Tourists can flash the card and get a deal
By Daily Press staff
Not just a house of cards, Santa Monica’s efforts to lure Californians might now be called a hotel full of them.
The “LA Card” program combines the lure of cut-rate deals with the exclusivity of an insider game: you have to show up at a participating hotel to get one. Eight of them are in Santa Monica.
The card is the latest pot-sweetener from tourism officials aching to lure potential guests to Santa Monica and Los Angeles this winter. It offers deals on everything from 2-for-1 hotel rooms to cut-rate menu offerings.
The multi-million dollar regional advertising campaign is aimed at anyone who can get to Santa Monica by car — from Bakersfield, Fresno, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sacramento and Monterey. The marketing will run in radio, print and advertorials through Jan. 16.
The LA Card is supposed to entice visitors to the area between November and February by offering reduced room rates at one of eight participating hotels. They include the newly renovated Georgian Hotel, Hotel Oceana, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Le Merigot Beach Hotel & Spa, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Hotel Carmel, Best Western Gateway and Hostelling International.
Guests will be handed an LA card upon check-in at a hotel. They’ll also get a flyer listing other bargains in the area.
“California has always been a critical market for us,” said Paul Hortobagyi, general manager of the Georgian Hotel. “Now, more than ever, is the time to build future relationships with these 30 million statewide travelers.”
The campaign has been launched by not only the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, but also chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Marina del Rey, Pasadena, West Hollywood and the State of California. Regionally, more than 100 hotels are participating in the LA Card program.
Visitors and card holders also will get up to 15 percent off at Santa Monica restaurants, including i Cugini, Cezanne, Mariasol Restaurant, Ocean Avenue Seafood and Schatzi on Main. Retailers and attractions, including Magicopolis, Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Pier Carousel will offer 2-for-1 admission as part of the “LA Card” program.
Other places where flashing the card will pay off are Los Angeles Opera events, IMAX Theater at California Science Theater, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, area museums, Hollywood’s Laugh Factory, Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 15, 2001. Read the original PDF.