The power of word of mouth

The power of word of mouth

K. Basrie, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Alice Koh, a Singaporean that regularly flies to Jakarta for
business trips, was stunned after exploring photographs of
Kampung Sampireun resort.

The unique natural settings of the boutique hotel erected
above a lake in the chilly Ciparay village of Desa Sukakarya,
Samarang in Garut, about two hours drive from Bandung, amazed
her.

"It's something really, really different from regular
hotels," she said before bombarding her Indonesian partner with a
bunch of questions about the three-star hotel.

Like most business travelers, Koh now sees ordinary hotels or
resorts as mediocre. When it comes to a holiday, she and her
family of two children prefer to find a place with something
uncommon.

To Koh's eyes, the tranquil and unique natural surroundings
plus the very traditional settings of Kampung Sampireun promises
a refreshing break from the routine and can bring out thrilling
sensations. Inside the traditional cottages dominated by bamboo,
coconut trees and rattan materials, there are no TV sets. Kids
can enjoy their day by feeding the hundreds of fish, languidly
cruising in the lake, from a jetty near the cottage.

When Koh was told that meal orders are served by room service
staff who ply the lake by sampan, Koh delightfully pledged to
soon bring the family from Singapore to give the hotel a try.

But she wonders why she had never known about this hotel
previously, which has carefully manicured gardens and grounds.
And Koh is not alone with such a query.

When asked, Nasohi, marketing manager of Kampung Sampireun,
admitted that they had scaled back promotional efforts done by
the hotel.

"The budget is limited now, and we focus our promotion through
our website," he said.

Despite a lack of promotion, one should definitely call in
advance for a reservation since the Sundanese boutique resort, as
it is called in its brochure, has become quite popular among many
local holiday-makers, particularly Jakartans.

Its weekday rates range from Rp 576,000++ (for one bedroom
cottages with a terrace) to 1,104,000++ (two bedrooms, living
room and terrace). The price covers breakfast and West Javanese
traditional snacks.

Like many hotels in this class, Kampung Sampireun is very
secluded and there are a limited number of rooms. It has only 13
cottages.

According to marketing expert, Rhenald Kasali, from the
University of Indonesia, exotic hotels world-wide are born not to
advertise but promote their unique products in carefully detailed
ways.

"The (marketing) communication is mostly carried out by word
of mouth as they are designed for selected guests seeking
serenity, quietness, peacefulness and privacy," he told The
Jakarta Post on Monday.

Famous people such as Mick Jagger, he said, prefer to spend
holidays, for example, at places like the secluded Hotel Tugu in
a remote area of Bali, rather than a crowded five-star hotel in
Kuta.

For operators of these exotic hotels, Kasali explained, big
crowds at their places would diminish the attraction, making them
less valuable and less prized by their regular guests and high-
profile figures, who strictly want to get away from the public
and the press for a while.

"That's why most of these types of hotels stand alone in
remote locations with a higher rate," he added.

Truly, many of the exotic hotels need no extra efforts for
promotion since their uniqueness has managed to attract local and
foreign journalists to publicize them.

In an e-mail interview with the Post, Stephane Junca of Hotel
Tugu Bali said: "Our promotion is done by word of mouth and with
the help of journalists. We never use discounts in our marketing
efforts but continuously improve services for our guests."

Naturally rich in water, exotic islands, ultra gorgeous land
and tropical weather, Indonesia actually offers many places for
such unique hotels, which offer not only grand services, meals
and facilities but something "different" and "unforgettable" that
can add sensational excitement or serenity to guests.

There are only a handful of hotels that can be put in this
category, and most are hard to find. Many are located in Bali.
Some operate in Lombok, Anyer in West Java, and other parts of
Java. Few others can be found elsewhere.

If one takes a trip to Sulawesi, for example, they would be
stunned by the Wakatobi Dive Resort. The secluded, intimate
resort offers not only comfortable accommodations and hammocks,
but also unlimited underwater exploration. Designed for a small
number of select guests, the Swiss-managed resort was built using
the traditional longhouse and bungalow designs by local craftsmen
using traditional hand tools.

In Citarik, another remote place in West Java, the organizer
of a white-water rafting company also offers huts with native
architectural styles, largely crafted using local materials, such
as coconut leaves, rattan and bamboo, and meant for romantics,
naturalists, culturalists and hedonists alike.

In the Seribu Islands off of Jakarta, Pulau Ayer Resort &
Cottages with its 33 intimate floating cottages sprawling out to
sea offers inspiring moments for holiday-makers. Built three
meters from the crystal-clear sea, the cottages still have
showers, a 29-inch TV set with satellite channels, air
conditioning, a safe, a telephone line and a balcony facing the
ocean.

All in all, it seems that the exotic hotels rely on the
experience of their guests for marketing and promotion. "It
works," said Kasali.

And a regular traveler who has been in PR tourism for years,
Catharina Widyasrini, shared Kasali's view. "That's absolutely
true."

The lack of information provided by such hotels, Catharina
went on, is mainly because the places are not designed for locals
who prefer to pick hotels close to a shopping area rather than
those open to the sky, stars, rain and jangkrik (crickets).