
Brian Simpson and Adam Wallace at the 140 Conference in LA by CC Chapman via Flickr
I met Adam Wallace and Brian Simpson at the BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas, and the story of our introduction also tells the story of Roger Smith’s success.
It all started with Krista Parry. We were sitting at the back of a panel on travel blogging, crouched over our laptops next to the room’s only power outlet. Krista started telling me about Snow Mamas, the content marketing blog she curates for Park City Resorts in Utah. I showed her Sparksheet, and she told me there was someone at the conference who I really had to meet: Brian Simpson from Roger Smith Hotel.
Brian has served in the food and hospitality industry for over 20 years. A year ago he was diagnosed with a severe case of cancer and spent six months in chemo wards. While recovering, he found comfort and community on Twitter. After he left the hospital he quit his job at the Plaza Hotel and hooked up with Adam Wallace who was starting to do some innovative stuff with video and blogging for Roger Smith Hotel.
I had the chance to hang out with both Adam and Brian in Vegas. They came off as genuinely nice guys who understand that business, marketing and hospitality are all fundamentally about relationships. I don’t think we ever even exchanged business cards. It wasn’t until I got home and on Google that I realized just how engaged and influential Roger Smith really is.
The hotel has over 4,000 followers on Twitter, 1,200 fans on Facebook, 13,000 channel views on YouTube and 3,000 items in its Flickr stream. It’s been patronized and praised by celebrities and influencers like Chris Brogan, Mitch Joel and Gary Vaynerchuck and has established itself as the go-to hotel for wired Transumers. They even have a special rate for bloggers.
Why target this demographic? Adam explains it this way: “If we have 50 teachers from Maine stay at our hotel, they go back up north and that’s it. Social media people spread the word.”
Roger Smith has leveraged its midtown Manhattan locale to build a virtual community of brand evangelists. They hold a monthly social media breakfast and regularly host events and meet-ups with companies like Sprouter and 1938 Media. “We’re a hotel, we’ve got something a lot of brands and marketers would love to have,” Adam says. “A real life connection center.”
The hotel uses social media to lure people into its space, and then broadcasts the hotel’s “stories” back out into the world. Their blog, Roger Smith Life, is filled with videos, photos, event recaps and art from the hotel gallery. “Content has been the backbone of what we do for a long time,” Adam says. “It’s about telling people’s stories.”
And that’s the lesson of Roger Smith Hotel. As we friend, follow, and connect with more people online than ever knew before, our thirst for real world relationships and encounters is only fueled. Once travel brands become trusted facilitators and matchmakers, the marketing takes care of itself.
“Krista was so excited to introduce us, ‘Oh you two just have to meet,’” Brian tells me, as we reminisce about Vegas. “Social media itself is not a business plan. It’s about connecting people.”
Ultimately. this is a story about a brand that grasped the power of new media very early on. They’ve filled a key niche, fostered real relationships with influential people, and reaped tons of free publicity—and customers—as a result. Notice how no one ever talks about Roger Smith’s rooms or amenities? It’s all about people, and the incredible power of good will in brand perception and success.

@RSHotel Twitter Feed
Great post Dan – I completely agree with you about what the Roger Smith Hotel is doing. They really get how to connect with people, to form real relationships, and to create a valuable community. It’s especially admirable since they’re in a traditionally offline industry! Brian, Adam & the rest of the team have done a fantastic job – there’s nowhere else I’d stay in NYC.
Cheers,
Erin
Give me a break! Social media Mecca? Big deal. How about mentioning that this small hotel “of the people” charges $500 per night and up? I cannot imagine what “niche” this fills in a city of over-priced over-rated hotels. Sounds like the same old same old, but with faster net speed. Next!
David,
It is too bad you feel that way. As for the rates, I have been here for over a year and have never seen anyone pay $500 a night for our rooms. Our average rate for November has been less than $250 per night. I am concerned that you have seen our rates grossly misprinted somewhere. Would it be possible for you to forward me any information that you have found regarding our rates being so high? Your input is very valuable to us.
Thank you
Brian @RSHotel
Brian’s comment to David is exactly why the Roger Smith Hotel is excelling in social media. It’s about the personal relationships! I am so glad we were able to meet each other. What a fantastic example of doing it right!
Hi Brian.
I am afraid my source was your own website. I looked into staying three nights from Saturday December 9th to the 12th and was quoted $1418.48 USD, which amounts to roughly $500 per night. There were no cheaper options offered to me. This was the best available rate.
You have every right in the world to charge high rates. It is, after all, NYC. My point was that I prefer excellent prices to social media friendliness. But that could just be me.
Wow– This comment thread is a perfect example of relationships at work. Thanks Erin, Brian and Krista for the engagement. And thanks, David for engaging back. I’m happy to have sparked some good conversation.
What would interest me is how many travellers prefer absolute anonymity when they travel like I do? I do not want a real relationship with my hotel and I don’t want to be a part of its valued community. I also have no interest in people blogging/tweeting/posting/youtubing about where I am, especially in real time. I want a great location, fair prices, spotless rooms, comfort and silence… I’ll leave the socializing to my gang of friends.
Great post about my fave @RSHotel & their approach to community by @danjl of @Sparksheet: http://bit.ly/52PN1W
RT @erin_bury: Great post about my fave @RSHotel & their approach to community by @danjl of @Sparksheet: http://bit.ly/52PN1W
great post on Roger Smith hotel in NY and it's success with Social Media: http://sparksheet.com/engagement-checkup-roger-smith-hotel/
@Sparksheet – Engagement Checkup: Roger Smith Hotel – http://tinyurl.com/yjhhr47
Such a great post by @sparksheet for @RSHotel THANK YOU @krista_parry for the #BWE09 intro to Dan Levy ! http://bit.ly/52PN1W
RT @Sparksheet: Spark! http://bit.ly/52PN1W The social media/content marketing brilliance of @RSHotel (thanks to @adwal, @bsimi)
RT @Bsimi: Such a great post by @sparksheet for @RSHotel THANK YOU @krista_parry for the #BWE09 intro to Dan Levy ! http://bit.ly/52PN1W
#content #marketing Great article on Roger Smith Hotel targeting social media bloggers as guests http://tinyurl.com/yjhhr47
social medias and hotels? A great example: http://ow.ly/2jjR1