Soft Branding Strategies for Established Resorts

In 2025, we face a familiar, yet more complex dilemma. We had just acquired a stunning new property on Chennai’s OMR—the longest IT expressway of India. Perfect location. Urban resort potential. But it needed a flag to match its ambition. The proposals came in quickly. Big global brands offered affiliation—complete with loyalty reach, global CRS, and the allure of premium positioning. We were tempted. But then came the real question: Would we trade 25 years of GRT brand equity for distribution? Would the soul of the hotel still be ours, or would it wear someone else’s shoes? We did what we always do at GRT—we listened. To our instincts, our numbers, and most of all—our guests. What we chose wasn’t a compromise. It was co-branding with clarity. We decided to sign a soft-brand franchise. Our name stayed. Our story stayed. Our standards elevated. We plugged into their tech stack, loyalty ecosystem, and global distribution—but with GRT’s identity at the core. Because brand equity isn’t just a logo. It’s trust built one welcome at a time. For hotel owners facing this decision today, here are 10 lessons from the hidden costs we’ve encountered in brand affiliations—and how to negotiate them smartly: 1️⃣ Royalty Escalation = Silent Margin Leak Start with 5% and blink—it’s 8%. Lock fee caps. Tie increases to performance, not time. 2️⃣ CapEx is Not Decoration—It’s Capital If a prototype room or corridor spec doesn’t deliver ROI in <60 months, question it. Ask for brand co-investment or fee offset. 3️⃣ Guard Your Brand Equity Like Gold We kept “GRT” in the hotel name. Don’t let your identity vanish. Push for dual-branding or “by [your brand]” recognition. 4️⃣ Dissect the Marketing Fund Where’s your marketing fee really going? If it’s not boosting your hotel, fight for localized allocations. 5️⃣ CRS Isn’t Free Look at net yield from brand bookings after all deductions—royalty, loyalty, CRS, commission. If it’s < 80% of direct bookings, renegotiate. 6️⃣ OTAs Still Rule the Roost Don’t assume brand = OTA detox. Insert direct-booking performance benchmarks into your agreement. 7️⃣ Tech Fees Multiply The PMS, RMS, CRM—all brand-mandated—can quietly drain lakhs. Freeze onboarding and ask for bundled pricing. 8️⃣ Underperformance Clause = Your Safety Net If the brand drags down RevPAR for 4+ quarters, your contract should allow an exit or soft rebranding. 9️⃣ Only Reward Delivered Excellence Link royalty escalators to real-world outcomes—guest scores, ESG metrics, RevPAR Index—not just brand promises. 🔟 Review Clauses Are Non-Negotiable Markets change. So should your agreement. Insist on mid-term renegotiation rights. At GRT, we didn’t choose between legacy and leverage—we combined both. Hotel owners—don’t just chase distribution. Build a legacy that distributes meaning, identity, and long-term value. Let your hotel wear your name. Let your guests remember you.

What Capella Hotels and Resorts teaches about building a luxury brand that grows through word of mouth Context if you’re new to the brand: Capella is a design-led luxury group, named Travel + Leisure’s Best Hotel Brand for multiple consecutive years, with several Forbes 5-Star properties and entries in the World’s 50 Best Hotels. I’ve been studying how Capella built its reputation, and there are some very smart things they do that any hotel can learn from: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮 “𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿,” 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Their Culturist program, the way they curate experiences, that Living Room concept. These aren’t just marketing lines. They’re moments that stick with guests and get retold at dinner. Every hotel should have at least one signature thing only they do. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. It’s easy to put values on a website, but Capella weaves theirs into everything. How staff greet guests, how rooms are set up, the food they serve. If your brand pillars don’t change how you operate day to day, they’re just decoration. 𝗚𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽. They have fewer rooms but a stronger sense of place. Not every hotel can shrink its footprint, but you can always get more specific about your location. Lean into local design, partner with neighborhood spots, tell stories that only make sense where you are. 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 (𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆). They’re good at spotting strong user-generated content and asking permission to use it. Treat those guest posts and stories like valuable assets. Organize them and repurpose them in your advertising and sales materials. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.When your team sticks around and genuinely cares, service becomes consistent. And consistency is what makes people recommend you without thinking twice. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀. Those “World’s Best” awards and magazine features create social proof people want to share. Sometimes being exclusive and newsworthy works better than a traditional rewards program. I’ve been thinking about putting together a deeper analysis of their approach. Maybe some templates and practical examples for hotels that want to try similar strategies. If that sounds useful, let me know and I’ll work on it.

