Your Hospitality Structure is Suffocating Your Talent

For years I’ve been seeing the same posts on social media, opinion pieces and expert conferences lamenting the same thing we’ve heard for the last five or seven years (maybe more). Talent retention, how we need to “woo” employees, how people don’t want to work in hospitality anymore…

The problem is not the people. The problem is that the system is 1990 software trying to run in a 2026 world. The system is obsolete.

The Prophet Antonio

Back then, my boss —the General Manager, a funny guy who knew the trade from the ground up and had only a couple of years left before retirement— used to tell me between laughs: "Marian, the problem is there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians." I don’t know if he was related to Nostradamus, but the structure has definitely become unsustainable.

Big Corporates: the game of internal PR

In the C‑Level and management of established companies, a dangerous game has taken root: internal PR. The structures are so archaic they look more like political parties fighting for the next candidacy than high‑performance teams.

• More energy is spent “navigating” the hierarchy than innovating.

• Silos are created where information doesn’t flow.

• The result: the structure burns the best people.

Unless the CEO truly wants to change the dynamics, this won’t change. Middle management —the ones who actually move the operation— are exhausted pushing against a wall of bureaucracy more interested in taking photos for the press than in doing anything for the company.

If you pause for a moment and look at what big hotel chains are doing, you’ll see they’re starting to copy and create sub‑brands under their umbrella that imitate startup models. But… and I hope I’m wrong… they’ll end up being museum brands. Because the problem lies in their DNA and in their slow implementation. Their top level is like the Sistine Chapel: beautiful to look at, but not something you’d want in your living room. Imagine all the maintenance… and add that it doesn’t resonate with the changes and redecorations over the years. That’s what they are: a museum.

Mid‑market and startups: agility and DNA

The management of a startup and mid‑market is, today, my favorite. When it flows, the system is agile. Many people say the industry changes quickly. I disagree. The industry evolves organically through sociological; political, technological, environmental and economic changes. The problem is that the corporate world waits five years for a “trend” to be safe, while the startup has already taken action.

In these companies:

• Teams are dynamic.

• They have a voice and a vote.

• The DNA of the business makes people want to be there. Not because they’re “wooed” with Friday pizza they actually hate, but because the purpose is real.

• The investor usually knows not only the C‑level, but even the waiters, which gives them a more realistic view of the business and how operations are lived on the front line.

The executing body: where structure really matters

This is where it gets sensitive. We cannot ignore a key factor: the base teams. Waiters, housekeepers, line staff. This is where Big Companies usually win by a landslide (when they do it well). They have the logistical capacity to offer what a startup sometimes forgets:

• Stability and clarity: The executing profile sometimes doesn’t want “creative flexibility” or headaches. They want to know what they have to do, what their schedules and shifts are. They want structural stability, not the investor coming to the housekeeper and telling her to fix the email issue… without having any idea what he’s talking about or who she should ask, under the stunned gaze of an employee who doesn’t have email because she’s a housekeeper, not IT, and it slips his mind that for that he has a GM who already knows who to send the message to (the recipient) and ensures it happens successfully.

• The housing challenge: Hotel chains already have in their DNA that if they open in a remote area or in tight markets like Mallorca or Ibiza, they must solve the housing problem for their team. The startup falters here: it finds flexibility for its C‑Level, but loses its executors because it lacks physical infrastructure. Focused on their C‑Level, they forget they also need someone to deliver the service and execute. Otherwise, you only have a nice photo of your ExCom in the office.

The question is not how to retain talent. The question is: Is my structure a living ecosystem or are we still painting Neanderthal caves?

Evolution is inevitable. You can keep talking about the same trends for another five years at FITUR, or you can start changing the dynamics of the process.

Do you feel your structure is slowing down the growth of your Hospitality or Wellness project?
We help companies transition to an agile and human ecosystem as part of their strategy. Let’s talk at www.mariangomez.com.

Stop Funding Chaos: Your Marketing Can’t Fix a Broken Operation

Imagine the Titanic sinking while the band keeps playing. Lovely (but everyone knows the end of Titanic).

Beautiful music, flawless technique, a full orchestra… yet the ship is going down. This is exactly what happens to marketing when the operational structure fails: you can have the most stunning melody in the world, but you won’t save the ship if the compartments are flooded.

Companies invest in new websites, brilliant campaigns, high-end photoshoots, and top-tier consultants, yet results never materialize. Because the Titanic?… It’s not because the marketing strategy is flawed; it’s because it is trying to sustain an operation that is leaking from every corner.

Marketing is not a band-aid to cover internal failures; it is an amplifier. And when you plug it into a broken structure, the only thing it amplifies is your bottlenecks.

1. The flooded compartment: "Managing" and "Directing"

An organizational error is confusing status quo maintenance with leadership. Many companies are filled with Managers (profiles that maintain order and wait for instructions) when what they actually need are Directors (profiles that provide vision, initiative, and drive).

If your internal team is purely reactive, external marketing becomes an engine without a transmission: it generates massive energy, but the vehicle doesn’t move. An external consultant can map the route, but the internal team must have the capability—and the authority—to hit the gas.

