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Bree Brostko, Founder, Go West Communications, HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board Member
Many hospitality professionals are exploring how to meet a growing guest desire for meaning, growth, and connection. In a recent HSMAI Marketing Advisory Board conversation, members shared how properties of all sizes and types are approaching this shift. What once felt unique to ultra-luxury or spa destinations is now becoming a broader guest expectation. Even select service hotels are finding creative ways to deliver value through small-scale activations and community engagement. As one advisory board member wisely put it, “the value isn’t just in offering great stays…it’s in helping guests see themselves and the world a little differently.”
Local Collaboration and Operational Alignment
Partnerships with local businesses are playing a key role. One leader described working with nearby restaurants to offer pop-up tastings and exclusive guest discounts. These collaborations don’t just add to the guest experience, they bring the destination to life and help position the hotel as a true part of the local community. “Getting them out of your doors is sort of a win-win,” one AB member noted.
Of course, creativity alone isn’t enough. Developing transformational experiences calls for intention and alignment. There was a clear consensus that marketing and operations must work together early in the process to build experiences that support a property’s identity and long-term strategy. As one speaker pointed out, “There needs to be sound strategy underpinning development.”
Marketing the Message and Measuring the Impact
Marketing also plays a vital role in positioning and promoting these efforts. Some participants discussed integrating local events and hotel activations directly into the booking path. Others found success using pre-stay communications and in-room messaging to highlight experiences. “Pop-ups work well even when guests didn’t book them in advance. Sometimes they see it and start looking for it next time,” one contributor shared.
Tracking success remains a challenge, especially when outcomes go beyond revenue. Still, participants offered practical tools. One approach included documenting total costs, employee time, and key learnings in a single recap. Capturing both results and insights ensures each experience informs the next.
Not every activation needs to be a revenue driver, but every initiative should have a clear purpose. Whether the goal is loyalty, differentiation, or brand storytelling, thoughtful, repeatable experiences emerge as a strategic advantage as well as a growing guest expectation. As one advisory member shared, “It seems like it’s becoming something more travelers are looking for.”
Top 3 Takeaways:
- Transformation isn’t limited to luxury—select service and smaller properties can create powerful guest experiences through local partnerships.
- Cross-functional alignment between marketing and operations is critical to developing meaningful, brand-aligned initiatives.
- Measuring success goes beyond revenue. ROI can include loyalty, differentiation, and long-term brand value.
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