Marketing Strategies for Enterprise Hospitality Companies

If a GM called me today and said, “Scott, every marketing effort we’ve tried in 2025 is failing, and I need you to come in and fix it so we don't go through the same thing in 2026,” here’s exactly how I’d start creating real change. These are the first ten things I’d do starting today: 1️⃣ Audit the foundation. Before changing anything, I’d study every digital touchpoint. Website, booking engine, social media, CRM, and OTA listings. You cannot fix what you don’t understand. 2️⃣ End autopilot marketing. Too many hotels copy each other. I’d stop every cookie-cutter campaign and rebuild creative that actually connects with people. 3️⃣ Rebuild storytelling from the inside out. I’d get every department involved. Every housekeeper, bartender, and concierge has a story. Let them tell it. That’s how your brand becomes human again. 4️⃣ Go all in on video. Short-form, long-form, drone, behind the scenes, chef stories, real guest reactions, all of it. In 2026, video isn’t optional. It’s how people discover you. 5️⃣ Dominate your local market. I’d run micro-campaigns targeting locals with spa days, dining experiences, and staycations. When locals love you, they sell you better than any ad. 6️⃣ Make data your foundation. I’d stop guessing and start tracking. Every post, ad, and campaign must be built on data and analyzed weekly to find what truly drives revenue. 7️⃣ Reinvent influencer partnerships. I’d stop the free-stay culture and build real collaborations that measure reach, conversions, and storytelling impact. If it doesn’t drive ROI, it’s not marketing. 8️⃣ Turn guests into content creators. Every guest has a phone and an audience. I’d launch a campaign that encourages guests to tag, share, and co-create content. That’s authentic marketing you can’t buy. 9️⃣ Redefine internal marketing culture. I’d move meetings from the office to the lobby. Let ideas breathe in the energy of your guests. The best marketing ideas come from proximity to real hospitality. 🔟 Build for AI and voice search. Travelers are already asking AI where to stay. I’d optimize every piece of content so that your hotel is the one that shows up first. The hotels that start executing on these things now will dominate 2026. The ones that wait will spend the next five years trying to catch up. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

Why hospitality is ignoring the Pareto Principle? The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, suggests that approximately 80% of outcomes or results come from about 20% of the causes or inputs, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the vital few to achieve significant results. Translated in hospitality-speak, The Pareto Principle means that hotels get 80% of their business from a handful of feeder markets. Quite often I hear OTA proponents claiming that “The OTAs can take your hotel's name to every corner of the world.” The question is: how many hotels need their name being taken to every corner of the world? Most hotels rely for their occupancies on a handful of feeder markets, not on random travelers from the other side of the world. This is the Pareto Principle at its best! Hoteliers have a great advantage over the OTAs: They know their property’s product and services much better than the OTAs. They know their guests and their preferences much better than the OTAs. Hoteliers know their local neighborhoods and immediate destinations far better than the “far and away”-based OTAs. Using the Pareto Principle, hoteliers can focus on their feeder markets and customer segments that generate 80% of their business thus being much more efficient than the OTAs. Here is how hoteliers can take advantage of the Pareto Principle: 1. Invest all of the property’s sales and marketing efforts in the feeder markets that generate 80% of the property business and do not allow the OTAs to encroach in these markets. The remaining 20% of the markets that generate only occasional bookings? Leave them to the OTAs. 2. Launch Google Ads (GA) campaign for your branded keyword terms to capture all friends and family referrals, repeat guests, etc. The goal is to “own” 100% SOV (share of voice) i.e. if there are 1000 searches for your property’s brand name, you should budget enough your GA listing to be served 100% of the time. You will be surprised how inexpensive these search campaigns are! 3. Launch Google Ads campaigns targeting your top feeder markets. Google allows your ads to be served only in your preferred geographical locations. Focus on long tail keyword terms that best describe your hotel location and hotel product Ex. Boutique hotel near Central Park NYC, hotel with rooftop bar midtown Manhattan, 4 star hotel near Central Park Manhattan, etc. Best practices: Aim at owning at least 50% of SOV. 4. Invest in Google Display Network (GDN) campaigns in your main feeder markets. The average CPM (cost per mille, or cost per 1,000 impressions) typically ranges from $3 to $5. 5. Invest in content marketing - the cheapest marketing format of them all. 6. Establish solid social media presence with original posts and useful content. 7. Take advantage of all the freebies out there: free Google Business Profile, free booking links on Google Hotel Ads, free listings in your feeder markets: business directories, CVB and Chamber of Commerce listings, etc.

