Last November, Moxy Hotels partnered with female-first social networking app Bumble, to create designated meeting sites for people taking online dating, offline.
Dubbed “BumbleSpots”, Moxy hotels are places that have been verified by online dating app Bumble as “inclusive environments to meet your Bumble connections”, whether for hook ups, friendship or professional networking.
Moxy was Bumble’s first nationwide partner in the US to be designated as BumbleSpot, and more BumbleSpot locations will arrive across the US and Canada this year.
Andee Olson, director of partnerships at online dating platform Bumble, says: “At Bumble, we’re more than just a dating app – we’re a mission-driven platform that connects people across the most important relationships in their lives in love, friendship and business.
“We’ve worked so hard to cultivate a safe and empowering community online and we’re always looking for opportunities to help our users bring those connections to life. The idea for BumbleSpot is to create a network of physical locations across the US and Canada that support our mission to end misogyny and empower women in their relationships across all aspects of life.”
As Globetrender has reported before, Moxy is an affordable “lifestyle” brand from Marriott International, which is aimed at a youthful demographic. Unlike traditional hotels that feature lobbies simply for guests to pass through on their way to the rooms or restaurants, Moxy hotels have public areas that are designed for working and socialising.
John Licence, vice-president of premium and select brands for Marriott International Europe, describes the kinds of activities guests can try. He says: “Cheeky programming encourages guests to do all the stuff they would never think of doing back home – lip sync battles, acupuncture happy hour, Relax Corners featuring mini massages and nail tattoos, burlesque shows, tarot card readings, adult coloring books and life-size Jenga.”
In a review of the Moxy NYC Times Square hotel in New York, Jack Southan writes: “A large focus on the first floor is the communal work spaces. Sofas, desks, private offices and meeting rooms surround the bar area, and are packed with media types, MacBooks and flat white coffees. The decor is trendy and tasteful; neutral colours matched with moderns art and urban design work. It’s achingly cool and attracts a crowd to suit.”
With this in mind, it’s easy to see why Bumble was drawn to the brand. Toni Stoeckl, global brand leader of Moxy Hotels, says: “Moxy is centered around play. We believe you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation. Moxy lobbies are designed to provoke you to play, providing the perfect setting to break the ice.”
Stoeckl adds: “Bumble was first founded to challenge the antiquated rules of dating [women are the ones that have to make the first move on this online dating app]. Similarly, Moxy threw out the hospitality rulebook and challenged the status quo. Together, these two brands are a perfect match to encourage people to come out from behind their screens and take their digital connections into real life – whether that be a date, a friend or a business connection.”
Moxy isn’t the only hotel to have partnered with Bumble. The Line hotel in LA has also hosted brunches for BumbleBFF members. Meanwhile, the new Silicon Valley-backed Life House hotel brand has its own social networking app for guests (the first hotel opened in Miami in October 2018). Solo travellers need never eat dinner alone again.