Avalon Hotel Miami
Nestled on the corner of 7th St. and Ocean in Miami’s renowned South Beach district
A celebrated Art Deco landmark, Avalon Hotel and restaurant served as a backdrop for many films and photo shoots throughout the years, including Scarface, Miami Vice, Sydney Pollack's film Random Hearts, Old Dogs, and most recently, Bad Boys 3 with Will Smith. The 1955 Oldsmobile convertible parked in front of the restaurant stands as one of the most-photographed cars in America.
Bringing character online
It was the challenge of capturing the energy, and the classic feel of the hotel, that brought Avalon’s Managing Director, Thomas Glassie, to explore virtual tours last year. With the recent changes in economy and travel patterns, the hotel is now largely focused on the local/staycation market, and so website impact, SEO and viewership have become critical considerations.
Inspired by Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau’s use of Threshold 360’s Platform, and the high-quality virtual tours visible at other locations around Miami, Thomas and his team tested Threshold as a solution to bring more of the hotel’s energy and character on-line.
Driving engagement with potential guests and staycation-goers
Threshold’s Virtual Tour interaction is helping potential guests engage with room types, virtually walk the short path to the beach, and explore the restaurant. The team built a wide variety of maps, highlighting the neighborhood for guests – and also quickly discovered the ease with which Threshold Virtual Tours can be published on social media, providing another visually-impactful and highly-effective booking channel.
In addition to building maps to help customers visualize their experience, the team was also excited to discover Threshold’s ability to deliver these maps directly to customers’ mobile devices. Providing this sort of “digital concierge service” has added yet another unique point of customer interaction, and a compelling new way to help guests find an out-of-the-way museum, a hidden beach or the best place for a drink.