2. The broken pumps: Passive Leadership

"Being nice" or a lack of accountability in operational management is the silent enemy of ROI. A leadership style that doesn’t push for technical excellence or permits administrative sluggishness ends up burning out the most valuable talent.

When an external consultant has to spend more time organizing internal operations than executing strategy, the company doesn't have a communication problem; it has a foundation and root problem. Operational inefficiency is a luxury tax that no advertising campaign can offset.

3. The Consultant as a "Truth Mirror"

Why do companies hire external experts? It’s not just for their technical know-how; it’s for their objectivity.

Within an organization, fear of hierarchy or professional jealousy often filters the reality that reaches the CEO. The external consultant, untethered from internal politics, has the "superpower" to say what no one else dares to say: that the process is slow, the profile doesn't fit, or the system is blocked.

An external partner’s greatest asset is their ability to see the blind spots that the internal team has normalized.

Music or Navigation?

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how senior the director you hire is or how brilliant your external agency may be. If the internal structure lacks the drive to execute what marketing promises, you are simply paying for a more expensive band while the ship continues to sink.

Strategic marketing starts by clearing operational blockages. The question for any business owner isn’t whether their band sounds good, but rather: Do you want music, or do you want to sail?

Even Rose knew when to let go of Jack in the water once it was clear the situation was no longer functional. Sometimes, for the ship (and you) to survive, you have to stop holding onto what’s dragging you down.

If you feel like your marketing is playing a beautiful symphony while your operations are taking on water, let’s talk. I help business owners identify the leaks and build the structure needed to actually sail. [Book a Discovery Call]

Marketing Architecture vs. Tactical Execution: The Blind Spot in Longevity & Hospitality Investment

Most luxury hotel owners believe they have a marketing problem. They’re wrong. What they have is an architecture problem.

I’ve audited enough assets to see a recurring pattern: properties burning six-figure budgets on social media agencies, content creators, and influencer campaigns. The Instagram metrics are glowing; the P&L, however, is not.

The result is inflated operational spend that fails to move RevPAR, stagnant direct bookings, and an asset valuation that doesn’t reflect its true potential.

The Gap Between Rigor and Superficiality

In the Longevity & Advanced Wellness sector, the error is systemic. You cannot sell high-precision health protocols using "beach resort" marketing tactics.

• The Error (Tactics): Buying content calendars, "pretty" photos, and ad management.

• The Solution (Architecture): Designing an infrastructure connected to the P&L, systems that convert awareness into qualified bookings, and a team built for accountability.

The 3 Pillars of Marketing Architecture

To scale, you don’t need more "likes." You need process engineering:

1. Process Audit: Identifying where the guest experience breaks from the first ad exposure to the final booking. Most luxury assets leak 60% of their leads due to a lack of conversion infrastructure.

2. Team Engineering: Structuring internal talent for efficiency, not volume. Defining who leads the strategy, who executes, and who verifies the scientific integrity of the communication.

3. Equity Protection: Ensuring every marketing dollar increases the property’s asset value, not just its engagement metrics.

The Fractional CMO Solution

This is where the traditional full-time Chief Marketing Officer model fails. Investment funds and independent owners don’t need a static executive settling into the organizational chart; they need agile, external leadership with an owner’s mindset.

A Fractional CMO steps in to audit with brutal honesty, detect capital leaks, and design the ecosystem required for the asset to scale without losing its essence. You aren't buying execution; you’re buying strategic design and the safeguard of your investment.

If you are an investor or owner, ask yourself three questions:

• Can your marketing leadership explain how their work affects your asset valuation today?

• Are they optimizing for Guest Lifetime Value or for vanity metrics?

• Are they measuring qualified bookings or just impressions?

If the answers make you uncomfortable, you don’t have a budget problem. You have an architecture problem.

Marian Gomez is a Fractional CMO and Strategic Consultant. She helps funds and investors restructure marketing operations across Luxury Hospitality, Wellness, and Longevity assets.

Is your marketing spend failing to reflect in your business results? Let’s connect for a 30-minute diagnostic to identify where your capital is leaking.

Beyond the Spa: How Integrated Longevity is Redefining Luxury Hospitality

The luxury hotel sector is experiencing a silent yet profound transformation. High-end guests no longer seek just temporary relaxation: they want measurable results that impact their long-term health. This evolution is creating new value opportunities for both operators and investors.

The Paradigm Shift: From Experience to Outcome

For decades, hotel wellness focused on sensory experiences: massages, saunas, facials. But the pandemic accelerated a latent demand: guests now ask "does this actually work?" before booking.

The difference is fundamental. A traditional spa offers two hours of relaxation. An integrated longevity program offers:

• Pre and post biometric data: analysis of cortisol, systemic inflammation, or sleep quality through wearables

• Personalized nutrition: menus designed according to individual metabolic testing, not just generic dietary preferences

• Scientifically-backed protocols: from circadian optimization to supplementation based on actual deficiencies

This transition isn't theoretical. Resorts like SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain or Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland report occupancy rates above 80% annually with average rates 40-60% higher than traditional wellness competitors.

Why Investors Are Paying Attention

Three factors are driving financial interest in these models:

1. Higher value per guest

A traditional spa guest spends between $3,000-5,000 in a week. A longevity program participant spends $8,000-15,000 in the same stay, including tests, medical consultancy, and personalized supplementation.

2. Recurring revenue

The annual membership model or quarterly returns for follow-up generates predictable flows. Some resorts report that 35-45% of their longevity program guests return at least twice a year.

3. Sustainable competitive differentiation

While a competitor can copy your spa design in 18 months, replicating a longevity ecosystem with medical partnerships, certifications, and clinical reputation takes 3-5 years. This creates real barriers to entry.

The Mistake Major Chains Are Making

Several international hotel chains (we all know which ones) have recently launched into the longevity segment. The problem: they're doing it under their traditional hospitality brands.

Here's the fundamental disconnect: longevity is a rather particular industry that requires unique differentiators. A guest seeking tangible medical results doesn't want the backing of a brand known for its breakfast buffets or points programs. They want scientific, medical, and holistic credibility.

It doesn't matter how many years you've been operating premium or standard hotels. When someone invests $12,000 in a biomarker optimization program, they don't trust your hotel track record. They trust your medical ecosystem, your clinical certifications, and your reputation in health outcomes.

The smart play: Create a sister brand under the same corporate umbrella. Exactly what Kerzner International (the group behind One&Only) did by launching SIRO. They didn't try to fit longevity into One&Only. They created a completely new identity with its own DNA, positioning, and brand promise focused exclusively on performance and scientific wellness.

This isn't coincidence. It's strategy. Because mixing longevity with traditional hospitality dilutes both value propositions.

Three Essential Operational Components

Based on work with resorts that have successfully implemented these models, three elements are non-negotiable:

1. Certified Medical Partnerships

Hiring a nutritionist isn't enough. You need alliances with diagnostic laboratories (for biomarkers), licensed functional or longevity physicians, and certified medical technology providers (like Oura for sleep, or InsideTracker for blood analysis).

2. Measurement and Tracking Technology

Guests in this segment expect continuous access to their data. This requires:

• Digital platform where they can see metric evolution

• Integration with their personal wearables (Apple Watch, Oura, Whoop)

• Post-stay dashboard with recommendations to continue at home

3. Team Training

Your F&B staff must understand why one guest receives a lectin-free menu while another maximizes protein. Therapists need to comprehend muscle recovery protocols guided by HRV data.

This doesn't happen with a two-day workshop. It requires continuous training and, frequently, selective hiring of profiles with backgrounds in health coaching or clinical nutrition.

The Implementation Challenge

The theory is seductive, but execution is where most fail. How do you integrate medical partnerships without compromising your brand? What technology justifies the investment and what's just noise? How do you train your team without turning the resort into a cold clinic?

These resorts didn't improvise. They followed a specific roadmap that balances investment, operational risk, and return expectations. The difference between a program that generates extreme loyalty and one that becomes just another costly amenity lies in the first 90 days of strategic design.

The Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Before jumping in, be honest about your asset:

• Does your target market really demand this, or are you chasing a trend?

• Do you have operational capacity to manage medical-legal complexity?

• Is your management team committed to a 24-36 month horizon to see significant ROI?

Integrated longevity isn't for every resort, but for those with the right positioning, location, and resources, it represents one of the few genuine forms of differentiation in an increasingly commoditized market.

Marian Gomez is a strategic consultant specializing in luxury hotel asset positioning. She has advised resorts in Europe, America, and Asia on the integration of luxury hospitality and advanced wellness and longevity centres.

Is your asset ready to explore this model? Let's connect for a strategic evaluation.

Luxury Ecosystems: How a Unique Purpose Transforms Hospitality into a Lasting Legacy

​In the universe of contemporary luxury, excellence is no longer a static destination but a living organism. Whether we're talking about Wellness and Longevity centers, bespoke travel agencies, DMCs, or Venture Capital firms focused on the sector, the most memorable projects aren't sustained solely by their capital or aesthetics but by a unique purpose that shapes every strategic decision.

An ecosystem where the investor's vision, team culture, and client delivery converge seamlessly. Our work accompanies leaders and organizations to design and innovate that ecosystem from scratch, not replicating generic strategies, but cross-referencing micro and macro environment data with proprietary studies accumulated over nearly two decades in the industry and background. This transforms competitive advantage into tangible operational reality, always integrating the client in the process so they feel identified and comfortable with the final outcome.​

Purpose as the Axis of Competitive Advantage

The first step in my methodology is to excavate the essence: What story can only your brand tell? In the Longevity sector, for example, high technology and scientific rigor are now non-negotiable entry requirements; however, true differentiation doesn't lie in the machine, but in how that technology integrates into a narrative of superior human care. Similarly, an agency or DMC doesn't just sell access logistics but emotional curation of the territory.

We help clarify this identity by creating customized studies, cross-referencing global trends with local dynamics because without a clear purpose, even the most ambitious technological investment or itinerary becomes an easily replicable commodity. Understanding the end client is key, but so is respecting and integrating our client in every iteration, ensuring positioning resonates authentically with their vision.​

Structures that Breathe Reality and Respect Their Own Maturation

Purpose only transcends when translated into execution, but execution must be as flexible as the market itself. We move away from static procedure manuals to build living work maps. This involves designing flows where impeccable hospitality rigor coexists with the agility needed for extreme personalization, innovating through deep industry knowledge, not following traditional rules nor falling into incomprehensible extremes.

