A charming, if a little elaborate, April fool's joke that fleeced the online community last week has just re-launched itself as a bona fide hotel search engine. Images of the Soviet Mil V-12 Hotelicopter - touted as the world's first flying hotel - began circulating on the web last week as part of a clever viral campaign that caught the imagination of many in the travel media.
Cunningly netting hundreds of fans on its Facebook and Twitter pages, the campaign saw internal and exterior images of the flying hotel bounce around the internet to much 'oohing' and 'ahhing' and more than just a little consternation.
Certainly, the promotion seemed real enough - with just enough effort having been put in to plant the seed of doubt that it might not be a hoax. Indeed, the Hotelicopter website detailed: "The Hotelicopter features 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for adrenaline junkies seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience." They even went as far as to state the safety precautions of the craft: "Our vehicle meets or exceeds all safety, operating, and maintenance requirements outlined by the FAA in the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) relating to transport category rotorcraft." Accompanied by photos and mock-ups, it's little wonder some were sucked in.
The images, however, later proved to have been lifted from Yotel's website - the premium bijou airport hotel arm of the Yo! Company. The truth behind the lies revealed a clever joint marketing attack from Yotel and the new hotel search site Hotelicopter, which leads its logo with the tagline "elevate your search".
Jo Berrington, Yotel Marketing Director, told the Telegraph last week: "Although this is a joke maybe in the future it could become reality. We are looking to push the boundaries and make people think about what's possible".
The Yotel photos were a bit of a giveaway, agrees HotelChatter proving that the campaign had their backing from the get-go. Backs were seemingly getting scratched from all angles and while Yotel validated the concept as a promotion for their innovate outlook on accommodation solutions, not to mention consolidating their grasp of 21st century online marketing techniques, the real Hotelicopter managed to emerge fully vindicated and a genuine search engine.
The search engine provides a similar service to Kayak.com, Kasbah.com and Hotels.com in that it compares the hotel market offering individuals the chance to enter their preferences, view availability, read reviews and place bookings from the lowest price.
An analysis from TechCrunch concludes: "All in all, it seems to work well, but there just doesn't seem to be a whole lot distinguishing Hotelicopter from other sites like Kayak. That said, the people behind Hotelicopter clearly have a good sense of humor (and marketing), so they may be able to make a name for themselves in the crowded space."
So internet users duped by the campaign needn't feel overly abashed - if you were one of the many who attempted to book a room onboard, Hotelicopter won't be taking you on its maiden voyage this summer, but could help you book a holiday nonetheless.
