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Weekly Brief: Monday, April 13, 2026
A late send today as I work through some wifi issues from the air. Heading from Michigan to Oahu for a week of on-property meetings at Ka La’i Waikīlī Beach.
The Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers' Choice Awards survey is officially open for voting now through June 30. If you are so inclined, while voting for your favorite properties, I would love an extra vote for Ka La’i Waikīlī Beach, which can be found when you type LXR.
Have we connected on LinkedIn? I frequently repost hotel marketing positions and am always happy to connect with other marketers or make introductions within networks.
Thanks for reading.
Quick ask: will you forward this to one person in your network who might be looking for a new job, looking to break into hospitality marketing, or likes to scan the latest updates each week? That is how most readers find us.
Marketing Briefs
Did You Know?
Trending news, marketing news, and reports:
Why some travellers are rethinking trips to the US // BBC
Americans favor domestic travel amid global uncertainty // Travel Weekly
The Most Exciting Hotel Openings of Spring 2026, From Saint Lucia to Maine // Condé Nast Traveler
US Travel Executive's Message to Destinations: 'Don't Go Dark in Key Markets' // Travel Pulse
Meta has added an option in Ads Manager that allows you to block employees from seeing your ads. // Threads
Instagram chief debunks popular engagement hack // Social Media Today
Inside 5 food and beverage influencer campaigns that delivered measurable ROI // Later
Google Maps can now write captions for your photos using AI // TechCrunch
Keep your eyes on:
Hospitality AI Initiatives:
Minor Hotels launches global data, AI platform // Hotel Management
Programming & Activations
What resorts are launching now, from brand collaborations to activations and revenue-generating experiences:
Lake Austin Spa Resort hosts a wellness pop-up with Endospheres Evolution. // Travel and Tour World
We tried the Union Club Hotel Spa’s new AI-robot massage // Journal and Courier
Upcoming Events
Q2 holidays, events, and conferences to keep on your radar:
Using the STR Report to Budget for Marketing and Closing the Gap on Transient Market Share // April 23, 2026 // Webinar - HFTP
Conferences
Canva Create // April 16, 2026
Social Media Marketing World // April 28 - 30, 2026 // Anaheim, CA
Expedia EXPLORE // May 19 - 20, 2026 // Las Vegas, NV
SKIFT Data + AI Summit // June 3, 2026 // New York, NY
PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference // June 7 - 10, 2026 // Albuquergue, NM
Women Leading Travel Forum // June 8 -10, 2026 // New Orleans, LA
HITEC 2026 // June 15 - 18, 2026 // San Antonio, TX
HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference // June 16 - 17, 2026 // San Antonio, TX
Holidays
Earth Day // April 22
Mother’s Day // May 10
Memorial Day // May 25
Pride Month // June
Father’s Day // June 21
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Industry Updates
Agency News
News from the agencies that hotel marketers trust and work with. If you have new client wins as an agency with a hospitality-focused client and want to share them here, email me at [email protected].
MCPR opens New York satellite office, expanding their coast-to-coast presence.
J/PR 2026 Q2 Travel Trends Report: Return on Emotional Investment
Job Postings & Career News
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What is the 5.15
Leading luxury hotel marketing across resorts and task force marketing roles over the past 15+ years led me to launch The Hotel Marketing 5.15 in 2025 to help keep clients up to date on hospitality marketing news and activations. I am always available for coffee chats, networking, and to discuss project-based assignments.
Based on a communication method developed by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, the 5.15 is a weekly format designed to synthesize key insights in 15 minutes or less and be read in five minutes. This newsletter applies the same principle to hotel marketing: concise, actionable trends and opportunities curated for industry professionals.
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