It's essential to recognize that each organization is at a different stage of evolution. Some projects operate with the agility of a luxury startup, while others are established institutions requiring more measured transformation processes that respect their legacy. A key part of my accompaniment is diagnosing and navigating these rhythms; ecosystem maturation depends on internal culture and local challenges. We don't seek superficial changes, but operational resilience that allows companies and their portfolio companies in investment funds to be scalable, coherent, and, above all, viable long-term.​

Alliances and Trust: The Engine of Value

An ecosystem flourishes in the quality of its relationships. From aligning multicultural teams to auditing processes to ensure the Venture Capital vision filters down to the last client interaction, trust is the asset that multiplies value.

When developing shoots or creative repositioning, I co-create concepts that respect the client's essence while capturing the end traveler, cross-referencing audience data with proprietary insights for accessible and effective innovation. When the human team, suppliers, and investors share the "why," innovation emerges naturally, and the brand positions itself not just as a business, but as an indisputable high-end sector benchmark.

In 2026, success in travel and wellness sectors won't be just an impeccable transaction but the ability to generate a lasting legacy.

Is your project ready to evolve into an ecosystem? My approach seeks for your organization not only to function with precision but also to inspire those who lead it, operate it, and experience it.​

When You Have Nothing to Say, Say Nothing

I'm publishing this article a couple of days later than promised. I didn't forget, nor could I have done it earlier. I simply had to prioritize: Christmas campaigns and year-end closings. Marketing and sales during these months are like a desert marathon, hallucinations included.

When you have nothing to say, then say nothing

María Tellería, one of my communication professors at university, an idol in person. This woman not only mastered communication theory but also practiced it in the most complex terrain imaginable. She worked for the UN in democratization processes in the Middle East.

María would arrive at class after having facilitated dialogues between conflicting political factions, conversations where a poorly chosen word could derail years of diplomatic work. She offered us lessons extracted from negotiation rooms that we only saw on the news. That simple phrase came from someone who knew, in the most crucial contexts imaginable, the true power and weight of words.

Digital Noise

Silence is perceived as failure, as irrelevance. We've been sold the idea that we must constantly be producing, opining, and publishing. And this is never more evident than in December: generic "happy holidays" posts, daily emails with "exclusive" offers received by thousands, year-end reflections that are copies of copies. Digital noise isn't just annoying: it's toxic. It erodes your audience's trust and deteriorates your personal brand faster than it builds it. The cruel irony is that in our desperate attempt to remain relevant through constant content production, we become exactly the opposite: irrelevant.

The Value of Strategic Silence

When I work with leaders in luxury hospitality and tourism, one of the first conversations centers on understanding their unique voice. Everyone has one, but most don't realize it. And the answer never emerges from constant noise.

Unique voice: Your differentiation doesn't come from publishing more than the competition. It comes from communicating when you have something genuinely valuable to say. The best leaders I know don't opine on everything. They communicate selectively, with substance.

Sustainable strategy: In crises, I've seen how a hasty statement destroys decades of reputation. Waiting 48 hours with verified data isn't weakness. It's strategic protection of your most valuable asset: trust.

Real implementation: This isn't theory. It's how I help teams make daily communication decisions: Does this add value or add noise? If it's noise, we don't do it.

Communication Is Not Information

In the Middle East, raising weapons to the sky is a traditional symbol of victory, celebration, and collective joy. Like other people who dance or launch fireworks, they raise their weapons. María told us that when international cameras captured those images, the narrative changed radically. Headlines spoke of "rebels rising up in arms," of "threats to stability." The gesture of victory became a threat.

The same image can be interpreted in completely opposite ways depending on who tells the story and with what objective. The news is so distorted, so loaded with bias, that consuming it without critical thinking is more dangerous than not consuming it. True wisdom lies in: Listen a lot. Study a lot. And ignore in the same proportion.

When you finally have something genuinely valuable to communicate, do it. Your audience will notice. They'll appreciate it. They'll remember it.

I don't promise to write a new article on December 15th; the truth is I'm overloaded. But I'll do it during the holidays, when all the communication noise becomes more human, between toasts and canapés :) See you in 2026!

Want to talk about what that might look like for your business?
www.mariangomez.com

It's Not Your Marketing. It's Your Internal Communication (And How Tri Hita Karana Explains It)

Why the three pillars of sustainable hospitality fail at the same place: internal alignment.

Tri Hita Karana —'three causes of wellbeing' in Balinese— proposes that true prosperity arises from the balance between three fundamental relationships: with purpose, with people, and with nature. For your hospitality business, this isn't philosophy. It's strategy.

1. Purpose and Values (Parahyangan): The "Why"

I'm not talking about the mission statement hanging on the wall. It's the uncomfortable question: Why do we exist beyond generating profits? Businesses that connect with an authentic purpose —protecting an ecosystem, preserving a culinary tradition, revitalizing a community— create magnetic experiences - they can copy your posts, but not your essence. This is where your brand's soul resides.

2. Human Relationships (Pawongan): Your People, Your Asset

This includes employees, guests, suppliers, and crucially, the local community. Creating true partnerships. Hospitality stops being a service and becomes a genuine exchange. If you don't take care of your people, the guest will feel it. If your people aren't committed, so will they.

