The Hotel Marketing 5.15 | Weekly Brief: August 25, 2025
Edition #10 of The Hotel Marketing 5.15 is here. I’ve enjoyed shaping this newsletter as it grows, and I appreciate you sticking with me along the way.
A quick note: next week’s edition will land in your inbox on Tuesday in observance of Labor Day.
Thanks for reading.
If this newsletter was useful, consider forwarding it to a hotel friend or team member.
― Marketing Briefs ―
News To Act On
⚡️ Or Not Act On…China Won’t Sell TikTok’s Algorithm to US // Social Media Today
For all the exciting platform updates and travel industry-related roll-outs over the last few weeks, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has made it clear that they have no intentions of selling its algorithm.
Hotel Marketing Takeaways:
➟ Move forward with caution. Test like there’s no threat of the platform disappearing, taking a laissez-faire approach, or pause testing and all-in budget plans until the next sell-off deadline passes.
⚡️ Meta Rolls Out Changes to Its Ad Billing Settings // Social Media Today
Meta (Facebook) has always charged your card at specific thresholds plus a final close-out of any remaining budget at the end of the month. With this new change, Meta will charge your card for the full campaign budget at the time of publication.
➟ Check Your Campaign Set-Up. If you run campaigns in-house, check your current billing set-up. I have some targeted campaigns that run three months at a time but have a daily budget set-up that equals the monthly campaign amount the property agreed on. With these new changes, I’ll set a new budget monthly instead. Either be prepared to explain a front-load of charges, or update your settings so that your card is charged within budget restraints.
➟ Check-In With Your Agencies. If an agency runs ads on your behalf, ask if they anticpite any changes to your campaigns or billing structure and timelines.
Of Note
Trending news, marketing news, reports:
▶️ Passengers sue Delta Air Lines, United Airlines over 'windowless' window seats // USA Today
↳ This case could set a precedent for hotels, not just airlines. Especially with resort fees and junk fees being scrutinized, now may be a great time to check that the rooms assigned to certain views/categories and the inclusions listed in your resort fee are actually available.
▶️ From Sauna Rituals to Sleep Retreats, These Are 2025’s Biggest Wellness-Travel Trends // Virtuoso
▶️ X Publishes Guide to NFL Engagement and Opportunities // Social Media Today
▶️ The 13 Viral Marketing Laws // Marketing Ideas
▶️ HSMAI Releases New Ancillary Revenue Strategy Playbook to Help Hotels Unlock Incremental Revenue in a Shifting Landscape // HSMAI
― Sponsored By ―
The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it. That’s what The Marketing Millennials delivers: real insights, fresh takes, and no fluff. Written by Daniel Murray, a marketer who knows what works, this newsletter cuts through the noise so you can stop guessing and start winning. Subscribe and level up your marketing game.
― Job Postings & Career News ―
Job Postings
🌎 Digital Marketing Specialist | Remote | World Travel Holdings
🌎 Paid Media Specialist | Remote | Awestruck
🌎 Manager, Field Marketing | Remote | Hyatt
🌎 Project Supervisor, Integrated Marketing | Remote | Finn Partners
🌎 Sr. Director of Marketing | New York | 33 Seaport Hotel NYC
― Agency News ―
Who Worked On What
Tracking the agencies shaping hospitality’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.
