Beyond celebrating the incredible marketing minds behind some of the UK’s best hotel marketing campaigns and hotel websites, this week’s 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 by Ryan Haynes the panel delved into some of the pressing issues shaping hotel marketing today.
While topics like marketing and AI were on the table, a clear and resounding message emerged: the human element remains irrevocably at the heart of exceptional guest experiences.
As Alex Polizzi of The Polizzi Collection and The Hotel Inspector succinctly put it, “this is an industry for problem solvers,” a sentiment that really underpins the dynamic, often challenging, nature of hospitality.
A significant theme echoed by both Polizzi and Suzie Thompson of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection was the paramount importance of a well-cared-for team. “We have an enormous wage bill because we simply can’t do things without people,” noted Polizzi, adding, “you have to really look after your people.”
Thompson added “If people love working in your hotel, that translates into the guest experience.” This focus on employee well-being as a direct driver of guest satisfaction was a core tenet, with Thompson beautifully defining luxury as being intrinsically linked to “the happiness of the team.”
The discussion also highlighted the preciousness of a guest’s time. Mike Baxter of House of Gods emphasised that as hoteliers, “we’re custodians of people’s precious time,” while Polizzi added that with every minute of free time being so valuable, guests often have “wildly unrealistic expectations of their stay”. It really underscores the need for hoteliers to be “laser-focused on your customers and what they want”, Polizzi concluded.
On the topic of technology, particularly AI, the panel offered a nuanced perspective. While Alex Polizzi, a self confessed AI detractor, noted that while she of course saw the benefits, “AI has to be used with caution”. Suzie Thompson embraced its potential, suggesting it’s “nothing to be feared, something to be embraced, as it frees up your time to add to the guest experience.”
This was particularly evident in the discussion around pre-stay engagement. Thompson noted that “anticipation is such an underserved part of the stay,” identifying that for Red Carnation Hotels “a real opportunity has been diving into the pre-stay piece.” She shared how AI can be used to help build itineraries for a guest’s upcoming stay, allowing teams to focus on the deeper human interaction that Red Carnation Hotels are famed for. 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!
An creative approach to social media marketing also surfaced, with Suzie Thompson highlighting that “all of our team are creative, not just the marketing team,” and detailing how Red Carnation Hotels empower team members to share social media content through WhatsApp to help support the central marketing team. A strategy mirrored by Alex Polizzi at The Polizzi Collection.
Ultimately, the consensus, as expertly summarised by Ryan Haynes, was clear. Despite technological innovation, “people are at the heart of everything that hospitality has to deliver”.
The overriding feeling was that while technology offers powerful tools, the ability to reach people emotionally will be more critical than ever as AI’s role grows, reinforcing that authentic human connection remains the ultimate luxury.