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Budget hotel brand Ibis targets youth in tie-up with music streaming firm Deezer

IbisBudget hotel chain Ibis Hotels is making a play for the youth market after announcing a tie-up with music streaming service Deezer that has seen the launch of a micro site, Ibis Play.

The site features geo-localised gig guides, playlists, reviews and news of the Australian music scene, together with a hotel search tool which takes users through to the core Ibis Hotels booking engine.

A campaign to promote the partnership will be rolled out through social media and across its three Ibis brands; Ibis, Ibis Styles and Ibis Budget.

Ibis is part of French hotel company Accor, the largest operator of hotels in Australia, which also includes the Mercure, Pullman, Sofitel and Novotel brands.  Geezer also has French origins but closed its Australian office early last year, as the local music streaming market became increasingly congested.

Deezer, which claims 6m paid subscribers worldwide and this week announced plans to allow subscribers to listen to podcasts and radio stations, continues to operate an Australian and New Zealand service from its Singapore and Paris offices.

The company declined to reveal how many Australian and NZ subscribers it has and there is no suggestion the Ibis tie-up is a precursor to the re-opening a local office for Deezer.

Accor Australia marketing and communications vice president Bridie Commerford admitted many music fans are unconcerned where they stay, but added that Ibis can start to become an integral part of the music scene.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to develop an offering that today’s young music fans will enjoy and find tangible value in,” she said. “We understand that typically these guys travel far and wide for shows and festivals, as such the accommodation tends to be of little significance to the overall experience.

“Ibis Hotels can now, however, play the role of trip planner, enabler and host, whilst providing exclusive opportunities that no other hotel can provide.”

Deezer head of label relations for Asia and Oceania Dona Inthaxoum said the partnership is in line with its vision to “make music as accessible as possible”.

Steve Jones

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