Hope you had a refreshing weekend. A shorter week means five days of meetings condensed into four, but I'm looking forward to two virtual coffee chats with hotel marketers, new client onboarding, and a few prospecting calls, in addition to my daily workflow. How is your week shaping up?

This week’s roundup compiles the latest industry news, marketing updates, and opinion pieces, all condensed into actionable takeaways for hotel marketers.

Thanks for reading.

⚡️ Screens, streams, and scrolls: State of US media consumption in 2025 // MarketingDive, YouGov

YouGov’s State of US Media Consumption 2025 reveals that Americans are spending more than 5 hours a day with media, with Baby Boomers and Gen Z leading the way. Social media, streaming, and live TV remain dominant, while podcasts and music streaming continue to grow in daily relevance across demographics.

⚡️ Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook // Expedia

Expedia launched its Fall Travel Outlook, including data on top searches for Fall Destinations, Best Days to Fly, Best Days to Stay, and Trends Driving Fall Travel Demand.

Trending news, marketing news, reports:

▶️ Stuck in a rut? 8 ideation strategies to spark your next video // YouTube

▶️ Media Strategy and PR Trends for Travel Brands // Quinn PR x O’Dwyer

▶️ Reddit Publishes 2026 Key Moments Listing // Social Media Today

▶️ In a flat market, precision beats presence // Veridian x Mint Pillow

▶️ How Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding Could Shape Future Bridal Trends // LA Times

▶️ 2025 Coyne PR Food & Beverage Trends Report // Coyne PR

▶️ The new North American traveler: A pivot to last-minute, short-stay vacations // Hospitality Net x Lighthouse

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🌎 Senior Digital Marketing Manager | Remote | HM Alpha Hotels & Resorts

🌎 Vice President of Marketing | Remote | Springboard Hospitality

🌎 Digital and Ecommerce Manager | Remote | Fairmont San Francisco

🌎 Marketing Manager | Remote | Hiltons of Iowa

🌎 Marketing Campaigns & Demand Generation Specialist | Remote | Actabl

Tracking the agencies shaping the hospitality industry’s biggest moments while building an ever-growing resource list for hotel marketers. Did your agency land a new client, or are you working with a new hospitality-focused agency at your hotel that you want to highlight? Reply directly to this newsletter. I read every email.

✅ Imagine PR named North American agency of record for Hemingways Collection (h/t O’Dwyers)

✅ CIIC PR named agency of record for The Belize Collection

✅ Bread & Butter launches new website and branding for Malibu Pier

✅ Cogwheel Marketing launches new website for Hotel de la Poste

✅ WAY now powers digitally booked ancillary loyalty experiences for Hyatt through its experiential platform

✅ Wolff Olins launches new branding for Sandals Resorts

✅ Realtime Reservation (formerly iPalapa) launches experience reservations booking platform for Sanctuary Beach Resort, The Sarasota Modern, and Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club

✅ Hotelzify launches The Fern Hotels & Resorts, Zinc Journey By The Fern, and Beacon Hotels brands on its AI-powered booking engine.

✅ Self Walk Imaging launches virtual wedding planning tours for Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Think Like a Salesperson: Personal Branding & Networking

On my mind lately? Nachos. But also, personal branding. h/t to Mr. Scott Eddy for the post that inspired today’s thought.

As an introvert, putting myself out there has never felt natural. When I was in-house, I completely neglected building my own brand. Now, as someone with a W-9 instead of a W-2, I’ve learned that personal branding isn’t optional. It’s survival. I’ve built it in small, actionable ways: creating content, checking in with my network, and finding ways to be helpful without overthinking it.

When I onboard new marketing managers, I tell them the same thing: think like a salesperson. Opportunities don’t just show up. They live inside your network. Which means networking, promoting yourself, and establishing expertise should be part of your daily tactics, not an afterthought.

Here are some quick wins to start building your personal brand. You don’t have to do all of them, but the compound effect - a series of small, smart choices - does work wonders when you apply one or two tactics intentionally and consistently:

Internally

Externally

Just like you would build awareness, trust, and loyalty for your hotel, spend the same energy on yourself.

Additional Reading:

A weekly round-up of fresh inspiration and a closer look at experiential design, sensory branding, and the quiet details that define unforgettable spaces.

wellness // Helix by Unplugged x Healf
This countryside cabin invites guests to lock away their devices and reset through a digital detox, while Healf enhances the experience with curated wellness kits featuring sleep aids, adaptogens, and teas. Minimalist architecture, wood-fired comforts, and surrounding trails create a restorative rhythm of stillness, presence, and simplicity. The result is a retreat where architecture, nature, and ritual align to restore both body and mind.

experience // Sanctuary of Ritual at Scorpios Bodrum
More than a beach club, Scorpios Bodrum is crafted as a sanctuary of rhythm and ritual. With daily music gatherings, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, and a design philosophy rooted in natural textures and communal flow, the property blends wellness and nightlife into an atmosphere that feels both energising and restorative.

activation // Fairmont Disappearing Bar
A global pop-up series where each Fairmont property transforms a space into an ephemeral bar experience, inspired by local stories and crafted cocktails. Designed to appear and vanish without warning, the concept blends exclusivity, surprise, and place-based creativity into a fleeting moment guests will talk about long after it’s gone.

LinkedIn Posts That Caught My Attention Span My Eye This Week

✪ Late Checkout, one of my favorite newsletters, has a packed version of their weekly Side Dish, featuring travel and lifestyle industry news and trends.

Based on a communication method 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. This newsletter applies the same principle to hotel marketing: concise, actionable trends and opportunities curated for industry professionals.

I’m Rachel Watroba, founder of ADCOTO Hospitality Marketing and publisher of The Hotel Marketing 5.15. After more than 20 years in hospitality marketing with brands such as Waldorf Astoria, Caesars Entertainment, Fairmont, and MGM Resorts, I now work remotely as an interim marketing director for luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. My focus is on helping properties navigate openings, renovations, transitions, and leadership gaps, while keeping marketing aligned with commercial strategy.