Regent Santa Monica Beach’s Post

The life of a CMO or VP Marketing at a luxury hotel is a blend of strategic thinking, creative inspiration, and meticulous execution.

How can art and creativity transform travel and guest experiences? Teresa Muk, Head of Brand and Strategic Marketing at Swire Hotels, joins us to answer this question today. Teresa joined us yesterday to discuss a recent activation they're doing across their hotels (check it out on the Hospitality Daily podcast if you missed it!) 'Encounters Across Cultures’ is being hosted in four cities: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Beijing - and features artists using biometric data to create music and art that reflect each city's character. These installations will be displayed in The House Collective's hotels through early next year to showcase the blend of art, technology, and culture and celebrate the return of travel post-pandemic. I found this quite impressive and wanted to speak more about it with Teresa to learn how we all can think about how art can play a role in how we provide hospitality. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: 1) Why does art matter in hospitality? "Focusing on art and creativity is crucial because travelers want to understand and experience local culture. Culture makes the travel experience so much more unique than just going to a restaurant or going to a shop to buy things. What really makes a memory last is connecting with people locally. That's what sets hospitality brands apart: the experience you can curate and present to your guests. It's how you win their hearts." 2) Blending international and local influences "The hospitality experience is always about mixing the international point of view with the local point of view. That's why we came up with the idea of encounters across cultures. When you travel, you really want to have this mix or cocktail of different cultures you can experience in that place." 3) Be friends with your guests "We constantly think about strengthening our connection with whoever comes across our brand or our hotels. How can we become friends with them? We're not looking at our guests as just our guests. We're looking at them as friends. It's about the connection we're trying to create to turn everyone - both the people we work with and our guests - into friends. That's our philosophy, and that’s what sets us apart from the other hospitality brands." But that's not all. We're also getting inspiration today from: • Sarah Chabot on delivering Cyber Monday • Tracy L Prigmore on acquiring a 40-acre vineyard estate • Kevin Boland on hosting a Thanksgiving brunch • adrien gloaguen on a new camping brand • William Murray on inspiration • Regitse Cecillie Rosenvinge on working from inspiring places Check it all out here now: https://lnkd.in/gvY8MCYQ If you liked this, you'll love my daily email where I summarize the best ideas from my interviews each day. Subscribe here for free: https://lnkd.in/e8Zdu9cR

The team at Seamless Middle East & Saudi Arabia reached out to learn a little bit more about what's the marketing strategy for Rove Hotels and what are some of the top learnings I've had while working in #hospitality. If interested, you can read the full interview here: https://bit.ly/4ayOvqt Thanks Seamless Xtra for the feature!

Check out this article as Iliana Orietta, the Senior Director of Marketing Daylife Division and Head of Corporate MARCOM at Sunset Hospitality Group, shares with Caterer Middle East the most important lessons she’s learned in her career 👇   #SHG #SunsetHospitalityGroup #Marketing

Elevating Hospitality: The Art of Hotel Marketing In the dynamic world of hospitality, effective marketing is the key to success. As someone deeply passionate about the industry, I’ve witnessed firsthand how a well-crafted marketing strategy can transform a hotel’s fortunes. Here are a few insights on mastering hotel marketing: 1. Know Your Audience: Understanding your target market is crucial. Whether it’s luxury travelers seeking bespoke experiences or budget-conscious adventurers craving authenticity, tailoring your messaging to resonate with your audience is essential. 2. Storytelling Matters: Every hotel has a unique story waiting to be told. From the rich history of heritage properties to the cutting-edge innovation of contemporary boutiques, compelling storytelling can captivate guests and forge emotional connections. 3. Embrace Digital Platforms: In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is non-negotiable. Leveraging social media, website optimization, and targeted digital advertising can significantly enhance visibility and drive bookings. 4. Create Memorable Experiences: Exceptional service and unforgettable experiences are the heart of hospitality. Whether it’s personalized guest interactions, curated local experiences, or innovative amenities, prioritize delivering moments that guests will cherish long after their stay. 5. Stay Agile and Adaptive: The hospitality landscape is ever-evolving. Stay ahead of the curve by monitoring industry trends, embracing innovation, and remaining agile in your approach to marketing strategies.

