Thinking pink: Barbie craze has some hotels getting all dolled up
Barbie fever has swept the globe, and hotels and resorts are getting in on the countless cross-marketing partnerships around the doll’s highly anticipated big-screen debut.
And although quite a few properties are getting in on the craze with pink Corvettes, cocktails and costumes as part of their programming, some travel brands have found Barbie to be an attractive brand long before the advent of her Hollywood turn.
Hotels, vacation rentals celebrate “Barbie” movie release
“It’s especially relevant in today’s Instagram age, when everybody wants that vacation that they can show off to their friends and family,” said Chuck Welch, founder and chief strategy officer of brand strategy consultancy Rupture Studio. “And it makes sense that hotels are leveraging Barbie to grab some eyeballs and draw some attention to their properties, because it’s one of the biggest cultural phenomena that we’ve seen in the movie space for years.”
At the Dream South Beach Miami, guests can enjoy special Barbie-themed cocktails all summer. The sugar-rimmed concoctions include the Malibu Barbie Pink — made with coconut rum, grenadine and pineapple, cranberry and orange juices — and the Barbielicious, which blends vodka, pink lemonade and lemon-lime soda.
The Dream will also be hosting a Barbie-inspired party on July 29, inviting guests to walk a pink carpet upon arrival, with entertainment that includes a Barbie and Ken burlesque performance and costume contest.
The Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas hosted a Barbie “Dream Hotel” takeover this week, illuminating the property’s 438-foot tower and six pools with pink light and launching a variety of themed activations, including Barbie-inspired cocktails.
In Colombia, the Hilton Bogota Corferias unveiled what it says is the city’s first Barbie-themed hotel suite, available for bookings through July 2024. The one-bedroom accommodation is outfitted in plenty of pink and Barbie theming, with Barbie fans also granted access to special programming, including a terrace “pinknic.”
The Curtis, a 336-room Denver hotel known for pop culture-inspired themed rooms, has paid tribute to Barbie with a “hyper-themed” Big Hair accommodation since opening in 2007.
Amid the current Barbie craze, the Curtis is promoting a new “Come on Barbie, Let’s Go Party!” package that includes a stay in the Big Hair room; a Barbie beauty bar stocked with makeup brushes, a cream face mask pack and an eyelash curler; a complimentary Pink Corvette Martini at the hotel’s restaurant and bar; and a Barbie-inspired music playlist.
Lizzie Raudenbush, general manager and chief happiness officer for the Curtis, said the hotel’s Barbie-inspired accommodation has always been in demand, proving particularly popular for special occasions like birthday or bachelorette parties.
It’s also been a hit across a variety of age demographics. “Barbie is cross-generational,” Raudenbush said.
Barbie’s staying power
The Curtis is among several travel brands that have offered Barbie-themed rooms over the years.
Chief among the Barbie-inspired stays has been Airbnb’s bright-pink Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse vacation rental, which briefly reopened for reservations to commemorate the movie’s rollout. The DreamHouse actually debuted on the platform in 2019 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Barbie brand.
A Barbie-inspired suite debuted at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas back in 2009 and at the Hilton Buenos Aires in 2014. Royal Caribbean International in 2012 partnered with Mattel to bring a “Barbie Experience” aboard its ships. Targeted at children ages 4 to 11, it included Barbie-themed cabins as well as a variety of Barbie-inspired activities.
And in Malaysia, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur opened an entire floor of 14 Barbie-themed rooms in late 2021.
“The demand for these rooms exceeded our expectations,” said Venus Lye, director of sales and marketing for the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, adding that the accommodations have also contributed to “a substantial boost in social media engagement.”
While Barbie has long had iconic status, there is no question the brand is in the midst of a resurgence. The marketing blitz surrounding the “Barbie” theatrical release has been highly successful in putting the movie, and the eponymous Mattel doll, at the forefront of public consciousness.
“The movie has reached critical mass in a way that most movies don’t really do anymore, especially in the age of streaming, when media is so fragmented,” said Rupture Studio’s Welch. “But this movie has had a long promotion window, with much more marketing spend than you typically see nowadays.”
As a result, the Barbie brand has popped up everywhere seemingly overnight.
“I can’t remember a moment within our lifetimes that Barbie has felt this present,” added Rupture Studio partner and head of business strategy Nandi Welch. “And if you talk to almost anybody, across any age, they’ll have an awareness of this movie.”
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