Micarl Hill, general manager of Clayton on the Park, is a firm believer in thinking outside of the marketing box, so he's equipped his salespeople with ViewMasters to take on sales calls and for targeted direct mail. 

"We all loved them when we were kids and it�s a great way to show off a very unique hotel and residence complex," explains Hill. "You sit down on a sales call and hand a prospect a ViewMaster and you have his or her attention. We are creating a real buzz for our one-of-a-kind mixed-use property.

"Clayton on the Park is not predictable, it's not traditional and it's definitely not boring." Hill further explains. "It's a new concept in cosmopolitan living for St. Louis, so we have to be equally innovative in our marketing approach. One has to reflect the other and visuals best convey what Clayton on the Park is all about." 

Hill had ViewMaster make up 250 of the 3-D viewers with the property's logo on the front and a four-color, seven photo viewing disk, which clearly shows the unique qualities of the property's exterior, lobby, guestrooms, fully equipped kitchens, expansive Nutriformance Fitness Center, and rooftop Veranda with 360-degree views.  His salespeople take them along on every sales call in custom-designed carrying cases.

"The ViewMasters are attention-getters whether used one-on-one or in targeted direct mail," says Hill. "They've been a huge hit. We're now even getting requests for them." 

Hill said the ViewMasters have been especially helpful in marketing his corporate suites. "Executives and human resource people see what they get at Clayton on the Park - a residential suite, as opposed to a boxy traditional hotel room. The response has been phenomenal. More successful than we even envisioned."

The Clayton on the Park mixed-use residential complex is a new concept in cosmopolitan living for St. Louis. Hotel suites co-exist with luxury apartments and corporate suites, all carefully designed to cater to the needs of their respective clientele, while allowing for crossover services - apartment and corporate suite residents who want hotel amenities and hotel guests who desire a more residential setting.

As Hill puts it, "We meet the needs of those who need a residence for a day, a month or a year."

The uniqueness and luxury of Clayton on the Park also qualified it for membership in Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a global brand of more than 110 of the world's finest independent luxury hotels and resorts.  No other St. Louis hotel has ever had this distinction.