When you have power and influence, you might have luxury gifts and complimentary offers thrown at you.
But if you have to ask for the gifts then, well, you might not be as influential as you think.
The Maldives resort Dusit Thani has had to keep telling young Instagrammers exactly that. The five-star hotel is overwhelmed by requests from social media users asking about free rooms.
If you have a following of below 2,000, however, youre not big enough, and Dusit Thani doesnt want to give you a free booking.
Everyone with a Facebook account these days is an influencer, said Kate Jones, marketing and communications manager at the resort in Mudhdhoo Island.
People say, I want to come to the Maldives for 10 days and will do two posts on Instagram to like 2,000 followers.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Its people with 600 Facebook friends saying, “Hi, Im an influencer, I want to stay in your hotel for seven days”.
Kate also added that a lot of the people were entitled, lacking explanations for why they felt compelled to a room, as well as writing poorly worded messages.
She typically grants one out of ten requests, provided they have a large following, usually in the millions, so the partnership can be lucrative.
Even if you are rejected, it could be worse, as one 22-year-old influencer, Ellie Darby, found out when she was banned from a Dublin hotel after requesting a free stay.
In a scathing email, the manager of the hotel said she had no self-respect nor dignity, which promoted a 17-minute teary-eyed video response from Elle.
Ooh ouch.
MORE: Most social media influencers earn way less than you think
MORE: Your definitive guide to packing restrictions on flights this summer
Advertisement
Advertisement
