Whether lured by a touch of Hollywood as the setting of the 1988 film, Mystic Pizza, or the promise of a charming seaside New England escape, Mystic, Connecticut is a popular destination for thousands of tourists from all over the world each summer.
And what better place for tourists to stay than the historic Inn at Mystic, where the late Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart spent their honeymoon in 1945?
When the Inn at Mystic was purchased by new owners in May, they immediately began significant renovations throughout the property. All guest rooms were fitted with brand new furnishings; the lobby was transformed into a Colonial-style “Great Room,” complete with library, fireplace and big-screen TVs; and the restaurant was given a complete makeover with new lounge, bar and two decks with the best views of Fisher’s Island Sound in all of Mystic.
After putting so much hard work into the hotel, the new owners sought Quinn & Hary Marketing to create and execute a two-pronged marketing plan to drive tourists—especially couples looking for a romantic getaway—to the Inn, and locals to its new restaurant, the Harbour House.
We were eager to take on the task of promoting this beautiful property with incredible views of Fisher’s Island Sound.
Quinn & Hary’s marketing strategies for the Inn included:
- Partnership with the State of Connecticut for their fall campaign to promote state tourism, which includes print and I-Mag distribution to over half a million homes in the greater NYC area.
- Ad placement in New York luxury magazines.
- Digital advertising targeted to high end households in greater NYC.
- Outreach to New York-based travel and food bloggers with an offer of an overnight stay and dinner.
- A full blown social media plan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram including a Facebook promotion in partnership with WFSB TV, Connecticut’s CBS affiliate.
For Harbour House, we focused on branding – a restaurant where elegant dining meets a casual atmosphere. In addition to having 24 craft beers on tap, Harbour House has an extensive menu of seafood, brick oven flatbreads, raw bar and a special weekend brunch menu. Though their menu rivals some of the more upscale restaurants in the area, the setting is comfortable and casual with live entertainment on the weekends.
Quinn & Hary’s strategies for the restaurant included:
- A high frequency radio campaign on four stations.
- Targeted print and digital advertising to promote live entertainment and a unique dining experience.
- Extensive social media outreach.
- Multimedia listings for entertainment.
- Local public relations to extend outreach beyond the town of Mystic.
- Award entries which resulted in the restaurant being named “Best Hotel Dining”, “Best Fireside Dining”, “Best Lobster Roll” and “Best Scenic View” by several different publications.
As a result of our marketing efforts, the Harbour House restaurant has been consistently packed with diners all week long and rooms are filling fast. The social media effort has grown exponentially with constant engagement. We can’t wait for the spring and summer months which will be the first full season for the Inn.
-Chelsea Norton, Quinn & Hary Marketing
