'Stay Eastside' Tourism Campaign Launches In Kirkland & Redmond

KIRKLAND, WA — Redmond and Kirkland unveiled a new regional tourism partnership Monday, launching the "Stay Eastside" initiative to attract more hotel bookings and encourage guests to get out of their rooms and into dozens of local shops and restaurants.

The new promotional initiative provides $100 vouchers for each guest who books a stay for at least two nights at participating hotels in both cities. The vouchers can be redeemed for purchases at more than 150 businesses, with costs fully reimbursed by the cities. The list of participating businesses is wide-ranging and includes restaurants, bakeries, galleries, book stores, salons and other retailers.

In Redmond, the program is funded by a portion of the lodging tax reserved for tourism marketing, while Kirkland's is supported by federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Officials said the partnership builds on Redmond's "You Stay, We Pay" promotion, which proved successful last year. The initiative was credited with securing an extra 530 guest bookings and generating nearly $280,000 for the local economy.

The earlier program proved especially effective in attracting neighbors for "staycations," with more than 90 percent of those surveyed visiting from Seattle, Eastside cities or other parts of Washington.

"It's a terrific value proposition that generated a lot of room nights for us last year," said Dan Angellar, general manager of the Seattle Marriott Redmond, in a statement. "Moreover, last year's initiative helped us to keep people on our payroll. It attracted many families and couples, almost exclusively from cities in the Puget Sound area."

Officials said the "Stay Eastside" promotion will be valid for the first 1,000 eligible guest bookings. Residents from across the region can learn more about utilizing the benefits for a visit on the partnership's official website.