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Fontainebleau Miami Calls Takebacks On the Whole 'Sexy' Thing

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  Site Where: 4441 Collins Ave [map], Miami Beach, FL, United States, 33140
May 6, 2009 at 3:39 PM | by Jenna | 2 Comments

Whoops! Looks like someone wants to go back and revamp the ol' sexpot image and start looking a bit more fam-friendly! And that someone is not Denise Richards.

According to the Miami Herald, our old-new friend the Fontainebleau Resort— who, might we remind you, re-opened after a billion-dollar renovation with, oh, you know, half naked lingerie models (the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show) — wants to de-sexify and reposition itself as more of a family destination. Huh.

Says the Herald:

When the hotel opened, the marketing campaign ''was to play hot and sexy,'' said Howard Karawan, chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Resorts. ``Coming out of the winter, we knew that wasn't going to work. We had to go for family.''

The switch is dramatic. After spending $5 million on the Victoria's Secret bash, the Fontainebleau has all but halted the advertising campaign that melded perfectly with it: a series of black-and-white images of a sultry, nearly naked woman positioned next to the Fontainebleau logo.

And this week, Regis and Kelly have been doing live broadcasts of their show from the hotel (which the resort is helping to finance) and has started to shift (significantly) and reposition itself as a fam-friendly hotel, with boosted kids-menu offerings and a completely different marketing strategy.

It seems like in the resort's effort to turn its image around from a dated resort into a modern Miami destination, they overshot it a little bit and landed a bit too far on the swanky side. And now that occupancy in Miami is low and competition from all the other sexy-trendy Miami/SoBe players is high, Fontainebleau's gonna be goin' for the families. But can it be done?

[Photo: ABC News]

2 Comments

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  1. Stan

    HotelChatter Member

    Can they do it?

    This is what their current promotion says...

    Two Adults + Two Children from $279/Night with FREE or HALF-PRICE Dining for CHILDREN!*

    Good luck selling that price to families in the current economy.
    May 7, 2009 at 7:58 AM
  1. bahar

    HotelChatter Member

    sexy miami

    well, great chance can see that show, wonderful
    May 10, 2009 at 9:03 AM

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