It sounds very much like a conversation between two friends, one of whom is planning a fantastic vacation and needs advice.
Here's how it begins:
"I'll be visiting the City of Lights with my husband for 10 days this September and staying at Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris. We'd love to find one really great treasure — like a vintage Louis Vuitton steamer trunk for our home. Where's the best high-end antique market?"
The answer: "Without a doubt, Marche aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt. Happy shopping!"
Except this isn't a conversation between two friends over a mocha latte.
It's a conversation from the social media platform Pinterest as part of the Four Seasons' newPin.Pack.Go board.
Pin.Pack.Go is an industry first. It's a new, worldwide, collaborative trip planning service created by the Four Seasons that reinvents the way luxury travelers research and receive information when organizing a vacation. In this case, Four Seasons guests are able to connect with any of the luxury hotel chain's local experts around the globe, creating "travel boards" with Four Seasons staff.
Gone are the days of sitting in a travel agent's office poring over dusty travel brochures, hoping the pictures are real.
Pin.Pack.Go makes even TripAdvisor start to look outdated.
With Pin.Pack.Go, Four Seasons guests get specific advice, pictures and travel tips from experts on the ground in their destination. The collaboration from the local Four Seasons hotel concierge or other knowledgeable staff includes personalized recommendations, insider knowledge and even the ability to book dinner reservations — long before a trip begins.
Back to that conversation about Paris:
"Gregory Marchand's Frenchie is the definition of a Paris foodie 'hot spot.' Fantastic and flavorful food — a must try!" — pin (with picture from the restaurant) by the Four Seasons Hotel George V on a guest's vacation board.
"Yum! Can you arrange a reservation for two for Friday, Sept. 13?" — response from the guest planning the Paris trip.
"Absolutely! Does 8 p.m. work?"
Voila.
Whether guests post questions about the best place to go stargazing in the Serengeti or to sip martinis in Mumbai, Four Seasons' local experts respond with an answer.
"We really saw Pinterest emerging as a platform a couple of years ago. Its usage was skyrocketing," says Felicia Yukich, social media marketing manager for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "We actually saw guests creating Pinterest boards to plan their next trips, and we have renowned concierges around the world and thought 'Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could help our guests?' It's another way to add value to the guest experience, and for us it's an extension of our service culture."
There's more… continue reading page 2 of "Your Hotel Concierge Wants to Serve You Online Too" on The Street.
