ROYAL SONESTA BOSTON

After an extensive PR firm review, on January 2018, CM Communications was selected to be PR agency-of-record by Royal Sonesta Boston, a AAA Four-Diamond luxury hotel located in Cambridge on the banks of the Charles River. The account was retained through March 2020 when services were suspended because of revenue loss due to COVID-19. We were originally brought on board to generate excitement surrounding the renovation of ArtBar, the hotel’s destination restaurant, and to increase exposure for the property, primarily in the leisure travel market. Over a two-year period, CM worked closely with Sonesta’s regional marketing and hotel management team, designing and executing PR strategies that were successful in supporting business objectives. Highlights of some major accomplishments follow:

  • Conceived a PR & social media campaign entitled “Boston from the Other Side.” The initiative highlighted the hotel’s location on the banks of the Charles River, positioned the Sonesta among Boston luxury hotels, and showcased attractions exclusive to Cambridgeside, in addition to iconic Boston visitor sites.
  • Pitched the “Boston from the Other Side” story angle to press and coordinated over 63 media and social influencer visits, in groups and individually. Each visit resulted in generating media coverage and/or compelling social/digital content reflecting the Sonesta guest experience and showcasing the destination from the hotel’s unique vantage point.
  • Secured earned media for the hotel and restaurant in national, regional, and local media - print, online, broadcast, and social reaching 322,592,686 UVM and Circ. 1,994,660, collectively.
    Top placements include:
    • Oprah Magazine, AFAR, JustLuxe, Luxury Travel Magazine, Boston Globe Sunday Travel, Boston.com, Boston Parents Paper, Boston Magazine, Bride & Groom, and others.
  • Generated publicity surrounding ArtBar’s renovation and new menu, while elevating chef’s reputation through consistent local as well as national media exposure: Highlights include:
    • Multiple TV food segments on local NBC and ABC affiliates
    • Collaborations with Boston’s top social influencers
    • Numerous mentions in EaterBoston, Thrillist, and food/restaurant columns in local media for seasonal dining and holiday round-ups
    • Chef quotes and recipe placements appeared in national media including Real Simple, Yahoo! Finance, Town & Country, The Manual, AskMen and others.
    • Spotlight on ArtBar’s new look in BizBash, reaching meeting planners
  • Developed the creative concept behind and coordinated a Lobby Sneaker Exhibit (coinciding with the Boston Marathon) in partnership with the Sneaker Museum and Boston’s ARTWEEK. The general public and hotel guests enjoyed the colorful exhibit and opening reception that garnered local publicity while also furthering a relationship with ARTWEEK founder, CEO of the Boch Center’s Wang and Shubert Theaters, and all-around influential Bostonian Joe Spaulding.
Next