The new luxury in hospitality isn’t design. It’s emotion and most hotels haven’t realised it What guests value in luxury hotels has changed. Most brands haven’t. For years, hotels competed on service, facilities, and location. In 2025, the real competition has shifted somewhere far more emotional: Branding. Not logos. Not fonts. Not colour palettes. But the way a hotel makes you feel. And the gap between hotels who understand this and hotels who still just “look pretty” is widening fast. And the data backs it. Researchs shows:  • Over 70% of travellers say design shapes their emotional state • Nearly 2 in 3 choose hotels based on atmosphere over amenities • Over 80% remember sensory moments more than visuals • Nearly half of Gen Z choose brands based on identity alignment Hospitality is no longer a category. It’s a language and most hotels are speaking outdated dialects. → How is this change happening: Travellers don’t want to “stay” somewhere. They want to feel something. Calm. Clarity. Belonging. Identity. A sense of who they become inside the space. Branding has moved from visual tools → to emotional tools. The hotels winning today are designing: → tension & contrast → softness → ritual → warmth → sensory sequencing Branding is no longer what guests see. It’s what their nervous system experiences. What the best hotels are doing: → They’re designing states of being. → Scent identities that signal arrival → Warm colour stories that regulate stress → Material palettes that invite touch → Lighting sequences that shift mood → Sound design that replaces instruction with emotion THIS is branding not décor. → THE NEW RULES OF HOSPITALITY BRANDING Rule #1 Emotion beats aesthetics A beautiful lobby is forgettable. A sensory moment isn’t. Rule #2 Brand consistency = trust If the spa feels Aman and the rooms feel Marriott, the brand breaks. Rule #3 Rituals build identity Signature experiences are the new loyalty programmes. Rule #4 Guests buy how they feel Mood is the new metric. Serenity is the new luxury. Rule #5 Design must tell a story Every material, palette, and detail should signal the same world. → WHAT THIS MEANS FOR HOTEL GROUPS Hotels don’t need new facilities. They need new emotional positioning. The next decade belongs to brands that:  • define a clear emotional promise  • design sensory-first experiences  • create signature rituals  • craft a unified visual language  • build worlds, not rooms  • make guests feel transformed   Branding isn’t decoration. Branding is a journey: From first search → to the stay → to the memory guests carry home. Luxury is shifting from how it looks → to how it feels. And the brands who embrace this will redefine the category. 👉 What’s one hotel that made you feel something?

For luxury hotels and other travel brands: why is it smart to include your *staff* in marketing campaigns? The answer is basic brand strategy: we buy from people, not from companies. This is why I love the The Peninsula Hotels "Peninsula Perspectives" campaign- it has *great* lessons on how to connect with an audience and bring a brand to life. Peninsula does this by including videos and stories of its team members in action, some barely including the hotel properties themselves. Typically, both destination and hospitality brands use glossy shots of infinity pools, beaches, champagne flutes... boring, and doesn't bring customers any closer to the brand. Here, Peninsula flips the script and focuses on the people who create their extraordinary guest experiences. This is what hospitality brand folks can learn: - Authentic: the campaign features real stories from real staff— baggage handlers, chauffeurs, chefs - showcasing the humanity behind the brand. - Emotional Connection: this is of A+++ importance in branding. Here, travelers don’t just see luxury; they see relatable stories that resonate. - Memorable - the campaign stands out, generates organic sharing, and has resonated with a large number of both customers and tough-to-impress industry professionals. - Loyalty - recognizing the humans behind your brand inspires loyalty—from both guests and staff.  - Boosts Morale: employees featured in the ads are recognized by guests, creating pride and connection among the team. Everybody wins! So, the challenge for you is, who on your team has a story worth sharing? #brandstrategy #hospitality #hotelbranding #brand #travelandtourism Photo credit: Peninsula Hotels

