Chocolate Lovers are in for a treat as Whittaker’s invites them to check in for its first-ever bookable overnight experience to celebrate 130 years of chocolate making, via Special PR.
The campaign was created by Special PR, marking its inaugural piece of work for Whittaker’s. The agency spearheaded experiential, media relations, creative, and design, and was supported by Jason Domancie and Kayle Lawson of Subgenre, responsible for the production of the campaign’s high-fidelity visuals.
The Whittaker’s Hotel Sweet a will take over Auckland’s Hotel Fitzroy for an exclusive two-week residency. Guests who secure a stay in the sweet suite will be treated to a journey 130 years in the
making. The experience features a decadent Whittaker’s welcome, bespoke chocolate-inspired linens and robes, and a curated library documenting the company’s bean-to-bar heritage. Naturally, the stay is ‘choc’ full of Whittaker’s treats at every turn.
In a nod to the brand’s long-term community commitment, all proceeds from bookings will be donated to Save the Kiwi, celebrating a landmark 10-year partnership with Whittaker’s this year.
“Our 130th birthday felt like something we should celebrate directly with the Chocolate Lovers who’ve supported us for generations. Hotel Sweet lets people step inside that celebration and have some fun with it,” said Soraya Cottin, Whittaker’s CMO.
“We’re excited to be celebrating such a significant milestone with Special PR. Their work has a reputation for blurring the boundaries of traditional PR, moving into truly immersive brand storytelling. We couldn’t think of a better way to mark 130 years than by inviting Kiwis to venture behind the doors for a truly sweet experience.”
“At Special PR, we’re driven to create work that lives at the intersection of culture and commerce. Transforming Hotel Fitzroy into a Chocolate Lover’s sanctuary is exactly the kind of earned-first storytelling we love to create. It’s a privilege to work with such an iconic Kiwi brand by proving that, after 130 years, Whittaker’s is still the most delicious conversation in the country,” commented Harry Willis, senior PR director at Special PR.
The first release of bookings sold out in under an hour following launch, signalling strong demand from Chocolate Lovers eager to experience the one-of-a-kind stay. A second wave of bookings will go live March 31.
Chocolate Lovers can visit whittakershotelsweet.co.nz to secure their stay at the bespoke Suite when the next release opens.
