Renaissance Hotels celebrates the spirit of neighborhood with audio tour

Renaissance Hotels is inviting locals and tourists to embark on an independent and indigenous adventure via a self-guided audio tour on mobile app.  

This aims to celebrate the spirit of the neighbourhood and invite visitors to moments of spontaneous discovery, venturing into the vibrant Wan Chai and wandering through its streets and alleys to reveal hidden stories of eight remarkable landmarks that carry the rich culture and history of Hong Kong. 

Targeting Gen Z from mainland China or spontaneous explorers at any age, the campaign aims to offer guests a more tech-savvy solution for travel insights with higher flexibility, said Tama Chan, director of communications, Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

"By launching this self-guided audio tour, the guests can explore the neighbourhood whenever and however they want during their stay with us, and responding to their interest in city walk or cultural walk travel trend," she added.

Done in collaboration with Storius, a local start-up app developer, the audio tour covers Tai Yuen Street (Toy Street) – a local street market where rare toys, vintage collectables and authentic souvenirs can be found.  

It also covers the old Wan Chai market, which was constructed in 1937 and had been redeveloped into a residential complex. It showcases architectural trends of that era, particularly drawing inspiration from the Bauhaus style. Blue House is also featured in the audio tour. Also known as “Tong Lau”, this Grade I historic building is renowned for its distinctive blue exterior. 

Other attractions include Hung Shing Temple, Lee Tung Avenue, Woo Cheong Pawn Shop, Hong Kong Tramways, Wan Chai Ferry Pier and HarbourChill. The self-guided audio tour is now available for the hotel’s in-house guests to unlock on the Storius mobile app. 

In the beginning, the audio was only available for selected guests to collect feedback and build word-of-mouth; the second phase includes social media giveaway campaign to build awareness and banner exposure on the Storius app, said Chan.

"While content marketing is all about visualisation now, an appealing video was created to boost engagement; we also invited KOLs especially those active on Xiaohungshu to experience it and drive user-generated content," she added. The initiative has been promoted via the hotel’s social channels including Facebook, Instagram, WeChat and Xiaohungshu.

Chan said: "We believe a little spontaneity goes a long way and Wan Chai has so many to discover! The neighborhood has rich history with lots of historical buildings such as the Pawn Shop and Blue House being featured in the audio tour. The opening of Exhibition Centre Station and Wan Chai Harbour Front adds excitement by bringing in happenings like drone show (our hotel is a great viewing spot!). We love to see our guests stumble across something out of the ordinary that opens their eyes, and make the most of the trip in Hong Kong with us!"

With over 170 hotels and resorts in more than 35 countries and territories around the world, Renaissance Hotels has a dynamic and inspiring global portfolio.  

Renaissance Hotels aims to connect travellers to the spirit of the neighbourhood through its theatrical design, entertaining evening bar rituals, and engaging navigators, extending an open invitation to experience the unexpected both inside and outside of the hotel.  

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