The next billion-dollar brands won’t start with a product. They’ll start with content. They’ll build community, trust, and conversation before they ever build inventory. Because attention is the new supply chain. If you’ve got the trust, you can sell anything. This is not a theory. This is the reality of modern business, and if you’re in hospitality, tourism, or any experience-driven industry, it should be your obsession. So let’s talk about what that actually means for your brand today: 1. Build in public: Stop waiting until something is perfect to share it. Show your process. Let your audience see the behind-the-scenes, the people, the small wins, and even the missteps. You’re not just selling a hotel room or a destination. You’re selling a story people want to be part of. 2. Become the media company: You’re not a resort. You’re not a cruise line. You’re not a tourism board. You are a media company that happens to sell those things. That means you need to post every day like your survival depends on it, because it does. One video can change your quarter. One story can land a new partner. One post can fill rooms. This isn’t theory. I’ve seen it happen. 3. Educate or entertain. Every piece of content must do one or both: No one cares about your room upgrades or the plated dinner shot unless there’s a human hook behind it. Share staff stories. Show local culture. Tell me why your destination matters right now. Give me a reason to stop scrolling. If you don’t interrupt the pattern, you’ll never earn the attention. 4. Engage like a person, not a brand: Reply to every comment. Start conversations in the DMs. Reshare user content and tag them. The future belongs to brands that act like people. If you show up like a billboard, it will bury you. 5. Leverage borrowed trust: Partner with people who already have the audience you want. Influencers, creators, advisors, guests who love your brand. If they trust them, and they recommend you, you win. But don’t micromanage the message. Collaborate, don’t control. 6. Stop measuring vanity, start tracking velocity: Likes are not currency. But how fast your story spreads, how fast people comment, save, and share, that’s your new KPI. Speed is signal. If your content is good, it’ll move. If it’s not, it dies fast. 7. Start now. Not next month. Not next quarter: There will always be a reason to wait. But every day you’re silent, someone else is taking the attention you’re too slow to claim. And once someone else owns the conversation, it’s hard to get it back. Because again, and I’ll repeat it… The next billion-dollar brands, they won’t start with products. They’ll start with content. Audience first, physical products second. Because attention is the new supply chain. If you’ve got the trust, you can sell anything. So, are you building trust, or are you still just pushing product? The game has changed. And if you’re not adapting, you’re invisible.

In hospitality, we were taught to hold everything close, every outlet, every service, every square meter of guest experience. But what if true excellence lies in letting go? Imagine your café, once a sleepy corner of the resort, now pulses with aroma and artistry, run by a passionate barista led team that lives and breathes coffee culture. Your swimming pool, once a maintenance headache, now glistens with curated aqua fitness classes, towel service, and lifeguards trained to international standards. And you? You’re free to focus on what you do best: delivering unforgettable stays. Here’s the eye opener, subcontracting isn’t surrender. It’s strategy. External F&B operators often bring niche expertise, trend savvy menus, and cult followings. They could possibly turn a cost center into a destination. In addition, when you lease or do a profit share models, it mean you earn without the manpower cost, inventory, or most importantly......the daily dramas 🤣 And if you are lucky, a brand elevation! A well known café brand on property adds prestige and foot traffic, without diluting your hotel’s identity. For the swimming pool, one the the reason is to let other experts handle the safety & standards. Professional pool operators handle lifeguard training, water quality, and compliance, reducing liability and stress. They may also offer other potential programs. Think aqua yoga, kids’ splash camps, or sunset poolside cocktails. Outsiders bring fresh ideas and energy. By subcontracting, you reclaim your bandwidth. You stop micromanaging toast temperatures and towel rotations, and start refining your core guest experience. You invest more in staff culture, room quality, and emotional anchoring, the things that truly define your brand. So let it go. Not out of weakness, but out of wisdom. Because sometimes, the best kind of control… is knowing when to delegate 👏👏

Your guests scroll past 10,000 images a day. Make them pause with paint. Seeing Ralph Lauren Hamptons Mulford Farm luncheon artwork, created by Peggy Tarpley, reminded me how watercolour can transform an experience. The soft illustrations of table settings and florals made the entire event feel: - editorial - intimate - steeped in heritage Proof that paint and paper can feel more luxurious than polished graphics. That same feeling returned when I stayed at Four Seasons Bangkok and joined a complimentary watercolour class in their courtyard. The afternoon was slow and meditative, a rare pause in a world that worships efficiency. I left with not just a painting, but a memory I could carry home. That’s the magic of watercolour: nostalgic yet timeless, evocative yet open to interpretation. In hospitality, watercolour isn’t just a visual style, it’s a design philosophy: a reminder that luxury can be warm, human, and emotionally layered. -- Why Watercolour Works in Hospitality Branding: - It’s nostalgic yet timeless. Like a soft memory, immersive but never dated. - It sparks imagination. Guests fill in details, making the experience personally resonant. - It humanises brand systems. Brushstrokes and texture ground luxury in warmth, not polish. -- 5 Impactful Ways to Apply Watercolour: 1. Menus & Coasters Soft watercolour illustrations of local landscapes, garden blooms, coastal panoramas tell a story and elevate every order. 2. Room Collateral A watercolour teddy and bacon sketch for the child in room 288, or a skyline behind the minibar, creates delight and memory. 3. Event Invitations & Stationery Hand-painted florals and architectural lines create editorial intimacy, as Ralph Lauren’s Hamptons visuals did. 4. Guest Experiences At Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Bangkok, I joined a watercolour class. It wasn’t just an activity, it was a memory I made and carried home. 5. Story Walls or Local Art Corners Rotating watercolour prints of local artists, new-season gardens, cafés, layer narrative and connection without selling. "Watercolour doesn’t finish the picture. It invites you in." -- The Strategic Upside: - Emotional rhythm over glossy demand. Watercolour shows guests you feel, not just serve. - Memorable touch points at low margin. A $25 print lasts longer than a $500 lobby upgrade. - Curated intimacy. Emotional texture makes luxury feel earned, never broadcast. -- Final Thought: Small details do massive emotional work. A watercolour doesn’t fill the frame, it opens it. Invite your guests to stay inside the story, not just stay the night. #HospitalityDesign #GuestExperience #BrandStorytelling #EmotionalDesign #LuxuryHospitality #WatercolorInspiration

