How teddy bears became favourite souvenirs
How teddy bears became the fluffy faces of, and favourite souvenirs from, hotels around the world. Becoming social media stars along the way.
How teddy bears became the fluffy faces of, and favourite souvenirs from, hotels around the world
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.
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Gillian Rhys