Barbie Movie Buzz Goes Beyond Swag and Merch and Extends to Experiences
Barbie movie merch, promotions and swag are just about everywhere thanks to the Barbie movie. But what about Barbie-themed hotel rooms? Yes, that’s right. You can vacation in a hotel room or suite decorated with an over-the-top Barbie vibe. Thanks to specific hotels within the Hilton and Hyatt chains, you can finally have the Barbie Dream House you always wanted — at least for a few days.
To give a little background: The Barbie movie grossed $155 million last weekend when it premiered, the biggest opening weekend of the year, according to Bloomberg. Barbie also broke a box-office record for the debut weekend of a woman-directed film, the United Kingdom’s Evening Standard reported, a pat on the back for Greta Gerwig’s collaboration with Margot Robbie. Not to give too much away, but as Barbie, Robbie experiences a crisis that prompts her to question her world and even her very existence.
Promoters of the movie have partnered with numerous companies for cross-promotions, and the buzz has grown ever louder as various entities jump on the Barbie Dream Bandwagon (stay tuned: There might be one for real someday!). FranchiseWire already covered how fast-food restaurants, homeowners’ insurance and Airbnb rentals – including Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse in California – have leveraged Barbie power. So now it’s time to check out how major hotels have hooked into the Barbie buzz.
Hilton and Hyatt Barbie-Themed Rooms
The Hilton Bogota Corferias in Colombia offers an extreme pink Barbie-themed one-bedroom suite on the 13th floor, Travelweekly.com has reported. According to Hilton, it’s the first such suite in Bogota and will be available through next summer. The room practically oozes hot pink and has a mural on a feature wall behind the bed’s headboard.
Not to be outdone, the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia has a complete floor of Barbie-themed rooms, 14 total, Travelweekly.com says. The marketing team for this Grand Hyatt hotel apparently saw a good thing coming and jumped on the Barbie buzz with the launch of Barbie rooms in December 2021.
You can book one of the Barbie-themed rooms by requesting the Barbie Ultimate Staycation accommodations at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur which include a bonus dining experience at the hotel’s Barbie Café. At present, guests may also steep themselves in the Barbie mystique by indulging in afternoon tea with the Barbie Pink Teatime in a Box experience.
Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Party!
At the boutique Curtis Hotel in Denver, the limited-time Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Party! package is targeted to fans of the iconic Mattel doll, Travelweekly.com says. Bookings offer a themed room with a big-as-life Barbie mural, a beauty bar with make-up accouterments, and a free Pink Corvette Martini at the hotel bar.
The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, also horned in on Barbie’s act. In late June, the hotel held a Barbie pool party with disc jockey, pink pool floats, a look-alike contest and cocktails.
With all of the buzz about the Barbie movie and the successful marketing offshoots, Bloomberg makes the case that filmgoers are ready and eager for new film franchises. Bloomberg writer Lucas Shaw makes the case that existing franchises have grown stale, and it’s time for a refresh. Certainly, the initial success of Barbie, along with all of the marketing that it spawned, supports his assertion.
Cover photo: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur