Promotional tweet benefits Twitter followers of a historic resort

The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa may have opened in 1913, but it is not having trouble keeping up with the social networking trends of 2009. Last week, the historic resort used Twitter in a unique way to promote its 96th birthday.

At 11:00 a.m. the more than 400 Twitter followers of E.W. or Edwin Wiley Grove, the druggist and chemist whom the resort is named after, received a tweet, or Twitter message, notifying them of a one-day giveaway. The first 96 respondents who called a special phone number received one night in a deluxe, mountain-view suite free of charge at the Asheville, NC, resort. The 96 free rooms were booked in less than 90 minutes.

"There certainly is a developing trend for the hospitality industry to promote on Twitter," says Ron Morin, executive director of operations at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. "With our move toward more of an online presence, Twitter seemed a unique way to give away 96 free stays."

Because of its initial success, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa plans to continue to keep its followers informed via Twitter updates that link to its home page. It is currently using the free social network to advertise its upcoming Memorial Day celebration which includes two weekend concerts.