For some people, it's hard to turn down an invitation to breakfast in bed, even if you have to go to Bryant Park to get it. Westin Hotels & Resorts invited journalists—many in town for Pow Wow—to a press breakfast to promote its new partnership with Nordstrom, which will be selling the Heavenly Bed mattresses the chain uses in its hotels. Following the breakfast, the event turned into a public white sale of Heavenly Beds and bedding, with proceeds going to the Fresh Air Fund.
Although members of the press weren't exactly kicking back in pajamas with trays on their laps, the mild, sunny weather made the outdoor event a lovely way to begin the day. Nadeen Ayala, senior director of corporate public relations for Westin's parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, hired Justine Marino of Jack Morton Worldwide to set up the event, which had three beds on platforms dotting the park's Fountain Terrace facing Sixth Avenue. "We couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue," said Ayala. "It's centrally located, and gets a great afternoon crowd. We were looking for high traffic."
Marino draped white panels of fabric from white pillars, and white fabric-covered chairs and tables dotted the space. A chic, all-white press lounge furnished with Props for Today's daybeds and sofas and decorated with vases of white flowers from Flowers by Reuven was available for journalists who stopped by later in the day. Catering from the Westin Times Square included fruit smoothies, a variety of pastries, and coffee. "Brand awareness was key to the look and feel of the event," said Ayala. "We wanted to take over a public place in Manhattan with the big signage and bed and really create this beautiful environment for the Westin and Nordstrom brands."
Racks of sheets and comforters were on hand for the outdoor public white sale that followed the press breakfast. "What I like to do for our events is not only make them open for the public, but always have a strong media anchor for them. We had three local stations cover it, and CNN was there too; the publicity on this was very strong," said Ayala. "We weren't sure how many beds we'd sell in such a public environment, but we sold two beds in the first hour [of the public sale]."
The Heavenly Bed has been a big part of Westin's marketing for years, and related events have a history of popping up in unusual spaces. "When we first launched the Heavenly Bed in 1999, it was a huge national launch. We took over Grand Central Station, Wall Street—we just lined up dozens of beds with models," said Ayala. "In Seattle, [we] put it on the Space Needle. In St. John's, [we] had one on the beach and on a boat. The Heavenly Bed has been everywhere. Wherever we can get a bed in public, we will put a bed."
—Suzanne Ito
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Although members of the press weren't exactly kicking back in pajamas with trays on their laps, the mild, sunny weather made the outdoor event a lovely way to begin the day. Nadeen Ayala, senior director of corporate public relations for Westin's parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, hired Justine Marino of Jack Morton Worldwide to set up the event, which had three beds on platforms dotting the park's Fountain Terrace facing Sixth Avenue. "We couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue," said Ayala. "It's centrally located, and gets a great afternoon crowd. We were looking for high traffic."
Marino draped white panels of fabric from white pillars, and white fabric-covered chairs and tables dotted the space. A chic, all-white press lounge furnished with Props for Today's daybeds and sofas and decorated with vases of white flowers from Flowers by Reuven was available for journalists who stopped by later in the day. Catering from the Westin Times Square included fruit smoothies, a variety of pastries, and coffee. "Brand awareness was key to the look and feel of the event," said Ayala. "We wanted to take over a public place in Manhattan with the big signage and bed and really create this beautiful environment for the Westin and Nordstrom brands."
Racks of sheets and comforters were on hand for the outdoor public white sale that followed the press breakfast. "What I like to do for our events is not only make them open for the public, but always have a strong media anchor for them. We had three local stations cover it, and CNN was there too; the publicity on this was very strong," said Ayala. "We weren't sure how many beds we'd sell in such a public environment, but we sold two beds in the first hour [of the public sale]."
The Heavenly Bed has been a big part of Westin's marketing for years, and related events have a history of popping up in unusual spaces. "When we first launched the Heavenly Bed in 1999, it was a huge national launch. We took over Grand Central Station, Wall Street—we just lined up dozens of beds with models," said Ayala. "In Seattle, [we] put it on the Space Needle. In St. John's, [we] had one on the beach and on a boat. The Heavenly Bed has been everywhere. Wherever we can get a bed in public, we will put a bed."
—Suzanne Ito
Related Stories
Pow Wow Parties Promote New York
Everyone's Going to Bed—at Duvet
Bedroom Dining Comes to New York
Big Beds for Sex and the City
To promote its retail partnership with Nordstrom, Westin Hotels set up three of its Heavenly Beds—the beds used in all of its hotels nationwide, and which Nordstrom will now sell—in Bryant Park. Proceeds from any beds or linens sold went to the Fresh Air Fund.
Jack Morton Worldwide draped billowing white fabric strips to connect white fabric-covered pillars anchored with white bases.
A chic, all-white press lounge was set up for any journalists who stopped by during the all-day white sale.