3. Harmony with Nature (Palemahan): Designing to Regenerate

This goes far beyond changing LED bulbs or reducing paper. It means designing operations that regenerate, not just minimize harm. Think about architecture that respects the environment or supply chains that turn sustainable local agriculture into a differentiator. I've been on projects where Zero Waste, so important for hotels with 200 rooms that generate daily amounts of food waste and garbage, betting on this means caring for the environment: people and nature in harmony.

On paper, this sounds logical. Even inspiring. But here's the problem: I know dozens of hotels and resorts that have these values printed in their mission statements, on their walls, even in their welcome dossiers. And still, they fail. Why? Because the three pillars don't collapse from lack of intention. They collapse from lack of alignment.

These three pillars always fail at the same place, and it's not a marketing problem.

When I arrive at a new consultancy, I dedicate 2 to 3 intense days conducting 1-on-1 interviews with each stakeholder. I ask them what they see, what frustrates them, but above all, what's the most valuable thing they know that nobody has asked them about. They have the best information about your business, but they're too busy putting out fires to use it. And there's problem number one: when you do a thousand things, you lose focus and what's important gets diluted.

When internal communication crumbles, everything else cascades down.

• Purpose becomes an empty poster.

• The relationship with guests becomes mechanical.

• Sustainability initiatives remain good intentions.

Tri Hita Karana shows us that you can't have harmony with your guests or with the environment if harmony doesn't exist internally first. The three relationships are inseparably intertwined.

The True Starting Point: Leadership and Communication

If there's one thing I know with certainty after years in this business, it's: Communication, Communication, Communication. So, before thinking about the marketing campaign or the green certification, ask your leadership strategy:

Does your team know and feel the company's purpose?

A year ago I worked with a boutique hotel that had a beautiful purpose: 'Reconnect people with authentic local culture.' When I interviewed the chef, he told me that none of his team knew what that meant in their day-to-day. Zero. But when I asked them what was the most special thing about working there, the chef told me: 'Here I go to the market every morning and choose the fresh ingredients. Guests ask me what each thing is and I tell them the stories the vendors tell me.' That was the purpose. He was living it without knowing it. The problem wasn't the mission. It was that nobody had made the connection.

If your purpose only lives on the website, it doesn't exist.

The other questions that matter

• Are there REAL communication channels where they feel heard, or just compliance meetings?

• Do you celebrate and elevate those who shine so they serve as examples and inspire the rest?

• And if someone isn't engaged: why? Sometimes you need the courage to let go of a rotten apple so the rest of the tree can flourish.

Real sustainability doesn't begin with a report. It begins with an honest conversation among your people.

So if any of this resonates, start here: this week, book 30 minutes with someone on your team you don't normally listen to. Not to solve anything. Just to ask: What's the most valuable thing you know that nobody has asked you?

You'll be surprised.

f you're running a hospitality business and this disconnect between mission and reality sounds familiar, that's exactly the gap I help bridge. I work with hotels, resorts, and wellness brands as their Chief Marketing Officer—building strategies that don't just look good on paper, they work because they're aligned from the inside out.

Want to talk about what that might look like for your business?
www.mariangomez.com

The Battle Against Misinformation: The Cost of Leading in the Era of Fragmented Attention

Why luxury hospitality brands verify Michelin stars but not wellness credentials—and how new global regulations are about to force a reckoning.

Two international luxury hotel chains—if I told you the names, you’d fall off your chair—have in their roster of ‘wellness experts’ a holistic coach without verifiable medical training and a ‘holistic nutritional coach’ without nutrition studies. Both offer workshops to guests paying over €1,500 per night.

The selection criteria? Likes and engagement rate.

Credential verification? None.

Remember the meme of Snoop Dogg dressed as a surgeon in an operating room? It’s not far from reality. Except in this case, the ‘patients’ are paying luxury prices for the privilege.

The question nobody asks: Why do we verify Michelin stars but not wellness credentials?

In luxury hospitality, we’re obsessive about credentials where it matters. Executive chef: verifiable training, years of experience, perhaps Michelin stars. Sommelier: WSET certifications, Court of Master Sommeliers. Spa therapists: licenses, certifications in specific techniques. Concierge: Les Clefs d’Or, years of training.

But when it comes to wellness coaches, holistic healers, nutritional advisors, the selection criteria changes radically: Instagram followers plus engagement rate. Verification: do they have a professional website? Do their posts look good?

Why? Because we confuse reach with expertise.

The luxury problem is unique (and existential)

These hotels, tourist destinations, and lifestyle brands aren’t being malicious. They’re being human in 2025: information overload, scanning instead of reading, trusting vanity metrics (followers) instead of substance metrics (credentials).

It’s exactly the problem that Queen Letizia of Spain recently articulated: without the capacity for deep reading—in this case, deep due diligence—we cannot distinguish between what seems legitimate and what actually is.

And here’s the twist the industry doesn’t see coming: China saw it first. That’s why it’s now law that influencers in wellness, nutrition, and health must have verifiable credentials. It wasn’t moralism. It was consumer protection after documented cases of health influencers causing real harm.

Europe is heading in the same direction. Australia is protecting minors from the same ecosystem of unverified influencers.

