Marketing

📰 Anneleise McEvoy, Social Media Manager at Remington Hospitality, discusses her journey since graduating in 2020 and how she combines her passion for social media and travel in her role. She emphasizes the importance of experiencing properties firsthand before marketing them, ensuring strategies are tailored to unique hotel personalities. McEvoy highlights the evolution of influencer marketing, advocating for partnerships based on engagement rather than follower count. She also discusses balancing professional content with user-generated content for authentic storytelling in social media.

📅 2026: Agoda's search data for 2026 reveals increased demand for booking flexibility in Asia, with 'free cancellation' and 'pay at hotel' now in the top 10 search filters. Accommodation type remains the most-used filter at 19%. Travellers seek convenience with options like specific bed types and proximity to transport. Andrew Smith from Agoda advises properties to enhance flexibility and clarity. Key strategies include reducing booking friction and localizing value propositions to boost visibility and conversion.

💬 In 2006-2007, Lauren Cannon, now Expedia's Senior Director of Product Management, began her career in hospitality distribution by implementing systems for a new hotel without a technical team. Her approach emphasizes clarity, focusing on solving problems over providing technical explanations. She advises creating opportunities through curiosity, learning from diverse mentors, and participating in conversations early, rather than waiting for full confidence, to build leadership skills. Confidence in distribution arises from clarity and engagement, not perfect expertise.

🌍 Gen Z travelers shun package holidays, favoring curated, exclusive experiences over predictable trips. They seek unique destinations, often requiring visas and precise planning. Gen Z expects instant responses and Instagrammable offerings, leveraging mobile apps and social media trends. Personalization is crucial, with boutique properties and authentic experiences catching their interest. As older Gen Zs approach 30, opportunities for travel agents to plan significant events like honeymoons arise, making it essential to engage this demographic now.

💸 ChatGPT hotel ads, piloted by OpenAI starting February 2026 in the U.S. and later expanded to other countries, are paid placements appearing beneath organic answers on ChatGPT's Free and low-cost Go tiers. These ads are sold on a CPC basis, with bids ranging from $3 to $5 per click. Only one-sixth of hotels appear in AI searches, highlighting the importance of organic visibility. Independent hotels should focus on data readiness before investing in ads.

💳 Visa, with 4.4 billion cardholders, enters hotel distribution, enabling direct hotel bookings using card credentials. Hotels face booking friction, with direct rates stuck at 5-15%, while digital wallets double mobile bookings. 38% of hoteliers cite integration as a key tech challenge. Cross-departmental training cuts turnover by 45%, offering 2.5x ROI in 18 months. Langham Hospitality saves food waste across five markets; Hyatt sees demand from destination weddings. New hotels open in Charleston, Plano, and near Yellowstone.

🏨 Hotel Moment podcast features Lydia Bates, Director of Sales and Marketing at Dream Inn Santa Cruz, discussing the hotel’s emphasis on human-led hospitality. The Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, California, built in the 1960s, offers 165 rooms with ocean views, leveraging storytelling and personalization to boost guest loyalty. The hotel uses pre-arrival communications and local expertise to enhance guest experiences and convert OTA visitors into direct bookers. Creative campaigns like “Ride Out the Storm” address seasonal demand fluctuations.

💻 DerbySoft and Travelodge, July 2026, announced a partnership to enhance Travelodge's direct distribution. Travelodge, with over 47,000 rooms across 630+ hotels in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, will utilize DerbySoft's platform to connect with travel management companies and corporate booking channels. The collaboration aims to streamline booking and payment processes, enhance operational efficiency, and improve access for business travelers. Nick Jacobs and Duane Overgaard emphasize the expansion of reach and seamless booking experiences.