We’ve got dozens of successful hotel marketing campaigns under our belt, but the first one was the hardest. When I began working on it, I had:   1. Zero experience in hospitality marketing.  2. Limited knowledge about the hotel industry. 3. Uncertainty about the potential results. 4. Big shoes to fill. And that was the best part. The challenge was exhilarating. It gave me an opportunity to put my skills to the test and push my boundaries. But one thing I had was my love and passion for technology and solving complex problems. Here’s what I did: 1. I studied the hotel industry in depth. 2. I developed a customised marketing strategy. 3. I incorporated cutting-edge technology to reach the target audience. 4. I constantly monitored and adjusted the strategy based on results. 5. I maintained a clear communication channel with the hotel management. One thing I have understood is:   1. Technology can revolutionize any industry, including hospitality. 2. Effective marketing requires continuous learning and adaptability. 3. Real passion can drive amazing results. That’s it. How about you? What were the initial challenges you faced in your industry and how did you overcome them? #HotelMarketing #HospitalityTechnology #MarketingStrategy #Innovation

Hotels are revamping their marketing strategies to meet the evolving demands of travelers. Discover how the industry is embracing experiential marketing to create memorable guest experiences. Check out the article here: https://okt.to/jusfK2

ICYMI: Life is a FREE Night for Best Western Hotels and the Brandman PR Agency: Taryn Rosenbaum, a PR Account Manager from The Brandman Agency was commissioned by her client, the BWH Hotels to share their excitement. She was hired to write a promotional “news” story about the Best Western Hotel loyalty program and pitch it to news media for free inclusion. This is called earned media, where the earning party is only the PR agency. The breaking news was that travelers could earn a free night with BWH, the Best Western Reward program. This news was sent to journalists listed on the Bradman Agency and Best Western media list. Journalists were expected to publish this as news without compensation. Hotel Reward programs are not anything new, and they all include free night awards. It included not only Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and Hilton HHonor, but also smaller independent hotel groups’ loyalty programs are thriving and include free nights. Why is no publication considering the Best Western News Story? So far no serious publication has taken the bait on this Best Western development, so eTurboNews is sharing this release with readers as a courtesy to Best Western Hotels to get this lost message across without any additional cost. (Except for the fee already paid to the New York-based PR agency. Independent hotels loyalty programs thriving Best Western’s attempt to pitch this as news resulted in this press release with a little help from the Brandman Agency. This spring, BWH Hotels is offering members of its award-winning loyalty program – Best Western Rewards (BWR®) – the opportunity to earn a free night. From February 5 to May 5, 2024, BWR members who stay two nights (which do not need to be consecutive) at BWH Hotels properties in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean will earn one free night that can be used for stays through August 25, 2024. BWR members must register for the offer before the completion of their first eligible stay, either on https://lnkd.in/g83nsifk or at the hotel directly.  “The team is thrilled to kick off 2024 with this exciting promotion and enhance our rewards members’ travel plans for the year,” said Joelle Park, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at BWH Hotels. “Whether travelers want to experience some of our incredible ski properties or escape the cold weather for a beach, rewards members can be confident they are getting the comfort, service, and value they have come to expect from our hotels.” The BWR program’s perks are driven by BWH Hotels’ commitment to caring for its guests and its vision of encouraging one-of-a-kind experiences through travel. The awarded free night can be used at any participating Best Western branded hotel in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, and members are only eligible to earn one free night for this promotion. Life’s A Trip… #brandnamagency #Bestwestern #hotel #News

Bottom-Up Marketing empowers guests, fosters trust, and fuels long-term success in the hospitality industry. It's a shift from a broadcast model to a collaborative dialogue, creating a thriving ecosystem of guest-centric hospitality. https://lnkd.in/dyRTADW4

Unreasonable Hospitality and Ad Agencies When I started working in an ad agency, our client's needs were the most important thing on the docket. Our account people did everything they could to ensure they understood the needs and did their best to deliver against them. Senior account people made it their business to find the time and moments to sit and listen deeply to their clients and hear what problems needed solving. In the frantic, bitter, and somewhat cynical world of 2023, it has become harder to spend time with clients, let alone delight them with Unreasonable Hospitality. The book Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara is getting a lot of attention, and quite rightly so. This story is about how focusing on serving people transformed Eleven Madison Park from No50 to 1 on the World's Best Restaurants list. With restaurants, it's supposedly all about the food, but Will and his team applied brand thinking to determine their point of differentiation. Excellent food is mandatory for a restaurant seeking 4-star status, but the space he found was about going beyond the call of duty to deliver an unexpected customer experience. He dove into every touch point and worked out how to improve it- from the arrival to paying the bill. While we might have done detailed customer journey mapping exercises for our client's brands, I doubt that many agencies have done the same for their brand. I am sure it would be pretty revealing and full of opportunity. The ad agency world is all about the work, but in a hyper-competitive landscape where many agencies are doing great work, an Unreasonable Hospitality approach might be one way to stand out.