Starwood "Lobbying" Loyalists

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has launched a lifestyle-oriented blog at TheLobby.com, the WSJ reports (subscription). The effort, put together by NYC agency Electric Artists, is sprinkled with travel topics such as luggage, clothing, and, of course, profiles of Starwood hotels. But lifestyle entries — including an astounding amount of iPod mentions — abound. (This makes a lot of sense if my iPod usage during travel is any indication.)

Efforts like this seem very well-intentioned but they face an uphill battle. Why should I go to Starwood for my lifestyle media, when I can turn to so many other sources? Not sure what their promotion or distribution strategy (syndication?) is, but I’d imagine they could have a tough time drawing a regular audience. Then again, if costs are low enough, the “hip factor” of simply having a blog may be enough to win them points in consumers’ minds.