How teddy bears became the fluffy faces of, and favourite souvenirs from, hotels around the world
- It’s not just children who fall for the charming teddies, with adults paying big bucks for limited-edition furry mementoes
- The bears are social media stars, appearing on websites and celebrity Instagrams and in photo competitions
When Hotel Sacher, in Vienna, Austria, reopened after lockdown at the end of May, the news was announced on social media with a post featuring its signature teddy bears. Franz, dressed in a smart doorman’s uniform of burgundy coat, tie and black top hat, appeared flanked by his bear colleagues in a photograph captioned: “We couldn’t be happier to welcome you back!”
In celebration of its 125th anniversary, in 2001, the hotel had commissioned a limited-edition Hotel Sacher bear by manufacturer Steiff. So successful was the bear that the hotel decided to produce mascots to sell, with chef, bellboy and housekeeper teddies to go with the doorman. The bears featured in Instagram posts throughout lockdown as they had done before the pandemic.
“Our guests really love the Sacher teddy family,” says hotel spokeswoman Elisabeth Waxmund. “We often include them in our social media campaigns and the reactions are great.”
Paris’ Plaza Athénée is also home to a signature bear. “Gustave was born in 2004,” spokeswoman Isabelle Maurin says. “His name is a tribute to Gustave Eiffel, who built the Eiffel Tower not far from the hotel, which some rooms have views of. It was natural for us to call him Gustave.”
Naturally, too, Gustave is made by a French company, La Pelucherie, a family firm run by two sisters, and he is bright red, to match the hotel’s signature awnings. When the Plaza Athénée closed for refurbishment in 2013, the bear kept guests entertained with Instagram posts.
“The staff were travelling and taking pictures of Gustave everywhere. So Gustave was in Los Angeles, Rome … It was fun to see him all over the world,” says Maurin.