Hospitality & Hotels

Overview

The hospitality industry encompasses more than restaurants. Businesses from boutique to historic hotels, wedding venues, and tourism destinations need a valuable public relations plan to generate visibility and effectively market their brand. We excel in promoting the best businesses have to offer. We effectively capture their stories, connecting companies to new and forever customers.

Services

Experience

Jamie Estes launched her career as a hotel publicist. Her passion for hospitality was the catalyst for starting her own agency. Jamie and her team of PR specialists use their unique strengths to each segment of the hospitality industry.

Clients Past + Present

Case Studies: Hospitality & Hotels

The Brown Hotel 100th Anniversary

The Brown Hotel, a storied landmark in the heart of downtown Louisville, has stood as a symbol of hospitality excellence for more than a century. In recognition of this remarkable milestone, Estes Public Relations embarked on a year-long centennial anniversary campaign honoring the hotel’s rich history and celebrating its enduring legacy as a beloved Southern icon and culinary destination.

Culminating on October 25, 2023, with a sold-out Roaring 1920s themed gala, this grand event transported guests back in time to the glamorous era of flappers, jazz, and Gatsby-inspired extravagance. The campaign also included a Tableside Mint Julep interactive experience for the Kentucky Derby, a Kentucky Afternoon Tea, and a multi-tiered social media giveaway which engaged audiences throughout the year.

The hotel received coverage from more than 50 local and national media outlets including Louisville Business First, The Courier Journal, Food & Dining, LOUtoday, Kentucky Educational Television, Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky Monthly, StyleBlueprint, Spectrum News 1, WDRB, WHAS, WLKY, DRIFT Travel, Yahoo, and AOL.

The AAA Four Diamond hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels, Resorts and Historic Hotels of America and was named in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best list, Conde Nast Traveler’s “#13 Hotel in the South,” and Southern Living’s “Best Hotel in Kentucky.” The Brown is home to the legendary Hot Brown sandwich which has appeared in the pages of The New York Times; Esquire; Wall Street Journal; Food Network Magazine; and Garden & Gun.

Tempo by Hilton Louisville

With a planned opening the week of Kentucky Derby 150, Estes Public Relations began working with the Tempo by Hilton Louisville Downtown NuLu team in April on a multi-tiered approach to generate buzz around the hotel and the on-site restaurants.

EPR worked with the team on a strategic media relations plan to announce the hotel’s early May opening to national travel and hospitality trade media and coordinated Toast to Tempo to celebrate the hotel’s first guests. EPR coordinated the Toast to Tempo event, including securing the mayor’s attendance, inviting guests and media, creating the event plan and run of show. We worked with the on-site food and beverage teams, planned photo opportunities and handled a/v needs for remarks. On the day of the event, EPR provided set up, run of show and media management.

Following Toast to Tempo, EPR transitioned into promoting the opening of High Stakes Rooftop Grill, the hotel’s full-service restaurant, in July. This included local and national media announcements as well as a media dinner for 30 key influencers and journalists.

Once High Stakes opened, Tempo was ready for its grand opening! Just the third hotel to open for this contemporary Hilton brand — and the first prototypical one — the client wanted to welcome stakeholders into the space. EPR worked with the team on an invite list of more than 400 that included investors in the property, First Hospitality and Hilton management, potential investors in other locations, local and regional media, local influencers and VIPs, government and tourism officials and more. We distributed save the dates and invites and tracked RSVPs. EPR also led event planning to create an evening that featured two photo opportunities, a live watercolor portraitist, a roving magician, performances by the Louisville Ballet School, two musical acts, a guest room activation with Rabbit Hole Distillery, heavy bites and drinks showcasing the on-site restaurants’ menus, an ice sculpture and more. Guests received takeaway gifts at the end of the evening with a High Stakes Rooftop Grill branded cap, Tempo by Hilton branded luggage tag and water bottle, and a gift card to return to the hotel’s restaurants.

In the first six months, EPR secured more than 75 media mentions for Tempo NuLu and High Stakes, including opening placements in Convention South, Small Market Meetings, HospitalityNet, Hotel Management, Hotel Dive and local media including coordinating a first look exclusive with Louisville Business First and coverage from the Courier Journal, WHAS, WDRB and others. The opening of High Stakes appeared in the Courier Journal, Food & Dining, Great Day Live, WLKY and widely across social media thanks to local and regional influencers.

EPR’s ongoing work with the hotel includes hosting regional and national media/influencers for stays, identifying pitching angles and potential travel story placements, and outreach to promote the hotel for corporate and private events. We’re also continuing to promote High Stakes by hosting media and influencers for dinner, announcing the restaurant’s new executive chef, and sharing menu changes and events with media.