This week, the Hotel Marketing Awards also celebrated the brilliant marketing minds who created some of the UK’s best hotel websites and marketing campaigns. Hotel Marketing Association Awards, held at The Savoy in London, brought together a stellar panel of industry leaders – Alex Polizzi, Suzie Thompson, Mike Baxter and Matthew Saunby. Expertly moderated Ryan Haynes Panelists discussed the current issues in hotel marketing.
A clear message emerged from the discussion of topics such as marketing and AI: The human element will always remain at the core of any exceptional guest experience.
As Alex Polizzi of The Polizzi Collection The following are some examples of how to get started: The Hotel Inspector It is true that hospitality is a dynamic industry, but it can also be challenging.
Polizzi and Suzie Thomas both echoed a similar theme. The Red Carnation Hotel Collection It was of paramount importance to have a team well taken care of. We have a huge wage bill, because we can’t function without our people,” said Polizzi. “You have to look after your team.”
Thompson said, “If your employees love their jobs in the hotel, it will translate into a great guest experience.” Thompson’s focus on employee happiness as a driver of guest satisfaction is a key tenet. Luxury, he says, is intrinsically linked with “the happiness” of the staff.
Discussions also brought to light the value of guests’ time. Mike Baxter, House of Gods Polizzi noted that, with each minute of free-time so precious, guests tend to have “wildly unrealistic expectations” of their stay. Polizzi concluded that this really highlights the need for hoteliers be “laser focused on your customer and what they want”.
Panelists shared a variety of perspectives regarding technology and AI. Alex Polizzi, an AI detractor who admits to seeing the benefits of AI, said that “AI must be used with caution”. Suzie Thompson, a self-confessed AI detractor, said that while she saw the benefits, “AI has to be used with caution”.
The discussion about pre-stay engagement was a good example of this. Thompson said that Red Carnation Hotels had a “real opportunity” to focus on the pre-stay part. She discussed how AI can help create itinerary for guests’ upcoming stays, allowing Red Carnation Hotels to focus on their human interactions. Baxter of House of Gods mirrored this, advocating to “use technology to free up your teams time to actually speak to your guests” – essential when they’re to be treated like rock stars!
Suzie Thomson, who is the director of Red Carnation Hotels, also shared a creative approach to social marketing. She explained that all team members are creative and not just the marketing staff. Red Carnation Hotels encourages their team to share content on social media via WhatsApp, which helps support the central team. Alex Polizzi of The Polizzi Collection has adopted the same strategy.
Ryan Haynes summarised the consensus in a way that was very clear. “Despite technological innovation”The people are the core of what hospitality is about”.
As AI becomes more prevalent, it will become even more important to connect with people on an emotional level. This is why a genuine human connection is still the ultimate luxury.