And what are luxury tourism and lifestyle companies doing? Waiting to become the case study in the next regulation.

What Harvard Business Review doesn’t address

Harvard Business Review published in its September-October 2025 edition an article titled “How to Counter Fake News,” presenting a three-part framework for corporations: monitor social resonance to identify fake news early, ensure transparency with stakeholders before crises, and activate credible allies to reinforce the truth.

But there’s a prior problem the article doesn’t address: what happens when you yourself are amplifying unverified information?

When your hotel, tourist destination, or lifestyle brand promotes a wellness expert without verifying their credentials, you don’t need to monitor external fake news. You are the source. And no crisis management framework will save you when a client suffers harm following advice from your holistic nutrition coach without nutrition training.

The abandoned verification epidemic

Here’s the connection nobody is making: the same problem that makes your teams not read complete briefings is what makes them not verify influencer credentials.

I see this every day: I send a strategic plan and nobody reads it completely. I send 40-page brand guidelines and they run it through AI for a summary. They propose an influencer partnership and nobody verifies beyond the media kit.

The epidemic isn’t fake news. It’s abandoned verification. We’ve outsourced our critical thinking to metrics (followers equals credibility) and to AI (summary equals comprehension).

And in luxury, this is brand suicide. Because your client paying €2,000 per night or per experience will verify. Will investigate. And when they discover your wellness expert has a certificate from a 6-week online course, how much do you think your brand equity is worth?

The global signals marketing departments must understand

China now requires professional credentials for influencers on certain topics. Implication for brands: your brand ambassadors will need real validation. B2B isn’t exempt: does your company validate the credentials of its thought leaders? For hotels, tourist destinations, and luxury lifestyle brands that depend on the Chinese market—representing 40% of global luxury travel spend—this isn’t a suggestion. It’s law.

Australia has banned social media for minors under 16. Implication: forced segmentation, changes in acquisition strategies. Brands lose access to an entire generation in formation.

Queen Letizia of Spain’s quote about how reading doesn’t just give emotional vocabulary, it gives critical thinking. Without it, your audience is vulnerable to any narrative. In luxury, you sell articulated emotion: transformative experience, curated journey. If your audience cannot process complex narratives, they cannot genuinely aspire to your product.

Three real scenarios you face today

Scenario A: The wellness influencer without credentials promises healing retreats at your resort, transformative experiences at your destination, or workshops at your lifestyle brand. They have no medical training. Someone gets sick following their advice. Your brand appears in the lawsuit. Cost: Legal plus reputational equals incalculable.

Scenario B: The family that can’t research your experience receives 47 newsletters, 200 emails, infinite ads. They use AI to summarize reviews. The AI loses the critical nuance of “exceptional service but not recommended for small children.” They arrive with wrong expectations at your carefully curated experience. Cost: Bad review plus customer service nightmare.

Scenario C: Your own team doesn’t read your brand guidelines. You create a 40-page brand book (standard in luxury). Marketing team runs it through ChatGPT for summary. They lose the nuance between understated elegance versus ostentatious luxury. They launch a campaign that contradicts brand essence. Cost: Brand dilution. And I’ve been noticing this more markedly in recent weeks at a general level—this isn’t an isolated case, it’s a growing trend.

And then there’s the other side

I currently support as fractional CMO a company in its repositioning as a wellness and longevity center. It’s not a large corporation with infinite budgets. But every cent of investment includes a non-negotiable line item: certified medical consultants and verified professionals.

Every program. Every treatment. Every claim we make in marketing.

The owner has a clear philosophy: less ribbon cutting, fewer Instagram photos, more real action. And it shows, you can breathe it in what they offer.

The result? A slower process. Meetings where doctors review every word of copy. Budgets that include verification costs that other brands spend on influencer gifting.

But here’s the bet: when regulations arrive—not if, but when—this company won’t have to change anything. While competitors enter panic mode restructuring partnerships and withdrawing claims, they’ll simply continue.

Because they built right from day one.

And in 5 years, when wellness and longevity are as regulated as pharma (which they will be), this company will be the reference. Not by accident. By strategic decision today.

This is what separates real luxury from performative luxury.

The framework for leaders: three questions you can’t avoid

When you hire a fractional CMO, you’re not just hiring marketing expertise. You’re hiring a reality filter that audits your influencer partnerships under new regulations: do your KOLs in China have mandatory credentials? Do your wellness influencers have real training? Can your food bloggers justify their health claims?

That protects your brand from fragmented information: creates brand narratives that survive AI summarization, ensures your team reads (really reads) your brand essence, implements the HBR framework adapted to luxury: monitor social resonance especially on WeChat and Xiaohongshu for Chinese market, transparency with stakeholders before crisis, activate credible allies (do you have partnerships with hospitality schools? Real certifications?).

That builds brand equity that resists misinformation: in luxury, you can’t clarify quickly on Twitter. You need deep relationships with specialized press. You need clients who understand your complete narrative (not a bullet point).

For owners of hotels, tourist destinations, and lifestyle brands: ask your marketing departments: do our influencers comply with new Chinese regulations? Do we have a crisis plan for when a partner is discredited?

For investors: the next due diligence must include: influencer credential audit, brand narrative resilience test, regulatory compliance by market.

