The winners of the 2009 Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Awards have been announced, and LGD made the list…twice. We’ll be walking away with two statuettes–a Silver for Gran Melia Palacio de Isora resort brochure, and a Bronze for our print campaign for ME Hotels & Resorts.
LGD walked away with the big prize of the night, receiving Best In Show at the 2009 Printing Association of Florida Awards banquet in Orlando on August 8th. The award recognizes the design and production (with printing by Rex Three, Inc., of Miami) of the elaborate brand brochure commissioned by the Sol Group for Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, their flagship resort in the Canary Islands.
LGD’s lavish brand brochure for the Sol Group’s new flagship Canary Islands resort, Gran Melia Palacio de Isora, is on the short list for the 2009 Printing Association of Florida Award in the category of Design. Look for the good news after the trophies are handed out at the Awards Banquet in Orlando on August 8th.
LGD hotel marketing brochure up for Florida design award.
We’ve been sitting on this for months but the cat’s starting to crawl out of the bag: One of LGD’s longest-running clients, ME Hotels & Resorts, is home to Real World 22: Cancun. ME Cancun decked out their most lavish suite, Suite ME, and welcomed eight strangers for an outrageous and dramatic stint as housemates. We have pictures of the suite but can’t release them yet… trust us, though, it makes the Real World Suite at The Palms look like Motel 6. Stay tuned to here for breaking info on the new season while we work closely with ME Cancun on big plans for bringing the Suite ME/Real World Cancun experience to future guests…. It’s gonna be big! Read a preview below from Icon vs. Icon with commentary from ME’s very own Pete Zudyk.
VIA Icon vs. Icon
MTV invades the sandy beaches of Mexico when “The Real World” returns for its 22nd season in Cancun beginning on Wednesday, June 24th at 10:00pm et/pt. Like “The Real World: Brooklyn,” this season will again have eight roommates, who this time will head south of the border for the experience of a lifetime. This season a world of temptation awaits, as friendships will be made and broken, relationships back home will be tested…all against the backdrop of one of the world’s sexiest playgrounds.
“The Real World: Cancun’s” eight roommates will work hard and play harder while living it up in the luxurious Suite ME. Specifically designed for “The Real World,” the suite is located in Mexico’s hottest hotel, ME Cancun, and was designed to be the largest, most exclusive suite in Mexico. This season, the roommates share a common goal by partnering with StudentCity.com to provide college kids a fun and hassle free spring break vacation.
Throughout the 21 seasons of the series, “The Real World” has been one of the highest rated shows on MTV. “The Real World: Brooklyn” ranked as Wednesday’s #1 cable program in the 10p-11p time period amongst viewers 12-34.
Beginning Tuesday, May 26th, head over to MTV.com to get a sneak peek of the first episode of “The Real World: Cancun.” The website will also offer exclusive cast and house photos as well as a behind-the-scenes virtual tour from the cast of their fabulous pad.
“The challenge for ‘The Real World: Cancun’ cast will be to separate work from play in an environment full of temptations,” said Jonathan Murray, the creator and Executive Producer of “The Real World.”
“ME Hotels and Resorts was thrilled to host the entire cast of MTV’s ‘The Real World: Cancun’ at ME Cancun,” states Pete Zudyk, Vice President, Brand Innovation/Communication ME by Melia. “In partnership with ‘The Real World’ team, we created the largest, most decadent suite in Mexico, making the ME experience a living reality. Overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, and featuring infinity-edge pools, world-class cuisine and the hottest bars in Cancun, ME Cancun was the perfect location for the roommates to get real. Hosting this high-energy group has been exciting, and we are now looking forward to offering Suite ME to future guests of ME Cancun, bringing the MTV Real World reality to our guests.“StudentCity was thrilled to be part of ‘The Real World: Cancun’ season”, says Jacqueline Lewis, Managing Director of StudentCity. “StudentCity is committed to providing fun and hassle free spring break vacations to thousands of young adults all over North American and we were happy to have the Real World cast staff with us and assist with our efforts.”
Here’s one for a-sign-of-the-times file…
Once a super-deluxe Regent Hotel back in 2007, the many-times-reinvented Z Ocean Hotel in Miami’s South Beach recently joined the less-expensive Crowne Plaza chain. Z Ocean kicks off its latest incarnation Friday with a performance by the Bacon Brothers, which features actor Kevin Bacon on vocals and brother Michael on guitar, cello and vocals, the Miami Herald says.
The Herald’s business section ran a long piece yesterday chronicling the hotel’s tumultuous life, and it’s a good read. This hotel’s saga, in particular, highlights how real estate decisions were made during the industry’s go-go days and how others are trying to pick up the pieces.
For consumers, Z Ocean Hotel also serves as a reminder that gems are out there if you look for them.
While the hotel isn’t in the middle of South Beach’s trendiest blocks, it’s still nearby and offers all-suite rooms. Nighly rate for a May weekend cost around $280, less than nearby rivals such as the Victor ($329) and the Tides ($495), the article says. Another plus: InterContinental Hotels Group loyalty club members who may be cash-poor but points-rich now have a chic, new option for redeeming Priority Club points.
The Z Ocean Hotel website is now live, prints ads are rolling off the press and last Friday’s launch party with The Bacon Brothers still creating chatter throughout Miami Beach. It’s all in a day’s (or several month’s) work for LGD… Hotel De Soleil is now fully rebranded as Z Ocean, from signs to stationery, with Zushi Flirt - the hotel’s new sushi lounge re-branded by LGD - turning up great reviews. Len Dugow and his creative team - not to mention the client - couldn’t be happier about the buzz so far…
The Heart of Sol
By Dawna L. Robertson
Describing Gabriel Escarrer Julia as a typical 1950’s teenager is as off base as calling the Running of the Bulls exercise. While most Majorcan teens were engrossed with music and sports in 1950, the 15-year-old Escarrer was forging into Spain’s burgeoning tourism industry.
Industrious well beyond his years, Escarrer was equally observant. As travel thrived, he wisely opted to rent hotels and fill their rooms without the financial burden of ownership.
With six years of success under his belt, Escarrer finally took a well-calculated leap into proprietorship in 1956. The young entrepreneur was only 21 when he elevated his tourism passion by founding what is today Sol Melia Resorts & Hotels.
chris | 
