Happy Thanksgiving Week!
Whether it’s a short week, an extra-long week for on-property teams, or a non-Holiday week for our Canadian and international friends, the travel industry can anticipate an uptick in travel: AAA estimates 81.8 million people will be traveling this week by car, a new record, while TSA anticipates screening over 17.8 million people between Nov 25 - Dec 2.

AI and PR Messaging
This Business Insider article about rising electricity demand and the potential for blackouts had me thinking about AI messaging in general. While hotels are still delayed in their adoption of AI, I’m sure most marketing teams have been asked by owners or GMs, “How are we/can we use AI?” It’s been one of the most frequent questions I receive from task force clients, besides tracking LLM referrals and how to optimize for LLM. As we move into 2026, PR teams will need to treat AI messaging with the same discipline they use for sustainability. With AI ambassadors and critics pushing out competing narratives, brands should define what responsible AI use looks like, identify which claims can be backed by data, and prepare transparent disclosures around efficiency, workforce shifts, training, and environmental impact. Clear, credible messaging will matter as AI’s operational footprint grows. This includes explaining how increased energy usage is offset and being direct about workforce shifts, both AI-related layoffs and hiring, as AI adoption grows.

Thanks for reading.
☞ Know of a new-to-hotels marketer or a hotel marketer who was recently laid off? Forward this newsletter to them!

⚡️ SEO Trends 2026 // Search Engine Journal

Search Engine Journal’s 2026 SEO Trends report underscores the shift away from keyword-stuffed, algorithm-chasing content and into true brand building. Discovery is now fragmented across Google, AI engines, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and LLM-powered summaries. The biggest wins come from content that AI cannot replicate, niche authority, and consistent presence across platforms.

Trending news, marketing news, and reports:

▶️ Save the Date | Skift Megatrends 2026: January 22, 2026 // Skift

▶️ Kimpton Culinary & Cocktails Trends 2026 // Kimpton

▶️ Radisson Hotel Group Launches Creator Hub Platform For Nano-Influencers // Radisson

▶️ Delta's new story platform aims to help you learn from locals ahead of your next trip // USA Today

▶️ Building a Social Media Marketing Strategy for Travel and Tourism // Sprout Social

▶️ New Codes of Luxury: Elevating the Hospitality Guest Experience with AI // The Future Laboratory

▶️ 2026 Trending Destinations // American Express Travel

▶️ 2025 Icons List: Inside The World’s Most Legendary Five-Star Hotels // Forbes

▶️ MMM, incrementality, and other measurement trends that will define 2026 // eMarketer

▶️ Key Trends for Social Media Marketing in 2026 // Social Media Today

▶️ Almost no one is clicking on ChatGPT links // MarTech

▶️ Fodor’s 2026 Go List // Fodors

▶️ Cloudflare Outage Triggers 5xx Spikes: What It Means For SEO // Search Engine Journal

▶️ Google AI Mode will help you create travel plans, agentic booking launches // 9 to 5 Google

▶️ TIME Partners with Galactic to Launch Prediction Market Platform // Time

Tracking the agencies shaping the hospitality industry’s biggest moments while building an ever-growing resource list for hotel marketers.

✅ J/PR named the US PR agency for Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany (via Alice Dublin)

✅ Cloudbeds & Klaviyo partner to boost hotel guest marketing

✅ RateGain and HotelIQ Partner to Bring Real-Time Rate Shopping to Smarter Revenue Management

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

activation // Friend Recruiter Copenhagen Giveaway
A playful new campaign invites people to nominate a friend who deserves to leave a frustrating job, with the chance to win a trip to Copenhagen. The activation taps into cultural conversations about burnout and workplace wellbeing, turning a bold call for reinvention into a travel reward. It blends humor, empathy, and destination marketing into a memorable experience that positions Copenhagen as a reset button for modern life.

festive // How The Social Club Stole Christmas
Kimpton Surfcomber in Miami Beach launches a Whoville-inspired holiday pop-up that transforms its restaurant into a playful, over-the-top seasonal escape. Bright colors, nostalgic décor, themed cocktails, and character-driven moments bring a sense of whimsy to the holidays, turning the space into a lively celebration that blends Miami energy with storybook charm.

spaces // Ciel Dubai Marina
Ciel Dubai Marina joins the skyline as one of the city’s most striking new openings, designed as a vertical sanctuary of contemporary luxury. Soaring architecture, light-filled interiors, and a calm, minimalist aesthetic set the tone for a stay that feels elevated but grounded. With panoramic views, refined dining, and serene wellness spaces, Ciel leans into Dubai’s next chapter of hospitality where height, light, and intentional design define the guest experience.

wellness // Hilton x Calm Sleep Story at Waldorf Astoria New York
Hilton teams up with Calm and Paige DeSorbo to debut a new sleep story recorded inside the restored Waldorf Astoria New York. The collaboration blends guided relaxation with the hotel’s storied atmosphere, inviting listeners into a soothing narrative shaped by quiet luxury and place-based storytelling. It reflects Hilton’s growing focus on restorative travel, where sleep, sound, and setting work together to create a deeper sense of calm.

craftsmanship and artistry // The Ritz-Carlton x Late Checkout, Chapter Two
The Ritz-Carlton and Late Checkout unveil the second chapter of their capsule, expanding the original drop into loungewear, accessories, kids pieces, and home styles that mix refined craftsmanship with Late Checkout’s irreverent hotel-world storytelling. A palette of navy, ivory, and pale blue grounds the collection in Ritz-Carlton heritage, while embroidered velvet jackets, featherlight knits, tailored pajama sets, and playful globe motifs create a lived-in, global-traveler feel. Shot at The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko with Josh Hutcherson, the cinematic campaign leans into serenity and atmosphere to frame the evolution of the collaboration.

The collection launches globally across 22 Ritz-Carlton properties, supported by a series of retail pop-ups. An immersive “Very Late Checkout” suite experience will also run from December through March at select properties, layering curated amenities and in-suite moments that bring the capsule’s sensibility directly into the stay experience.

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.