Instagra-memorable, the secret to customer loyalty
Published on 2 April 2019
Being “Instagrammable” is an absolute must for any modern-day restaurant, cafe or hotel. But enticing customers back time and again involves appealing to all the senses.
From the psychedelic lobby of the Ibis Styles in Brisbane to the breathtaking staircase at Berlin’s So Sofitel by architect Patricia Urquiola, Accor hotels are exceptionally “Instagrammable”. One of the firm’s most recent additions, JO&JOE, a small chain launched just two years ago, even appears to have been specifically designed with millennials in mind, with everything geared towards encouraging these Insta addicts to instantly snap and share. An Instagram account is unquestionably an absolute must for anyone keen to entice millennials through their doors. But when it comes to generating repeat custom, Instagramming alone is not enough. “You have to make a concerted effort to ensure guests remember the time they spend in your company. The best way of doing that is by stimulating their senses, arousing their emotions and creating an element of surprise”, explains Damien Perrot, the group’s Senior Vice President Design Solutions. “Guests always remember a snuggly duvet, a thick fluffy towel, or a pleasant or captivating scent… Every last detail helps create a striking and memorable experience”.
The thousand blown glass balloons suspended above the subtly hued bar at 86 Champs-Élysées in Paris trigger an overwhelming desire to reach for your smartphone’s camera. But in places where L’Occitane’s fragrances and Pierre Hermé’s delicate pastries aren’t on hand to keep guests coming back for more, interior designer Laura Gonzalez is more than capable of creating other equally unforgettable experiences. The motif-filled interior she designed for the newly revamped Relais Christine may be every Instagrammer’s dream, but it’s the indulgent feel of her go-to fabrics, voluptuous velvets, that plays an even bigger part in enticing guests back to this luxurious cocoon. Emotion and surprise manufacture lasting memories and are integral to her work. The young Parisian architect has, indeed, recently launched her very own candle range, choosing the design and fragrances herself based on her favourite scents.
Beyond the frame of each Instagram photo, the weight of the towelling robes guests slip around their shoulders, the feel of the freshly laundered linen as they slide between the sheets, or the subtle sensation of fine glassware or delicate porcelain on their lips add yet another strand to the story… and keep them coming back for more.
By Marie Montuir