Every brand I've started or run in the last twenty-five years has been built upside down. Traditionally, marketing starts at the top - broad, high-level international brand awareness - then works its way down. Country-wide consideration advertising. Regional conversion down to local-level point-of-purchase support. Repeat purchase through to loyalty and advocacy a long way down the road, if at all. If you're a challenger brand, the money runs out before you reach the bottom. It simply doesn't work. The only way is to flip it all upside down. Starting with in-resort ambassadors, local riders, events, filmers, photographers, writers, instructors, guides, shops, partnerships - the people already embedded in the community around your points of purchase. Not the biggest names you can sign. The ones who are actually part of the place. You've got to get granular to build localised legitimacy and involvement within resort-led communities. It seems slow. It seems counter-intuitive. But authenticity and long-term stability get built inside small communities that advocate for you - not broadcast at large ones that don't care. Think global. Act local. My EU playbook covers this - https://lnkd.in/dcFb9Qbg The Woods Agency Photo by the incredible Jeremy Lafond

How Luxury Hotels in the Maldives Turned Scarcity into a Marketing Superpower Luxury hospitality usually believes one thing: attention requires budget. A real 2025 case from the Maldives proves the opposite. Instead of investing heavily in paid media, a group of luxury resorts launched a year-long giveaway mechanic: one high-end stay released every week, activated almost entirely through social platforms and partner channels. What looks like generosity is actually precision marketing. Why this works: Scarcity beats spend. One stay per week creates a recurring moment. Not a campaign spike — a 52-week conversation loop. The prize replaces the media budget. The product is the ad. Guests generate reach, emotion and credibility through organic content. Luxury without discounting. The brand remains premium. Access is emotional, not price-driven — a crucial distinction in luxury strategy. Network effects over ownership. Multiple resorts participate, sharing visibility without each carrying the full cost. Smart orchestration beats scale. From a strategic perspective, this is not a giveaway — it’s attention engineering. And it reflects a broader shift in luxury marketing: mechanics > messages, participation > persuasion. The interesting question isn’t “Could this work elsewhere?” It’s “Why do so few brands dare to design attention instead of buying it?” If you’re exploring low-budget, high-impact strategies in luxury, tourism or premium brands — this case opens more doors than it closes. What do you think: Rodrigo Buanafina on Gili Lankanfushi resort? #LuxuryMarketing #HospitalityStrategy #BrandBuilding #ExperienceEconomy #AttentionDesign #TourismMarketing #GrowthWithoutSpend

Here are two strategies we've seen work for hotels, and more should try. A mountain resort whose spa runs at 30% capacity in shoulder season. Instead of discounting room rates, they sell standalone spa days to locals - a half-day wellness package with lunch included. No room booking needed. Promote it on Instagram targeting a 50km radius. Add a "monthly wellness membership" for regulars. The spa now runs at 70%+ year-round. The quietest asset becomes a recurring local revenue stream. Or a hotel with a restaurant that's half-empty most evenings. They launch a dinner club - a themed 5-course menu, a guest chef, 20 seats, twice a month. "The best dinner in town that you need to know about." It becomes the thing locals look forward to. These guests become fans of the hotel. They post about it, they tell friends, they come back. The restaurant goes from a cost centre to a profit centre, the hotel's social media presence grows organically, and some of those dinner guests end up booking rooms for friends and family visiting town. Both strategies follow the same logic: the building is the platform. What you put on that platform is up to you.