FIVESTAR PR retains Top Spot in the Luxury Travel and Hospitality Arena

Despite the travel industry’s troubled times in the wake of the pandemic, FIVESTAR PR has not only retained its longstanding clients - Tintswalo Lodges, Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and Jock Safari Lodge, but is growing from strength to strength having signed up several new hospitality and lifestyle clients over the past few months.

Janie van der Spuy who heads up FIVESTAR PR says: ‘Naturally, it has been a very difficult year for the industry, but it is encouraging to see that intuitive clients continue to invest in marketing and PR, recognizing that they will reap the benefits once travel normalises.’

The boutique agency has taken over PR representation of The Liz McGrath Collection, which includes Cape Town’s Cellars Hohenort Hotel and Greenhouse Restaurant, The Marine Hotel in Hermanus and The Plettenberg in Plettenberg Bay.

It has also been contracted to provide PR support to members of international marketing agency, Inspirational Places, including recently launched Perivoli Lagoon House and Mosaic Lagoon Lodge outside Stanford, as well as Schoone Oordt in Swellendam, The Residence in Houghton (Johannesburg) and Federal Airlines.

Another feather in its cap is the appointment of FIVESTAR PR on the marketing team to launch Brookdale Estate in Paarl, a top-end boutique winery with luxurious Manor House accommodation, as well as a restaurant and wine tasting centre that is currently under construction.

‘We operate in a niche market of small, privately owned luxury boutique hotels, safari lodges and lifestyle brands. A solid track record and proven results over more than 20 years in the PR business has stood us in good stead, once again affirming that in the PR industry reputation is everything,’ van der Spuy says. ‘Now is not the time to take a back seat. The PR industry has to be proactive and work smarter and harder than ever before, albeit within a smaller media network, in order to maintain a public presence and exposure for our clients.’

‘It’s not all doom and gloom. It’s encouraging to see the rebirth of some lifestyle titles such as House and Leisure and Woman & Home. Many niche publications have not only survived, but are even thriving. In terms of the travel and hospitality industry, business has shifted to the local market and South African travellers now have the opportunity to book iconic travel experiences locally, at rates that may never be repeated. It’s our mission to carry this message into the market and to make sure that when they do book that bucket list trip locally, they choose our clients,’ she concluded.