They Built the Dream. But the Guests Never Came. They had it all: 📍 Prime beachfront location 🏨 World-class design 💰 $25 million in development capital But by opening day… the bookings barely trickled in. The lobby was polished. The rooms were pristine. The GM stood proudly at the front door. And then—crickets. Why? Because they believed the biggest myth in hospitality: “Build it and they will come.” Here’s the truth: 🧨 A beautiful hotel with no pre-opening plan is a beautiful failure waiting to happen. 🧨 Location isn’t a strategy. Design isn’t demand. 🧨 And “soft opening” isn’t a safety net — it’s a recipe for revenue trauma. In 2025, hotel supply is at record highs. Airbnb is absorbing 10–12% of urban demand. Travelers are overwhelmed with options. And algorithms, not architects, decide visibility. You don’t get a second chance at a first impression. 💰 According to Taskworld Inc., a delayed opening can burn $30,000 per day 📉 Weak pre-opening marketing can lose you up to $750,000/year ⏳ And recovery from a poor launch can take 18+ months—if you’re lucky. So why are owners still cutting pre-opening budgets? Why are GMs hired too late? Why are digital strategies treated like afterthoughts? You wouldn’t open a kitchen without a chef. So why launch a hotel without guests? ✅ Smart Hotels Are Doing This: • Starting brand storytelling during construction, not completion • Hiring a GM and DOSM 6–9 months in advance • Using SEO, PR, social media and 3D visuals to build buzz early • Pre-building direct bookings before handing power to OTAs • Allocating a realistic pre-opening budget — and sticking to it The most successful launches don’t begin with ribbon cuttings. They begin with strategy, months in advance. 📉 Build without demand, and you’ll discount your dream. 📈 Build demand first, and you’ll open to momentum, not maybes. 💬 Have you seen a hotel open strong — or suffer from “soft launch syndrome”? Share below 👇 #HospitalityLeadership #HotelMarketing #PreOpening #OperationalExcellence #ZenithHospitality

Smart luxury hotels are playing a short & long term game with their new marketing strategies. While most travel brands obsess over immediate ROI, luxury properties like Rosewood Mayakoba are hosting content-worthy, elaborate dinner experiences that cost thousands to produce but generate minimal short-term revenue. This defies every digital marketing principle we've been taught, but it’s great. Here's what's brilliant about this strategy: These hotels are building emotional equity with guests who spend thousands per stay and return year after year, whilst banking world-class experiential content that fuels future performance marketing. A guest who spends $2,000 per night and returns annually for a decade represents $20,000+ in revenue. That's worth investing in for the long term. Skift recently covered how this strategy is from an age old playbook that completely flips the traditional travel marketing playbook. Instead of broad reach, they're going deep with their highest-value customers. The brands playing the long game… investing in memorable, relationship-building experiences rather than conversion optimization will own the luxury traveler's loyalty AND attract new customers with great, content-driven marketing.

Most hotels are missing a huge revenue channel by ignoring email marketing. Here's what we've learned building email strategies for hotels 👇🏻 While I've spent the last year showing you how to leverage social media, email marketing remains criminally underutilized in hospitality. Unlike social media followers, your email list is something you actually own. Email gives you direct access to potential guests, allowing you to: ✔️ Send targeted campaigns based on location ✔️ Retarget previous guests ✔️ Personalize messages ✔️ Drive bookings without constant ad spend But for hotels, email marketing has been a black box... Most industries have countless resources for email strategy. For hospitality? Almost non-existent. Even big brands are just running basic discount campaigns and bland promotional emails. Here's what's working in our email strategy: ✅ Building Our List There are two main drivers - previous guests and website sign-ups. For website sign-ups, we skipped the typical discount pop-ups that would cheapen our brand. We focused on value-driven offers like free stay giveaways to build our list while maintaining luxury positioning. ✅ Weekly Content Strategy Weekly emails strike the perfect balance–keeping guests engaged without overwhelming them. Unlike retail where customers buy monthly, hotel guests book a few times a year. We don’t need to flood guests with emails–we're playing the long game. Mix local activities, events, and property highlights. ✅ Personalization That Converts Targeted messaging helped our email strategy standout. We created campaigns for: ✔️ Local guests seeking quick getaways ✔️ Past guests reminiscing about their stays ✔️ Engaged subscribers ready to book All without paid ad costs. ✅ Email Flows That Drive Revenue This is where email marketing became a game-changer. We created automated sequences to: ✔️ Welcome new subscribers with our story ✔️ Re-engage guests who haven't booked in 9-12 months ✔️ Keep inactive subscribers engaged Here's exactly how to get started: 1. Choose Your Platform Klaviyo is our go-to. While there are many options, we've found it works best for hospitality and is easiest to use. 2. Build Your Foundation Start by compiling past guest emails from your PMS. Then create compelling sign-up offers and popup forms for new subscribers. 3. Set Up Your Flows Top priority: a welcome flow introducing your property's unique experience & story.  Then add: - Flows targeting previous guests - Re-engagement campaigns for inactive subs 4. Plan Weekly Content Map out a calendar mixing: - Local events and activity guides - Behind-the-scenes content - Strategic promotions (but keep them minimal) 5. Design Your Template Create a consistent look: - Clean header with logo and booking links - Mobile-optimized layout - Strategic CTA placement Every property's email list is unique. Test different approaches, analyze what resonates, and find what works best for your property.

Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for Pre-Opening Hotel or Resort. 🟢 1. Pre-Launch Phase (6–12 Months Before Opening) ✅ A. Market Research & Target Segmentation Action: Analyze competitors, tourism demand, travel trends. Example: A beach front resort in Goa finds a rising interest in yoga retreats and targets wellness travelers. Benefit: Helps define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and align services with guest expectations. ✅ B. Branding and Identity Creation Action: Develop logo, brand color scheme, voice, and values. Example: A Himalayan eco-luxury resort uses earthy colors and the slogan "Nature’s Luxury Awaits." Benefit: Strong branding improves memorability and brand recall. ✅ C. Digital Presence & Website SEO Action: Launch a mobile-friendly, visually appealing website with a blog and booking inquiry form. SEO Tactic: Optimize for “Luxury resort in [location]” and long-tail keywords like “eco resorts in Himachal.” Example: A hotel in Udaipur blogs about royal wedding venues to attract destination wedding traffic. ✅ D. Teasers on Social Media & Paid Ads Action: Run Instagram and Facebook ads with sneak peeks of construction, interiors, or staff. Example: “Watch the transformation of your dream vacation spot.” Benefit: Builds curiosity and a follower base before launch. --- 🟠 2. Launch Phase (0–3 Months Before Opening) ✅ A. Soft Opening Offers Action: Promote discounted or exclusive limited-period bookings. Example: “Grand Opening Offer – Stay 3 Nights, Pay for 2 + Free Spa.” Benefit: Immediate room occupancy and word-of-mouth promotion. ✅ B. Influencer Marketing & PR Action: Invite local influencers, travel vloggers, journalists for complimentary stays or FAM trips. Example: An influencer with 100K+ followers shares 10 stories from the resort, tagging the brand. Benefit: Massive organic reach and credibility through social proof. ✅ C. OTA & Directory Listings Action: Go live on Booking.com, Expedia, MakeMyTrip, TripAdvisor. Tactic: Use high-quality images, complete info, and launch incentives. Example: Early-bird listing with “Opening Soon – Limited Rooms Available!” --- 🔴 3. Post-Launch Phase (0–6 Months After Opening) ✅ A. Guest Loyalty & Referral Programs Action: Launch loyalty programs offering free stays, spa treatments, or F&B credits for referrals. Benefit: Encourages repeat bookings and organic growth. ✅ B. Email & SMS Campaigns Action: Send curated packages for upcoming holidays, events, and long weekends. Example: “Celebrate Diwali with Us – Bonfire & Rajasthani Thali Experience.” Tactic: Segment database by interest (spa lovers, honeymooners, MICE). ✅ C. User-Generated Content Campaigns Action: Run “Photo of the Week” contests for guests who tag the hotel. Example: A guest shares a sunset rooftop picture → reposted on hotel’s page. Benefit: Free marketing from happy customers. ✅ D. Monitor, Measure & Improve Use Google Analytics, social insights, OTA.

If I were starting a hotel distribution strategy from scratch… This is the exact 5-step playbook I would follow: Step 1: Apply the 80/20 rule. Identify and deploy the 20% of channels that will drive 80% of your performance. (Spoiler alert: you already know them..). Yes there are (heavy?) commissions associated to it but thats all in. They do the marketing for you, they help you reference you online. I would use these to piggyback on and improve awareness of the property. Step 2: Experiment with niche players. Test a few local or niche OTAs and/or online platforms each year. What works in your market might not show up in industry reports. What works for your competitors may not be working for you. And reverse.. You only learn by running the experiments yourself. Step 3: Measure what matters. 👉 NetRevPAR by channel 👉 Revenue performance by channel (RN and ADR) 👉 Country mix of the new reservations (some platforms can help you reach new markets) Step 4: Run a direct booking strategy in parallel. Every point of margin you don't pay in commission is margin you keep. Build your own traffic. Own your guest data. Aim to build a loyal customer base and aim to improve your returning guests' ratio. The OTAs won't do it for you... just saying Step 5: Cut the noise. Stop spreading time, energy and money across every OTA and platforms like they are equal. Most don't earn their place in your mix. Focus on quality over quantity. This will give you better performance and control. I believe a modern distribution strategy shouldn't be about being everywhere. It's about being deliberate, data-driven, and profit-focused (+ keeping control of whats going on.) The hotel distribution game is wild these days 🙃 #HotelDistribution #RevenueOptimisation #DirectBookings #OTAstrategy

Hotels are 90% experience, 10% a place to crash for the night. When you hit the luxury market, that number becomes 99%. Jackalope (a client of ours) ticks all the boxes of a five-star stay: Stunning vineyard views, expansive, modern suites, and reviews touting everything from the spa to the bar staff.  The issue came down to awareness. Because in modern hospitality, you’re competing against: → every luxury getaway → every lifestyle brand → every tourism experience → every attention-grabbing destination on social media People are buying an experience and memories. And, conscious or not, they're also buying identity and social status. So instead of marketing Jackalope like a traditional hotel, we approached it more like a premium retail brand. The "soul" of this destination is already felt by guests. Now we just needed to spread that word. And when hospitality brands get distribution right, one customer becomes multiple revenue streams: - Accommodation - Dining - Wine cellar purchases - Repeat visits - Social sharing The results for this client: → 30% increase in accommodation bookings → 62% increase in food & beverage sales → 48% reduction in cost per lead As a hospitality brand, you need to build entire ecosystems around the guest. Selling nights in a room just won't cut it.