BETHESDA, MD—Residence Inn by Marriott is launching a social hour program, Residence Inn Mix, that combines multiple local culinary options and upgraded beverage offerings.
Offered three nights per week at Residence Inn’s nearly 700 locations, the evening gatherings encourage guests to interact and connect with the destination. Themed nights include It’s On (Mondays), where guests gather for some “must-see TV” or to sit by the fire pit with a variety of light-fare appetizers; Off the Grill (Tuesdays), where conversation and grilled food are the highlights; Food Truck (Alternating Wednesdays), for which the local area’s most popular food trucks provide fare;
Local Flavors (Alternating Wednesdays): Specialties from local hot spots are offered; and
Just Desserts (Alternating Wednesdays): Sweet and savory items offered.
“Residence Inn understands extended-stay guests and we know people who travel for longer periods crave variety. We also see younger travelers wanting to trade in evenings at a buzzy bar for a more comfortable way to relax and reconnect,” stated Diane Mayer, VP and global brand manager, Residence Inn. “The Residence Inn Mix changes things up and brings that fun energy and local flare into the kind of setting that truly brings the social back to the evening social.
“Our research found that more than half of frequent business travelers are looking for something to do without needing to leave the hotel on long stays,” added Mayer, “They want to meet others and experience the local area without the hassle of always leaving the hotel to do it, so we’re bringing local to them.”
As part of the Residence Inn Mix rollout, the brand has teamed with visual discovery platform Blippar to pilot image recognition and augmented reality technologies. The augmented reality experience will be showcased at four special Residence Inn Mix launch events, starting this month in Boston, Austin, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Guests will be provided with blippable beverage coasters that allow them to unlock interactive experiences, including multi-player trivia games, customizable selfies and premium Anheuser-Busch content, including suggested food and beer pairings.