Grand Opening, PR, and Gala
Lake Merritt Hotel Restoration, Oakland, California

The Lake Merritt  Hotel, which was undergoing a $2 million interior and exterior restoration, was scheduled to re-open several months. We were retained to handle the public relations and special event planning to announce and market the completion of the restoration.

The hotel, originally built in 1914, was a registered historic landmark. Its best feature was the restaurant, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Merritt. The restaurant has long been acknowledged as THE place to hold weddings and anniversary celebrations because of the beautiful view and romantic ambiance. The guestrooms (all suites,) were extremely spacious and very unlike typical modern hotel accommodations. Each suite was unique in style, size and decor.

The goal of the campaign was to effectively communicate via the media that the hotel had been restored and, at the same time, celebrate the restoration with a grand re-opening gala event.

We wrote and produced a completely new media kit, which included new logo, stationery and collateral materials. Our public relations media outreach resulted in major feature stories, most of which ran in color, in the Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, Montclarion, Hayward Daily Review, East Bay Business Times, San Francisco Business Times, Frequent Flyer Magazine and on-line site, Alameda Inter-City Express, San Francisco Bar Association Magazine, San Francisco Magazine and Diablo Magazine. KTVU/Fox  covered the gala event as well.

As event planners, we compiled the databases for the guest lists, designed and printed the invitations, received the RSVPs, printed badges, handled the check-in process, compiled "goodie bags," coordinated the food and beverage activities, arranged for photography, hired a three-piece combo, supervised the decorations and staging, and solicited a City Proclamation from Oakland and a State of California Proclamation from East Bay Assemblywoman, Audie Boch. Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown attended the event and briefly spoke during the program. We also held a free raffle for all attendees and solicited the prizes. Throughout the event, we supervised the staff in conducting tours of the property. Over 300 guests attended, completely filling the dining room and lobby.

Finally, we invited the Bay Area Travel Writers' Association to hold their monthly meeting in one the suites on the afternoon of the evening gala. Thus, all  BATW members attended the gala, in addition to 22 additional media guests.

Our efforts garnered 11 feature articles on behalf of the Lake Merritt Hotel, with a public relations value of $160,000.