Public Relations & Social
✅ Brookline Public Relations renews as Agency of Record with Banff Sunshine Village (via O’Dwyer)
✅ The Dana Agency selected as Agency of Record for Visit Miami
✅ PRC NY is the Agency of Record for Elizabeth Street Hospitality (restaurants)
Digital & Branding
✅ Miles Partnership announced as Agency of Record for Visit Reno Tahoe (via O’Dwyer)
Award Season
The PR News Platinum Awards winners will be revealed in person on October 7 at Pier Sixty, NYC. Until then, the nominee list serves as a strong snapshot of agencies making big moves in hospitality and beyond. A few nominees to keep an eye on:
Boutique Agency of the Year: Green Flash Media, Osborne Northwest Public Relations, Wawner Strategies
Campaigns:
Coyne PR and LIV Golf // Fore the Win: Coyne PR and LIV Golf’s Breakthrough Year in PR
Solcomms // Making Bogg the Bag of the Year
Bolt Hungary // Breaking Language Barriers
Hilton // Global 2025 Trends Report: Unlocking the Year of the Travel Maximizer
Modern Currency PR // Redefining the Modern Safari Experience: Modern Currency PR’s Launch of Few & Far Luvhondo
New Mexico Tourism Department // Old Man Gloom 100: The Burning of Zozbora Media Drops
Saudi Red Sea Authority // More than Sea
Experience Kissimmee // Global Influencer Familiarization Trip - Bringing the World to Kissimmee
― Hotel Marketer’s Calendar ―
Awards
HSMAI Adrian Awards - open to entries through September 9th, 2025
Conferences
Marketing Brew Summit | Sept 10 | NYC, NY
Digital Travel Summit | Sept 15 - 16 | Orlando, FL
IMEX America | Oct 7 - 9 | Las Vegas, NV
Here’s a quick link to IMEX logos and banners to start you out.
ahrefs Evolve | Oct 14 - 15 | San Diego, CA
ILTM Cannes | Dec 1 - 4 | Cannes, France
Holidays and Activations
Black Friday/Travel Tuesday | November 28, December 2
― Hotel Marketer Tactics ―
Tactics To Act On
The (Bookmark) Vault
Some older, but still favorite, case studies from agencies I’ve bookmarked and have been waiting to share with someone. That’s you.
Use them as inspiration, add the agency to your future wish list, or simply admire the craft behind thoughtful branding. Even if you don’t have a large budget to hire an amazing, but expensive, branding agency like the ones below, or you’re a branded hotel with guidelines to follow, you can still put together a cheat sheet one-pager of branding inspiration to follow.
✅ The Seventh Art x Arizona Biltmore // a fun branding project that I got to be involved with in 2021 as Arizona Biltmore came out of post-covid and renovation closure.
✅ Helium Creative x Beach House Fort Lauderdale // branding
✅ Saint Urbain x The Henson // branding
✅ Mother Design x Marriott Bonvoy // branding
✅ Mother Design x TripAdvisor // branding
✅ King & Partners x Grand Wailea // another property I worked at and had the opportunity to be a part of this rebranding for a short time before jumping ship for the consulting world.
✅ King & Partners x Nemacolin x Edition // branding
✅ Once Upon a Time x Baia Beach Club
✅ FINE x Beacon Grand
✅ Spherical x Palisociety
✅ G&CO x Marriott Bonvoy // digital
― 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.
wellness // SLH Introduces Wellbeing Collection
Small Luxury Hotels of the World has introduced a curated Wellbeing Collection that reflects growing guest demand for holistic, restorative stays. From forest bathing and thermal spas to sound therapy and nutrition-focused dining, these properties place wellness at the heart of the guest journey, creating escapes designed to balance body, mind, and spirit.
experience // Nature Immersion at Hoshinoya Fuji
Perched above Lake Kawaguchi with views of Mount Fuji, this luxury glamping retreat redefines simplicity through design and ritual. Minimalist cabins, forest dining, canoeing at dawn, and fireside gatherings create an atmosphere that feels both elemental and elevated. It is an escape where nature is not just the backdrop but the essence of the experience.
sustainability // Luxury Hotels Pioneering Ocean Conservation
Across the globe, luxury hotels are weaving sustainability into the guest experience with architecture that blends into landscapes, dining rooted in local harvests, and initiatives that protect biodiversity and culture. These properties prove that indulgence and responsibility can coexist, offering stays that feel restorative not only to guests but also to the world around them.
― Random Links & Thoughts ―
LinkedIn Posts That Caught My Attention Span My Eye This Week
✪ What Hotel Marketing Is… // Lauren Sahilices
✪ Tips for Getting The Most Out of Your Agency RFP // Heidi Baldwin Doak + J/PR
― What is the 5.15 ―
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.
― ABOUT ME ―
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 like Hilton, Caesars Entertainment, Fairmont, and MGM Resorts, I now work remotely as an interim marketing director for luxury hotels and resorts around the world. My focus is on helping properties navigate openings, renovations, transitions, and leadership gaps, while keeping marketing aligned with commercial strategy.
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