Bloomingdale’s is set to welcome customers to Hotel Bloomingdale’s, an immersive retail destination created in partnership with The Ritz-Carlton.
Running Thursday through Oct. 19 at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship in Manhattan, the experience brings The Ritz-Carlton’s signature approach to hospitality to the Carousel through fashion, beauty, wellness, home, travel and immersive experiences.
Kevin Harter, vice president of integrated marketing and the fashion office at Bloomingdale’s, said, “This is really one of my favorite campaigns that we’ve done, and I really think it speaks to the evolution of Bloomingdale’s.” He said one of the store’s biggest priorities is how do they elevate the customer experience. “Similar to a luxury hotel like The Ritz-Carlton, we want you to enjoy your stay at Bloomingdale’s,” he said.
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He said that Bloomingdale’s chief executive officer Olivier Bron speaks of that as one of his biggest goals: “Come to our store on any given day and just stay and not only shop, but just enjoy yourselves,” Harter said.
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The 1,600-square-foot Carousel features a check-in desk, an elevator that transforms into a fitting room, luggage racks and a hotel gift shop with a newsstand, food and skin care, “so it really feels organic,” Harter said. It was designed by Stefan Beckman.
At the Carousel, The Ritz-Carlton x Late Checkout capsule collection joins an assortment of more than 55 brands, including 14 new to Bloomingdale’s alongside hospitality partners Diptyque and Frette.
The assortment is organized into five hotel-inspired destinations. There is Travel, with journey essentials from Abbode, Parallele, Marvin, C.O. Bigelow, Cadence, Carl Friedrik and Alex Mill, and The Spa, with luxury beauty and wellness featuring La Prairie, with an exclusive spa experience and product offerings. The assortment also includes official candle partner Diptyque, featuring the exclusive Chene candle, alongside Vince, L:a Bruket, Lola Blanket and Bloomingdale’s Private Label Beauty.
There is also Room Service, with elevated comforts from Slip, Brunch Slippers, Frette, Petite Plume, Jonathan Adler, Barsys, Match, Gohar World and Bloomingdale’s private label treats, and Souvenirs, which feature keepsakes from The Ritz-Carlton x Late Checkout, Solar Eclipse, Estée Lauder, Piccoli NY, Rag & Bone and Apotheke. The newsstand features books and travel guides from Assouline, Herb Lester, the Archivist and Graphic Image, alongside select magazines.
Beyond the Carousel, Hotel Bloomingdale’s extends through the 59th Street flagship with dedicated windows, pop-ups, an ad campaign, activations and an exclusive 26-piece Aqua x Nicky Hilton collection for women and kids.
Among the activations at the flagship is a takeover of Studio 59, which will be transformed into a Ritz-Carlton-inspired hotel bar, featuring destination-inspired cocktails. La Prairie will introduce a limited-time spa residence and retail experience. It will offer an exclusive facial, which is available by appointment. There is also a Nespresso Coffee Bar, with complimentary sampling, while Abbode Customization will be available daily, featuring complimentary embroidery transforming Abbode purchases from throughout the carousel into personalized keepsakes.
At select Bloomingdale’s stores will be a Kilian Paris Bar, inspired by founder Kilian Hennessy’s fashion for fragrance and fine spirits. On Sept. 19, Hotel Bloomingdale’s comes to life nationwide through special activations, including Le Creuset demonstrations, La Mer ice cream carts, a Brunch pop-up with slipper embroidery and personal appearance by PiccoliNY’s founder, alongside, food, beverage, wellness and entertainment experiences.
Asked what he anticipates will be bestsellers, Harter said that the Late Checkout line “is going to sell out immediately.”
“But I also believe The Diptyque and the Frette will do really well. Another thing we’re launching is Costa Brazil by Francisco Costa, which we’re excited about,” Harter said.
“We’re really bullish on this. We have the campaign itself, all the events and activations we’ve done around it, we’re doing a big dinner to kick off fashion week on Friday. We have a number of events coming up in the store to bring attention not only to the Carousel but to the new fourth floor designer floor…so there’s a lot of power behind this one,” Harter said.