Lauréat - Best F&B Experience
Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Campaign - Pool Your Cinema
Cette candidature n'est disponible qu'en anglais / This application is only available in English.
“Pool Your Cinema”: a unique F&B experience on the rooftop of the legendary hotel, in the heart of the center of Athens.
THE INSPIRATION
Cinema arrived in Greece in 1896. In the summer of 1900, in the crowded cafés of Syntagma square in the center of Athens, where the Hotel Grande Bretagne is located since 1874, films were projected outdoors for the very first time. Shortly afterwards, the first official open-air cinemas started popping up and they became a quintessential Greek summer delight.
Taste, flavors and aromas are always the protagonists in such occasions, so traditionally, the locals enjoy during the movie superior snacks, such as “souvlaki” (meat skewers), Greek “meze” and burgers together with ouzo or beer.
Given the rich history and the significant roots that Open Air Cinemas hold in the Athenian summer lifestyle, the ‘Pool Your Cinema’ project aimed to create the utmost buzz in the city, by offering a unique and entertaining F&B experience.
AN EXQUISITE F&B EXPERIENCE - THE CONCEPT
Our tranquil rooftop pool, the GB Pool, located on the 7th floor of the legendary hotel, decorated with pergolas and aromatic plants, modern sun loungers, tables and comfortable chairs dressed up its absolute summer attire and bowed to the magic of the seventh art while it turned into a summer cinema! From June to October 2021, guests were invited to live the trendiest and finest summer F&B experience, to sit back and relax in the sensational GB Pool and savor a unique culinary menu list along with an inspired cocktail menu list.
“Pool Your Cinema”, opened its doors and welcomed its honorable guests to a distinct summer cinema experience in the heart of the captivating center of Athens. All-time classic favorites and Hollywood blockbusters showed up on the big screen in a romantic setting by the pool overlooking Lycabettus Hill and the city lights at nightfall.
Since taste always plays a leading role and especially in this scenario, our Michelin Star Executive Chef has curated the absolute finger food set menu to pair with the cinema nights while our guests unwind at the relaxing lounge chairs. Handmade nachos, slow fermented pizza, Black Angus cheeseburger and caramelized popcorn with Madagascar vanilla and fleur de sel transformed every minute into a delectable and luxurious experience.
Our in-house guests could reserve a seat for this memorable experience through our Concierges and the external guests through www.grandebretagnestore.com, the official online store of the Hotel Grande Bretagne.
EXECUTION AND COMMUNICATION
In order to transform the GP Pool to the ultimate open-air cinema, we partnered up with the best local vendors for the perfect sound quality equipment, and one of the best film suppliers in order to carefully select the films.
The success of “Pool Your Cinema” relied a lot in the communication and in creating awareness. The new experience was promoted through all the in-house channels and platforms (Check-In, In-Room TVs, Public Area Screens and Informative Frames, Lobby Screens, Pre Stay Guest email Communication, the Luxury Collection Concierges and our associates in F&B department.
For the external audiences, we implemented a strong communication plan by exploiting all available channels such as Social Media (Organic and Paid), the Hotel Website, the Grande Bretagne Online Store where we have created a dedicated section just for Pool Your Cinema experience, and PR (Press Release, invitations to Top Tier Media, Influencers and Bloggers and Local Celebrities). We have also created appealing Content with the assistance of Digital Creative Designers and Photographers.
A SUCCESS STORY
Savoring the finest dishes, exclusively inspired by the Executive Chef of the most historic hotel in Athens, while enjoying magnificent views during a classic open air cinema movie night, was the utmost set of experiences, for our valued guests, to seal an unforgettable summer night in the city.
“Pool Your Cinema” has been a huge success. In just a few days, it became “talk of the town” resulting in a “sold-out” attendance for four consecutive months. It generated significant revenue for the hotel, with Food & Beverage consumption being the main source of it.
Being the designated hospitality pioneer and proudly representing the finest essence of hospitality, we introduced our global explorers and the locals to the ultimate “City Resort” feelings, by hosting a matchless Open Air Cinema experience right in the heart of the city, where relaxation met the exceptional service and culture paired with gastronomy.
