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Some hotels and restaurants piggyback on Black Friday mania

Shannon Mullen Nov 29, 2013
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Some hotels and restaurants piggyback on Black Friday mania

Shannon Mullen Nov 29, 2013
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It’s the biggest shopping day of the year and almost 100 million Americans are planning to hit stores to hunt for Black Friday bargains.

These days it’s not just retailers trying to lure customers with good deals. For shoppers who build up an appetite, a lot of restaurants now offer Black Friday deals, like LongHorn Steakhouse and Red LobsterA growing number of hotels want a piece of the action, too.  

Black Friday is not just a shopping day, it’s really a deal day,” says Chekitan Dev, professor of marketing and Branding at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. “One of the reasons why hotels and restaurants are jumping on the BF bandwagon is because they’re looking to divert that spending from things to experiences,” Dev says. 

Case in point: the Trump Hotel Collection is offering 30 percent off suites booked between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“More and more hospitality is actually coming into the forefront in terms of something you give as gift,” says Eric Trump, executive vice president of acquisitions and development for the Trump Organization. “A lot of times people tired of the knitted sweater for lack of a better gift.  They want that weekend in Las Vegas or Chicago or New York.”

Or Bloomington, Minnesota, where the Hilton has a deal for Black Friday shoppers heading to the nearby Mall of America, including a shuttle to get them there.

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