St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), announced an enhanced “Junior Reading Journey – Family Traditions at St. Regis” program in collaboration with leading publishing house Guomai Press at The St. Regis Macao. Children staying with their parents will receive a copy of the booklist in their guestrooms and can easily borrow any of the listed books through the personalized St. Regis Butler Service to access a truly enjoyable reading experience at all St. Regis hotels and resorts in Greater China.
Chinese families recognize the importance of extracurricular education more than ever before, and an increasing number of parents regard traveling as an opportunity to help expand their children’s horizons. John Jacob Astor IV, who founded The St. Regis New York as a place to pursue his passions in the company of the city’s luminaries, was known to be a voracious reader. In keeping with the traditions of the brand’s founding Astor family, the enhanced “Junior Reading Journey – Family Traditions at St. Regis” program inspires young travelers to read.
With the St. Regis brand’s insights into family travel and guest preferences in the region, the children’s booklist was initially developed in conjunction with Disney’s first Chinese contract author, Yang Peng as part of the St. Regis Family Traditions program in Greater China in 2015. Guomai Press was later appointed as St. Regis Children’s Book Consultant in 2016, with extended offerings designed to meet the young guests’ needs for exploration and to help them develop a healthy interest in reading. Since its launch, the children’s booklist has been well received by guests, with more than 80% of the families staying at St. Regis hotels in Greater China eager to take advantage of this expertly tailored offering. Aside from colorful illustrated books, natural science books have also been very popular since young guests have more opportunities to get closer to the nature.
“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Guomai Press for the second time,” shared Ms. Fay-linn Yeoh, Senior Director of Brand Management, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific, “Following on from the success of the program and the feedback we received from our guests, we have added material that is suitable for even younger and more technologically savvy children, introduced popular illustrated books and audiobooks, and increased the coverage of the reading material to include science and children’s literature. The booklist itself features a compelling design and surprises the little ones with creative visual elements such as the St. Regis teddy bear. The ultimate objective is to create meaningful, and unforgettable parent-child reading experiences during their travels.”
The 2017 booklist of more than 70 Chinese books includes high quality books suitable for children of all ages, as well as newly added illustrated books for children aged between two to five by prominent domestic and overseas authors, including masterpieces from Hans Christian Andersen award nominee Xiong Liang, and award-winning American artist Wanda Gag, and science books and contemporary children’s literature. In addition, the majority of the books on this year’s list are available in an audiobook format. With the help of their parents, children can easily access the audiobook library exclusively established by Guomai Press by using a smartphone to scan a QR code.
“The importance of forming beneficial habits from a young age is common knowledge,” said Lu Jinbo, Founder of Guomai Press. “That’s why it’s so important that we take our children out as much as possible, give them an opportunity to see the world, and help them make friends with books. We feel very honored to be partnering with St. Regis for the second time to create enjoyable reading experiences and quality parent-child time for guests.”
The enhanced “Junior Reading Journey – Family Traditions at St. Regis” Program represents a key initiative in the iconic luxury brand’s efforts in the Greater China market, continuing St. Regis’ longstanding heritage of providing exceptional experiences beyond expectations to family guests. With captivating activities and thoughtful welcoming attention tailored for younger guests and their families, each St. Regis hotel and resort is a destination of distinction that celebrates the art of play. Families can also delight in special welcome amenities and turndown rituals, including delectable treats, child-sized robes, slippers and a step-stool for the little ones. The hotel team will also recommend a selection of recreational activities and enriching experiences, dining options, children services and other conveniences for families and children of all ages.