Freepoint Hotel, RadioPublic Launch Partnership to Make Podcasts the Next Great Hotel Amenity
That innovative mentality extends far beyond traditional hotel amenities. Freepoint announced a first-of-its-kind guest experience, partnering with RadioPublic, a new mobile app and listening platform for on-demand radio and podcasts, to provide curated listening recommendations to guests, available at the touch of a button.
At the core of the experience are podcast playlists – handpicked collections of episodes selected with the Freepoint guest experience in mind. Venturing out to tour the city? Try the “Boston like a Local” playlist, featuring episodes touching on the latest in regional sports, culture and history. Getting ready for dinner? Freepoint Executive Chef Matthew Gaudet has curated a playlist of food and drink-centric episodes, including selections from Bon Appetit magazine’s podcast alongside locally-produced episodes of “GastroPod" and “Milk Street Radio,” hosted by America’s Test Kitchen’s Chris Kimball.
Playlists will be accessible for guests via the touch of a button. After receiving a link to their smartphones upon check in, guests can access the playlists at any time throughout their stay by downloading the RadioPublic app and browsing the Freepoint Hotel channel. iDevices will be mounted around the lobby, a la digital art, allowing guests to grab headphones, a seat, and listen to the wide world of podcasts. Hotel guests who want to experience the Freepoint Channel before downloading can check out additional devices from the front desk to browse and listen at their leisure from anywhere within the hotel.
“We are excited to be among the first to find synergy between the world of hospitality and the nearly 67 million monthly podcast listeners in the United States alone,” said David McCaslin, Executive Vice President of HHM, the hotel’s management company. “Tapping into the podcast revolution truly illustrates the ethos of the Freepoint brand which is rooted in innovation, technology and discovery. RadioPublic’s ability to create custom playlists and curated listening experiences mirrors our efforts to create unique, authentic and memorable moments for guests, both within and outside of the sonic space.”
The curated playlists represent RadioPublic’s larger mission to improve podcast discovery, particularly for first-time listeners. The company was founded in 2016 as a Public Benefit Corporation, and was launched in partnership with the Public Radio Exchange (PRX). It has secured funding from investors including Project11, Homebrew, Matter Ventures and the New York Times.
Freepoint’s dedicated podcast DJ will keep these playlists continuously updated with fresh episodes, ensuring return guests will be able to log into an entirely new experience with each visit. Freepoint guests or fans can also choose to follow the Freepoint channel and keep up-to-date on playlist curation and life in Greater Boston from anywhere in the world.
Freepoint Channel Playlists currently include:
- Listen Like a Local - features shows created by locals about locals – all things Boston from sports to politics to history.
- Work it Out - features shows to listen to while working out at the hotel’s gym or going for a run around Cambridge - includes an episode about the Boston marathon and an interview with the author of The One Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit that's Smarter, Faster, Shorter.
- What's Cooking - curated by esteemed Executive Chef Matthew Gaudet, named a Best New Chef 2013 by Food & Wine magazine - this playlist features food and drink-centric episodes.
- Wind it Down – features shows to listen to before bed -- episodes include Sounds of Berklee: Tia Fuller, a professor and musician who plays pieces from her third album and a podcast delving into bedtime topics like "How Lucid Dreams Work?"
- Road Warrior/Culture Vulture/Small Bytes- these signature RadioPublic playlists will also be featured on the channel. Road Warrior is geared to the business traveler; Culture Vulture for those hungry for the arts; and Small Bytes features 1-2 minute podcasts perfect for guests on the go!
In summer 2017, the Freepoint channel will feature some hyper local content when the destination of West Cambridge, to which Freepoint calls home, is the subject of an episode of the Peabody award nominated podcast, Memory Palace. Created by Nate DiMeo, Memory Palace is a storytelling podcast and public radio segment about the past. This dedicated episode will dive into the history of the neighborhood allowing guests the opportunity to learn and discover more about the destination and community outside the hotel’s walls. Additionally, Freepoint will be the topic of discussion in dashChat, the podcast of award winning interior design and brand consulting firm Dash Design, who spearheaded the interior design of the property. The 30-minute quarterly interview series is hosted by David Ashen, principal and founder of dash design, and serves as a platform to talk about topics of interest with noted brand development, design experts and other industry thought leaders.
Guest experiences outside of the sonic space will include a monthly event series by the name of TalkingPoint: Conversations with Podcasters at Freepoint Hotel. These events will feature local or guest podcast hosts and producers visiting the hotel for mixers, Q&A’s and meet & greets with guests and local listeners alike. Each conversation will allow podcasters to share insight into their podcasts, content and future topics, while giving guests and locals the opportunity to mix and mingle with each other.