A "clothing optional" sun deck is listed among the amenities in print and online advertisements for La Maison, a luxury apartment community in Houston’s River Oaks area managed by Zom Residential Services.
Zom Marketing Director Jeremy Brown says the amenity represents the trendsetting nature of Zom’s marketing approach. “We feel that it is a unique, cutting-edge amenity for the Houston market, which is a growing multicultural metropolitan area where a diverse audience would respond to this type of hype,” he says.
Zom simply converted a common area terrace on the top floor that receives an abundance of direct sunlight and is private, Brown says, and “deemed it as our clothing optional sun deck.”
This secluded section measures 500 square feet and contains a dozen modern chaise lounges with nickel finishes, urban planters with tall trellises and vines that act as privacy screens, and an outdoor shower.
The amenity, Brown says, “was so path-breaking for our industry that when our ad was initially sent to one Internet Listing Service we were told that they were not sure if they could print ‘clothing optional’ in their publication or feature it on their Web site and needed to get approval.” It was approved.
Whether it’s a clothing optional sun deck, a yoga studio, an outdoor billiard room or a cyber café, Brown says Zom, as a third-party apartment management company, constantly seeks new ways to market its apartment homes “that create hype and help us to stand out in the market.”
Since Zom started its leasing efforts at La Maison in November 2008, the clothing optional sun deck always is a talking point among prospective renters, Brown says, “but usually because our staff makes an effort to incorporate it into their leasing presentation on the phone and in person during property tours in an effort to make our community stand out in the prospective resident’s mind.”
Brown says that what is important is not always that prospective residents remember the amenities Zom offers, but rather that they remember the property overall as a high-quality community and a great place to live.
The amenity has created more questions than comments directed at La Maison’s leasing staff. Brown says the most common questions asked by prospective residents include the location of the clothing optional sun deck, whether it is directly viewable from apartments, the level of privacy and its popularity among the residents. Some, Brown says, “even ask whether the sun is better up there.”
The Houston Chronicle reported on the sun deck in March. That spurred interest, including from other media, Brown says. “While it’s always been a popular topic of conversation among prospective residents, we had an overwhelming spike in interest to learn more about the clothing optional sun deck after the Chronicle article appeared,” Brown says. That article was subsequently followed by a lot more press, including a news channel flying a helicopter over the property to capture aerial shots for their story, Brown says.
“This is the kind of press coverage that a marketing director can’t buy,” Brown says, adding that it led to a spike in traffic and subsequent leases, along with increased recognition of the La Maison community and the benefits that result from that exposure.
Brown says La Maison also offers a main pool deck where most of its residents sunbathe and where nude sunbathing is not permitted. There are no deed restrictions currently in place from the city that could restrict such activity.