Home furnishings equal big business. Just a stroll around the local mall reveals all the Pottery Barns, Restoration Hardwares and Williams-Sonomas, chock full of items to make your life and home perfect. But can you imagine asking to take a nap on that bed you fancied at MACYs? Well, that’s exactly the idea behind certain hotels selling their products: first you test it out and then you buy it. I mean who hasn’t imagined checking out with the oh-so-fluffy terry cloth robes or the big feather down pillows?
With the desire to improve service and the realization that the hotel room is the perfect showcase, hotels are willing to take on the shopping mall as a more convenient alternative. At the same time the desire to deter theft is also a motivating factor. Hotels in the United States are hit with an estimated $100 million annually due to thievery.
Status also lures consumers to purchase certain items. And just as some guests like to flaunt the fact that they stayed at the Ritz-Carlton with a beach towel, now they can show off their Ritz-Carlton Egyptian cotton sheets, which can be found in their product catalog. Brand recognition attracts customers not only to stay at a certain hotel, but to also purchase the world inside it.
The Ritz (http://www.ritzcarlton.com) is not the only hotel to issue a catalog of their merchandise. The W hotel chain (http://www.whotels.com) sells beds, lamps, even artwork in their catalogs. Don’t forget to check out the backgammon set for close to $200 or the 1950’s gumball machine. And they, like the Ritz, are cultivating their retail empire into lobby shops.
Exclusivity, recognition and status are motivating factors behind luxury shopping. The same principles apply when booking luxury accommodations. It’s this “because I can” attitude that justifies the $500 silk pajamas or the $500 hotel room. So why not combine two indulgences and prove the idiom that everything is for sale for the right price.
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