/ / / / / / / / / /

Marriott And Wired: A Match Made In Digital Nomad Heaven?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 296 State Street [map], Boston , MA, United States, 02109
September 18, 2012 at 9:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

Marriott must be feeling old. In an effort to reach those "younger travelers connected to their digital worlds," the hotel chain has launched a new partnership with Wired magazine.

As part of the initiative, the two brands will be curating various events at Marriott hotels around the country—titled the Wired + Marriott "Culturazzi" Series—including comedy nights, meet-ups, and other "provocative and stimulating" experiences basically designed to get people tweeting and Facebooking about Marriott.

The kick-off event, "Marriott Meetup: Five Startups To Watch," will take place in the lobby of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf tomorrow evening, allowing guests to drink wine, indulge in all the tech-speak they want, and simultaneously admire the results of the hotel's recent $30 million renovation, which it unveiled at the beginning of the year.

The irony, of course, is that Marriott is one of the worst offenders when it comes to charging for WiFi (they made #3 on our Worst Hotel WiFi report back in April, and even Renaissance made us trek down from our room to the lobby in search of free WiFi). But could this mark a turning point? Might the influx of hip, forward-thinking digital nomads be enough to put Marriott on the path to redemption?

Maybe.

WiFi woes aside, the crossover between these two companies could make for some particularly engaging lobby conversation—or at least some lively virtual conversations. Marriott Senior VP of Brand Management Paul Cahill said to Daily Finance:

"Together with WIRED, we will bring provocative and stimulating experiences to our hotel guests and the local community amplified on their social networks and on our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as by Marriott Hotels & Resorts' cadre of social media influencers."

Well. Marriott is no Ace Hotel (the "Culturazzi" moniker should have been your first clue). But these meetups don't sound altogether unappealing. If you happen to make it to one, we'd love to hear your thoughts on how the event went. Simply drop a comment below this story, or shoot us an email!

[Photo: Elise Amendola / AP]

Hotels mentioned in this story

Comments (0)

Post a Comment

Join the conversation!

Not a member? .
Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 3/21/12) and Privacy Policy (effective 3/21/12). © Condé Nast. Your California Privacy Rights. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
Ad Choices