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Brenda Pesce reported to her new job as vice president of sales and marketing at the Flatotel on Sept. 10. The West 52nd Street
Street hotel was in the middle of remaking itself from a suites/extended-stay hotel into a hip and trendy midtown haven. But the events of the following day called for a radically different marketing strategy.
"After Sept. 11, business travelers wanted a safe, secure and cuddly ambience; adjectives like trendy and hip seemed tacky," says Ms. Pesce, echoing the sentiments of many Manhattan hoteliers.
Flatotel halted the dismantling of its extended-stay suites and switched to a "home away from home" marketing scheme. The staff now leaves freshly baked cookies in guests' rooms at night, and the hotel has switched the room decor from green to a soothing cream.
New York hotels have undergone an attitude adjustment since Sept. 11. Solicitude has replaced ostentation as hotels court business travelers with "comfort conveniences" like free long-distance calls home, water gardens and meditation rooms.
"Travelers want to be...