Past Life Experiences
It ain't all history; the hot tub with fireplace, located at Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, Mass.
For months, I've been getting press releases in my inbox from the Historic Hotels of America . I've even blogged about them here and there a few times - the releases tend to be these cool 'tip sheets,' offering little tidbits of information about how different establishments involved with HHA mix a drink, tell a ghost story, clean the house, and make travel healthier, among other things.
There are more than 200 HHA hotels in the U.S., including in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. All are included on the National Registry of Historic Places, but for the most part, that's where the similarities stop; each hotel has its own flair, its own sense of place, and its own stories to tell -- hence, the factoid press releases.
I have to be honest, of the hundreds of press releases I receive a day, the HHA media mail is probably the best. They're quick, informative, and well-written, not to mention they have a great shelf-life. Instead of announcing one-time events, they usually provide NTKs (Need to Know!) and DYKs (Did You Know?) that change little over time, and thus are infinitely publishable.
Upon receiving my latest installment of HHA publicity -- Haunted Happenings, one of my personal favorites of the year -- I started thinking about how I could parlay the coolness of HHA into an article .
The four hotels in our general region are a good sampling of all member establishments. One is an opulent luxury spot that welcomes celebrities regularly, one was voted among 'the world's coolest hotels' by Conde Nast Traveller, one is championing sustainable agriculture in its kitchens, and one is a premiere golf resort first owned by Henry Ward Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe's brother.
This diversity creates a branding problem for historic hotels; while their identity makes them unique, it separates them from the corporate-owned hotels, and more importantly, corporate-owned budgets. That's where the HHA comes in. It groups all of these places together under one umbrella, promotes them in an annual guide and on their Web site, and through their cheeky press releases.
One of my contacts said since joining, her establishment's occupancy hasn't dropped below 50% in the winter. In the Berkshire Mountains where, as James Taylor says, the first of December is covered with snow and so is the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston, that's no easy feat.
Photos from the Beat
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