Weekly Brief: November 10, 2025
2025 Hotel Marketer Salary Tracker
Job postings are the most clicked links in my newsletter every week, so I started tracking the jobs I shared that also had salary ranges posted alongside them. Not a long list yet, but a start, and I told myself I would share with you once I got to 50+ jobs. I’ve only been tracking salaries since August, and I highlight only positions with salary ranges and that are Marketing Manager and above. If you have a job position you’ve recently left or are currently in and want to include to help round out the tracker, please email me! View the full, and continuously updated, list here.
Some insights (based on only ~50 titles so far, so subject to change):
Title Level | Count | Avg Salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
VP | 4 | $207,500 | $132,500–$300,000 |
Director | 21 | $128,386 | $70,600–$200,750 |
Regional | 1 | $117,500 | — |
Senior Manager | 5 | $100,500 | $70,600–$119,000 |
Manager | 19 | $83,404 | $70,000–$105,100 |
Reframing an Oops
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area sends a Happy Birthday email to the entire email list, but leans into their error. // Molly O’Brien
When the Trend is a Sound…and Your Legal Says No
The “Going Back to Honolulu” sound paired with the hanging from a crosswalk sign hits different when legal gets involved. Relatable if you’re managing social media and constantly crossing off ideas to appease legal.
In other “run it by legal” news…AT&T falsely promised “everyone” a free iPhone, ad-industry board rules.
Thanks for reading.
☞ Know of a new-to-hotels marketer or a hotel marketer who was recently laid off? Forward this newsletter to them!
― Marketing Briefs ―
News To Act On
⚡️ Hotels Have Officially Launched on Airbnb //Multiple Sources
Jamie Lane of AirDNA: “During last night’s earnings calls, Airbnb confirmed it has begun piloting direct hotel listings in Los Angeles, New York City, and Madrid. Airbnb's early strategy is to target supply-constrained markets, places where guest demand exceeds current available listings. Hotels help fill that gap without diluting the platform’s core home-sharing identity… at least for now.”
Phocuswire: Airbnb is piloting hotels in restricted markets. “New York City and Madrid, for example, are two markets that are constrained—constrained from a regulatory standpoint,” he said. “Hotels are very excited to participate. These are just pilots, but we're seeing a lot of interesting momentum.”
Hotel Marketing Takeaway:
➟ Continue to Monitor. Airbnb offering up hotels becomes another potential distribution and awareness channel for hotels. So far, the hotel filter is limited to pilot cities and, looking at results, turns up boutique and indepdent hotel results only.
⚡️ Coca‑Cola Refreshes Givers of the Season, Embraces AI-Powered Storytelling in Global Holiday Campaign // Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola released its seasonal holiday card/ad campaign this year, the second year in a row that they’ve used AI to generate the ad.
Hotel Marketing Takeaway:
➟ Disclose use of AI. Some people love AI, some people despise it. Coca-Cola is receiving both praise and criticism for its use of AI, but they their use of AI part of their holiday narrative, disclosing usage early and often.
Did You Know?
Trending news, marketing news, and reports:
▶️ HSMAI State of Commercial Talent Report // HSMAI
The nine trends identified and further explored in the report include Artificial Intelligence, Reskilling, Multigenerational Workforces, Culture, Mental Health, Return to Office/Hybrid Models, Gig and Fractional Employment, Employee Engagement, and Commercial Leadership.
▶️ A lot of movement and daily updates as the government shutdown impacts the travel industry. Some highlights:
➚ Travel industry calls for end to shutdown as Thanksgiving ‘chaos’ looms // Hotel Dive
➚ FAA reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 ‘high-volume’ markets during government shutdown // AP News
➚ Why the shutdown ending doesn't mean that flights would go back to normal immediately // USA Today
➚ US hotels face financial burden following nationwide flight cuts // Hotel Dive
▶️ The Best Places to Go in 2026 // Condé Nast Traveler
▶️ Don’t over-restrict limited-time offers // Science Says
▶️ Google Maps bakes in Gemini to improve navigation and hands-free use // TechCrunch
Many hotels have Google Maps as one of their top referral sources (take a look and see where it sits for you YTD and last month in both visits and revenue), so this is one to stay on top of, ensuring your content is optimized for “Near Me” and voice searches.
▶️ Social listening for marketers, a Reddit x Webflow report // Reddit
▶️ TikTok for Business Holiday 2025 Playbook // TikTok
▶️ Brands set to cut open web display spend 30% in response to AI search // Digiday
▶️ Getting the most value out of Reporting in Google Analytics 4 // Google
▶️ This is one of the most cited pages by LLMs on the web today. So I decided to deconstruct it to see why it performed so well. // Rodrigo Stockebrand on LinkedIn
▶️ Did you know that ChatGPT uses the Google Places API to populate local business metadata on localized queries? // Trevor Fox on LinkedIn (I always appreciate these types of posts from Growth Marketers).
― Job Postings & Career News ―
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― Agency News ―
Agencies You Should Watch
Tracking the agencies shaping the hospitality industry’s biggest moments while building an ever-growing resource list for hotel marketers.
✅ Cogwheel Marketing launches new website for Hotel La Jolla, CURIO Collection by Hilton and Sage Hospitality Group.
✅ Modern Currency named agency of record for Fairmont Breakers Long Beach.
✅ Point PR named agency of record for the soon-to-open Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas Paradise Valley.
✅ Alliance Connection named agency of record for Elite Island Resorts.
✅ Magrino Public Relations named agency of record for Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
✅ King & Partners helps The Cooper launch updated brand identity and experience.
✅ Identity PR named agency of record for The Department at Hudson’s, a 3-story event space in the newly reopened Hudson’s Building.
― The Vibe Quotient ―
Following the Vibe
A weekly round-up of fresh inspiration and a closer look at experiential design, sensory branding, and the quiet details that define unforgettable spaces.
seasonal // Claridge’s x Burberry Christmas Tree 2025
Claridge’s unveils its annual Christmas Tree collaboration with Burberry, a celebration of heritage, craftsmanship, and British elegance. Designed by Chief Creative Officer Daniel Lee, the tree is adorned with approximately 600 hand-tied bows made from surplus Burberry fabrics, creating a statement that’s both festive and sustainable. Set against the hotel’s Art Deco backdrop, the installation captures the spirit of the season through texture, light, and timeless design.
dining // Carbone Riviera, Bellagio Las Vegas
Major Food Group brings Carbone Riviera to the Bellagio, reimagining its signature Italian-American glamour for a coastal setting inspired by the Riviera. The new concept blends mid-century sophistication with open-air dining, vibrant Mediterranean energy, and sweeping views of the Fountains of Bellagio. Expect signature Carbone theatrics alongside fresh seafood, citrus-forward cocktails, and design details.
style // The Bowery Hotel x Lingua Franca Capsule
The Bowery Hotel debuts a limited-edition capsule with Lingua Franca, the New York label known for hand-embroidered cashmere and cultural wit. The collection captures the hotel’s effortless downtown aesthetic through sustainably made knits and embroidered phrases that nod to its creative legacy. Available exclusively through The Bowery Hotel’s online shop, the collaboration embodies quiet luxury with a distinctly New York attitude.
― What is the 5.15 ―
I’m Rachel Watroba, a passionate hotelier and luxury hotel marketer, and publisher of The Hotel Marketing 5.15.
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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