For boards: the question isn’t how much we spend on marketing. It’s how much a preventable reputational crisis costs.

Snoop Dogg in an operating room is funny because it’s obviously false

A holistic coach without credentials giving nutritional advice at your €1,500 per night hotel, at your premium tourist destination, or at your lifestyle brand isn’t funny. It’s your next crisis. And unlike the meme, nobody’s going to laugh.

China understood this. That’s why they put regulations in place. Australia understood this. That’s why they’re protecting minors. The EU is going to understand it.

The question is: will your brand be the case study that accelerates those regulations, or will you be the one who verified before it was mandatory?

Because in luxury, being reactive isn’t an option. It’s a death sentence.

As a CMO and Strategic Advisor, I know influencers sell. I know engagement rate moves needles. I know holistic wellness is trending and generates bookings.

But I also know what I saw on the other side. The company I support—even without being a large corporation—invests every cent in verifying: certified medical consultants, professionals with real credentials, claims they can defend under regulatory scrutiny.

It’s slower. It’s more expensive in the short term. It’s infinitely more complex from a marketing perspective.

But it will be the global reference in 5 years. Not because they have more budget than international chains or major tourist destinations. Because when China, Europe, and the rest of the world implement regulations (which they will), they’ll already be in compliance.

While others rebuild from scratch—with all the reputational cost that implies—they’ll only have to say: “We always did it this way.”

That’s brand equity you can’t buy. You build it.

In 2026, selling luxury isn’t showing amenities or perfect destinations. It’s building unassailable credibility when nobody reads completely, when influencers need titles, when your best Chinese clients only trust certified KOLs.

Before launching your next campaign with that 500K follower influencer, ask yourself: do they have the credentials China now requires? Do I myself understand my brand’s complete narrative, or just the bullets?

Because in luxury, you’re not selling nights or experiences. You’re selling trust. And that doesn’t recover with a press release.

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn.

To learn more about what I do and what I offer as a fractional CMO, visit my services.

Revenue Strategy from Marketing

This is the final installment in our methodological series guiding you from strategic positioning to brand expansion in luxury hospitality, tourism, and lifestyle. Here, we focus on directly linking marketing initiatives to financial metrics to optimize profitability and ensure sustainable growth.

In luxury markets, brands often focus solely on increasing bookings or immediate visibility. However, true market leadership requires designing a strategy where every marketing action drives measurable and lasting financial results. This demands a fundamental shift in perspective: marketing must be viewed not as a support function, but as a primary revenue driver with direct accountability to bottom-line performance.

The Four Pillars of Revenue-Driven Marketing

To build a truly profitable marketing strategy in luxury hospitality, you must align your efforts around four critical financial metrics:

• Average Daily Rate (ADR): The cornerstone of luxury positioning. This isn’t simply about raising prices—it’s about attracting guest segments who recognize and willingly pay for premium value. Through strategic storytelling, exclusive positioning, and carefully curated brand experiences, marketing must communicate the unique value proposition that justifies premium rates. Every campaign, every touchpoint, every message should reinforce why your property commands higher rates than competitors.

• Profitable Occupancy: Volume without margin is vanity. The goal isn’t to fill every room every night—it’s to maximize occupancy during strategic periods with high-margin segments while preserving the exclusivity and personalized service that define luxury. This requires sophisticated segmentation, dynamic messaging, and the discipline to say no to business that dilutes brand equity or occupies space that could generate higher returns.

• Repeat Customers: Acquiring a new luxury guest costs 5-7 times more than retaining an existing one. Yet many properties invest disproportionately in acquisition while neglecting the goldmine of past guests. A revenue-focused marketing strategy prioritizes loyalty through hyper-personalized communication, exclusive member benefits, recognition programs, and curated experiences that transform one-time visitors into brand ambassadors. The lifetime value of a loyal luxury guest often exceeds the revenue from dozens of transient bookings.

• Cross-selling and Upselling: Every guest interaction represents an opportunity to increase revenue while simultaneously enhancing the experience. Strategic marketing doesn’t end at booking confirmation—it extends throughout the guest journey. Pre-arrival communications about spa packages, private dining experiences, exclusive excursions, or suite upgrades should feel like personalized recommendations, not sales pitches. When done authentically, upselling becomes a service that enriches the guest’s stay while significantly boosting per-guest revenue.

From Theory to Execution: Building the Revenue Marketing Infrastructure

Understanding these metrics is only the beginning. Transforming marketing into a true revenue engine requires three foundational elements:

1. Data Integration and Analytics: Marketing decisions must be driven by financial performance data, not assumptions or vanity metrics. This means establishing direct data pipelines between your marketing platforms, CRM, property management system, and revenue management tools. Real-time visibility into which campaigns drive the highest ADR, which channels deliver the most valuable guests, and which messaging converts browsers into bookers is essential.

2. Cross-Functional Collaboration: The days of siloed departments are over. Revenue-driven marketing requires seamless collaboration between marketing, sales, and revenue management teams—orchestrated under the strategic leadership of the General Manager. Bi-weekly or monthly revenue meetings should include marketing leadership with the GM setting the strategic direction. This alignment ensures marketing complements overall revenue optimization strategies and property-wide objectives.

