no longer a niche market, said Taylor Rains, a Charleston-based luxury brand consultant. "People have come to expect social responsibility from the brands they interact with on a regular basis.
"It serves to humanize the brand in the eyes of the customer and makes consumption a little more comfortable," he said. "Within the luxury segment, when you can integrate that level of social responsibility into the overall consumer experience, you are offering even more value to the consumer.
"They are able to partake in a unique experience while still knowing they are benefiting the local environment in some capacity."
Mr. Rains is not associated with Four Seasons but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Four Seasons was unable to comment by press deadline.
Aquarium excursion
The Vancouver Aquarium hosts the Ocean Wise conservation program to educate consumers about the issues around sustainable seafood. The nonprofit works directly with restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers to provide the most current scientific information regarding seafood and helping them make ocean-friendly decisions.
Restaurants that receive the training and are active with Ocean Wise receive an Ocean Wise symbol on their menu.
Vancouver Aquarium
The Four Seasons Vancouver’s restaurant, YEW seafood + bar, is a member of Ocean Wise and maintains a relationship with the aquarium. The executive chef of the restaurant is dedicated to raising conservation awareness for Canada’s bodies of water and is frequently active with the Ocean Wise mission.
Four Seasons' special package includes a one-night stay in a two-bedroom suite, town car for transportation to the Vancouver Aquarium, behind-the-scenes tour and experiences and a private catered dinner by the Four Seasons staff at the aquarium.
Vancouver Aquarium and Ocean Wise's campaign video
This Extraordinary Experience will allow the guests to become a marine mammal trainer for the day. The guests will prepare a meal and feed it to the sea otters. Also, guests will interact with the aquarium’s biologist, who will offer insight into the aquarium and its more than 50,000 animals.
Dinner will be catered by the Four Seasons, but will be in the Graham Amazon Gallery at the aquarium. Guests will dine among an Amazonian jungle habitat and its inhabitants.
The package is approximately $5,452 and is a program for this summer.
Eco-friendliness
Having an environmentally-conscious hotel and experiences is a common trend in luxury brands.
For example, Starwood Hotels and Resorts was making the case that environmental stewardship and social responsibility are essential business practices in its inaugural “Global Citizenship at Starwood” report.
The report outlined the company’s environmentally sustainable efforts, community initiatives and other projects that it deemed not simply just but also “urgently needed” in this “Age of Great Change.” The conglomerate’s attempt to familiarize consumers with its progressive efforts may spur other companies to up their game in similar areas (see story).
Also, Leading Hotels of the World burnished its credentials in the eyes of responsible foodies with more farm-to-table options throughout its portfolio.
The brand has been on a quest to acquire farmland to take control of the produce that it features in restaurants, which follows a growing trend among luxury hotel brands. Consumers aware of the tremendous pressure placed on the environment by large-scale farming systems are demanding more sustainable practices from their favorite brands (see story).
To be able to combine environmental consciousness and non-profit organizations with a guest’s experience allows a hotel to promote its eco-friendly endeavors among its consumers.
"Partnering with a non-profit is a tried and true method of humanizing a brand and demonstrating its commitment to the community," Mr. Rains said.
"While these sorts of partnerships typically are not major revenue-generators, they do tend to strengthen the relationship between a brand and its existing consumer base," he said. "In addition, as is the case with the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, these partnerships allow brands to develop unique experiences that they can market to their audience as well as those passionate followers of the non-profit itself.
"In order for hotels to be successful, they cannot lean on luxurious accommodations and brand equity alone. They need to craft experiences for their customers. That's what people are looking for. Something memorable. An excursion package such as this one offers just that."
Final Take
Nancy Buckley, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York