Marketing

🏠 Maybourne announced the 2027 opening of "The Maybourne Saint-Germain" in Paris's Saint-Germain-des-Prés, featuring 101 hotel keys and 23 branded residences, marking the company's first property in Paris and second in France. The development includes a palace-style hotel and Paris's first ultra-luxury branded residences, designed by French interior designers Pierre-Yves Rochon (7 residences) and Laura Gonzalez (16 residences). The historic 17th-century Îlot Saint-Germain building will feature 50 suites, 51 rooms, a serene courtyard, six food and beverage outlets, and the new wellness brand Surrenne with one of Paris' largest luxury spas and health clubs, including three pools—one 25-metre pool exclusive to residents and a 30-metre rooftop pool. Co-CEO Gianluca Muzzi highlights Maybourne's vision of luxury hospitality and its commitment to creating exceptional experiences.

🍴 Palladium Hotel Group partners with Gordon Ramsay Restaurants to launch Hell’s Kitchen at The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel, marking Ramsay's first restaurant in Spain and Europe. Slated to open in Ibiza's summer season of 2025 at The Ushuaïa Tower's renovated site in Playa d’en Bossa. The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel features 181 renovated rooms and suites, managed by Palladium Hotel Group, which operates over 40 hotels and more than 13,000 rooms across eight countries.

🚨 Chris's wife, while pregnant, survived a car accident caused by a drunk driver, leading to a settlement that allowed them to buy 5 acres of land in upstate New York, near Remsen, for $28,000. Using the land, Chris built an A-frame cabin over three years, handling all the construction himself to minimize expenses, aiming to create a unique stay that could generate passive income. He navigated rural permitting with relative ease, benefiting from a straightforward process and the value of personal relationships with local officials.

🏨 Identifying hotel guest personas is crucial for tailoring marketing efforts and enhancing service quality. The blog post from Hotelogix, dated January 30, 2025, emphasizes the simplicity of segmenting hotel guests to create detailed personas, thereby increasing engagement and driving more bookings. The article, written by Debiprasad Sarangi and published on Hotelogix's blog, offers insights into effective guest persona creation for hotel marketing strategies.

🍴 Uga, a Sri Lankan hotel group, offers Kamatha at Uga Ulagalla, a year-round traditional dining experience on a 58-acre estate near Anuradhapura. The event, serving 25 local dishes, is held at a traditional Kamatha pavilion and costs $55 per person for half-board guests, $110 for bed and breakfast guests, with a 15-diner capacity. Uga Ulagalla is a 25-villa five-star resort, where rates start from $481 per night for two adults in an Ulagalla Pool Villa on a bed and breakfast basis.

📡 With STAAH’s Get Google, properties can connect directly to Google Hotel Search for global visibility and drive direct bookings. The platform allows for easy Google connectivity, optimization of listings with high-quality photos, competitive pricing, and compelling descriptions. Analytics tools enable tracking of performance metrics like clicks, impressions, and bookings for ROI analysis. Everything can be managed from the STAAH dashboard, streamlining processes and providing actionable insights.

🍴 Michiel Bakker, President and CEO of the Culinary Institute of America, discussed the vital role of food and beverage (F&B) in guest satisfaction and branding at Starwood hotels on Jan. 28, 2025. The episode emphasized the importance of F&B in improving guest experiences and brand distinction, as well as leadership in F&B operations. The podcast was supported by Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology provider known for their effective solutions and services.

📝 Mark Ritson, a brand consultant with a PhD in marketing, discusses the effectiveness of combining long-term brand awareness campaigns with short-term performance campaigns. Boots UK, a health and beauty retailer, utilized this strategy with a 15-second pre-roll ad offering a 10% discount for Advantage loyalty card holders, alongside a brand-building commercial titled "Take a Hike." The performance ad achieved £5 for every pound spent on YouTube. In 2013, Les Binet and Peter Field published "The Long and the Short of It," emphasizing these dual advertising strategies. Mistakes such as trying to create 'double duty' ads that serve both purposes or neglecting brand building can diminish effectiveness. Successful brands balance both, with YouTube as a prime platform for this approach.

🍴 Grupo RosaNegra, renowned for its dynamic dining locations in Mexico, opened RosaNegra Miami on December 4, marking its first U.S. venture at Dua Miami, Autograph Collection Hotel. CEO Eduardo Beaven envisions Miami's cultural and culinary diversity as a perfect match for the group's bold Latin flavors and high-energy dining experiences. RosaNegra Miami spans 13,600 square feet, combining indoor space and a patio, offering a speakeasy-style bar and live entertainment aligned with Miami's nightlife. Executive Chef Emiliano Galindo presents a Latin American menu, with USDA Prime and Australian wagyu steaks and exclusive Miami dishes. Beverages include spirits from across Latin America and an extensive Mexican wine selection. Plans for expanding Grupo RosaNegra's presence in Miami and other markets are underway.