*This post was sponsored by Hyatt Gold Passport and the Hyatt Regency brand as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
Image: wallyg via Flickr
Way back in 2011, when I first waded into this whole travel blogging shenanigans, I was hot off the heels of a corporate trainer job. As part of that job, I spent a fair number of nights holed up in hotel rooms. I even wrote a couple of posts about it — 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Hotels, and its imaginatively titled sequel, 7 (More) Habits of Highly Ineffective Hotels.
In all, in the last 3 years of that job, I figured that I had spent the sum total of one whole year of my life where I called a hotel home. An entire year of my life. After 4 more years of travelling, I figure I can comfortably add at least another year to that total. Two whole years of my life. I learned a fair share about hotels during those two years like buffets can get old pretty fast, a hotel’s staff can make the difference between a brilliant and a lousy stay, and of course cheap hotel = free Wifi, pricey hotel = paid WiFi. Usually.
Something that I didn’t write about in those posts were hotel ad campaigns. Perhaps it’s because I’ve noticed them more nowadays since I’m the one usually paying for the hotel room, and the cost is not on the company’s dime. Funny how forking over your own coin will make you notice that sort of thing.
In my humble opinion, hotel ads usually pretty lame. And by lame I mean pretty dumb. And by pretty dumb I mean usually really, really dumb. Some hotels position themselves as a life-changing oasis in the middle of a hardened jungle. “Come stay here, we’ll solve all your woes AND your worries! We’ll CHANGE your life!! ALL OF YOUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE!!“
Ummm, no.
In reality, for the bulk of travellers, it’s just a bed for a night or two. (Granted some beds are a heck of a lot nicer than others.) And while I do understand the need for hotels to attempt to set themselves apart, I just wish they’d attempt to do it less lamely.
That’s why when the folks at the Hotel Regency asked me to share their latest campaign, I was happy to see that it took lame, gave it a good spanking (you naughty lame you), and came up with a video featuring comedians camped out in the lobby of a few of its hotels across the United States. It’s decidedly un-lame. The #PassportToComedy video campaign features comics Megan Gailey, Andrew Kennedy, and Negin Farsad doing their thing interacting with guests to remind them of the sometimes simple reasons why it’s good not to be home. And it’s actually pretty funny.
You can heck out the video here:
The campaign highlights the freedom that travel provides to break from routine, to do things the way you want to do them, and to meet new (and fun) people along the way.
Hyatt Regency wants you to join in by sharing your own “not at home” moments with the hashtags #PassportToComedy and #AtHyattRegency and by tagging @HyattRegency.
In addition, you can win a VIP experience to the taping of Comedy Central’s Daily Show, a trip to the New York Comedy Festival and more. This is all part of Hyatt Gold Passport’s sponsorship of the New York Comedy Festival. Travellers and all Hyatt Gold Passport members can enter the Passport to Comedy Sweepstakes through to December 31 to win the prizes. Just go to cc.com/passporttocomedy for full details of the competition, official rules, and to enter. (U.S. residents only.)
Hyatt Gold Passport is the global loyalty program for all Hyatt brands, including Hyatt Regency.
I’ve spent two years of my life “not at home” living in hotels, and you know what? IT IS FUN! And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
The post Hyatt Regency & Comedy Central want you to be not at home #PassportToComedy appeared first on RNR Travel | Travel & Lifestyle Blog by Ryan & Raymond.