3. Agile Campaign Optimization: Traditional marketing plans rigid campaigns months in advance. Revenue-driven marketing embraces agility. Budgets shift based on real-time performance data, messaging pivots on the most converting value propositions, and audience targeting is continuously refined to optimize financial returns. This requires the right technology infrastructure and a culture of rapid data-driven decision-making.

The Financial Impact: Marketing as Strategic Investment

Properly implemented, this approach transforms marketing from a cost center into a strategic investment with measurable ROI. Every dollar spent is traced to revenue generated, ADR impact, or lifetime value creation. This creates a virtuous cycle: better financial performance allows increased marketing investment, driving stronger positioning, higher rates, improved margins, and more sophisticated marketing initiatives. Brands mastering revenue-driven marketing dominate their competitive set through superior profitability and sustainable growth.

Bringing It All Together: Your Complete Strategic Framework

This final piece completes a comprehensive methodology for luxury hospitality marketing excellence. To fully leverage this approach, explore the previous steps that build the foundation for revenue-driven success:

• Step 1: Competitive Positioning Framework

• Step 2: Media Portfolio Architecture

• Step 3: Ecosystem Partnership Strategy

• Step 4: Brand Expansion Roadmap

Together, these five components provide a clear path to transforming your marketing function and positioning your luxury brand with strategic vision and tangible financial outcomes.

Ready to Transform Your Marketing into a Revenue Engine?

If you seek personalized support to implement this vision and maximize your revenue potential, discover how my Fractional Chief Marketing Officer services can help elevate your marketing into a sustained engine of growth and profitability. Let’s build a strategy where every marketing dollar drives measurable financial returns.

Learn more: CMO Services | Marian Gomez Consulting

Brand Expansion Roadmap: A Strategic Path for Growth in Luxury Hospitality, Tourism, and Lifestyle

Beyond Incremental Growth: The Vision for Expansion

Growth in luxury hospitality and lifestyle is not just about securing a few more bookings or increasing short-term revenue. True expansion requires a deliberate, strategic roadmap that identifies new geographic markets, innovative service extensions, or adjacent segments that align authentically with the brand’s core.

A well-crafted Brand Expansion Roadmap allows brands to diversify revenue streams while reinforcing their core identity and values — protecting exclusivity even as they multiply touchpoints. This balance is vital in luxury markets where brand dilution poses a real risk when expansion is poorly planned or executed.

Defining the Right Opportunities

The journey of brand expansion begins with a deep understanding of both the brand’s essence and the evolving lifestyle preferences and expectations of its target clientele. This includes assessing:

• Emerging luxury destinations or underdeveloped markets with growing affluent populations seeking bespoke experiences.

• New product or service offerings that complement existing portfolio elements and elevate the brand promise.

• Adjacent categories where the brand’s identity and operational strengths can translate into competitive advantages.

For example, a luxury resort might explore branded private residences or curated wellness retreats as natural extensions. Each must be evaluated for authentic fit, market demand, and synergies with the existing brand ecosystem.

Sequencing and Timing for Sustainable Growth

A strategic roadmap sequences expansions to optimize market impact and operational excellence. Prioritizing initiatives based on rigorous market analysis, competitor benchmarks, and internal capabilities ensures that growth is measured and scalable.

Early wins should consolidate brand authority in key segments, building momentum and financial capacity for future, potentially riskier, expansions. This staggered approach safeguards brand reputation and ensures consistent customer experience standards.

Preserving Brand Integrity and Exclusivity

Expansion in luxury demands uncompromising attention to detail and quality. Every new market entry or product line must embody the brand’s distinctiveness and exclusivity.

This requires maintaining stringent controls over partner selection, service delivery, and communications, so that every touchpoint reflects the brand’s prestige. A Brand Expansion Roadmap is also a framework for governance, helping teams align on strategic intent and execution rigor.

Leadership Perspective: Orchestrating Growth with Strategic Foresight

From the vantage point of a CMO specialized in luxury hospitality and lifestyle, the Brand Expansion Roadmap is a dynamic tool that integrates market opportunities with brand stewardship. It demands both visionary foresight and tactical discipline, continuously calibrated against evolving market trends and consumer behaviors.

This roadmap empowers leadership teams to expand with confidence, transforming the brand from a luxury destination or service into a diversified lifestyle ecosystem with enduring appeal, resilience, and profitability.

This article is part 4 of my 5-part methodology series outlining how leading luxury brands architect sustainable growth. To revisit the foundational steps, explore:

• Step 1: Competitive Positioning Framework

• Step 2: Media Portfolio Architecture

• Step 3: Ecosystem Partnership Strategy

For brands seeking strategic marketing leadership, I offer Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) services that design and lead adaptive growth ecosystems tailored to luxury hospitality, tourism, and lifestyle businesses. Discover more at: CMO Services | Marian Gomez Consulting.

A strategic Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) designs and leads growth ecosystems, continuously adapting strategy to market dynamics and business goals. For luxury hospitality, tourism, and lifestyle brands, this leadership is essential to rise above the noise and build long-term value.

For deeper insights and practical case studies on transforming your marketing strategy, explore my blog with advanced hospitality and tourism marketing approaches:
Explore Hospitality & Tourism Marketing Strategies

This is part 4 of my 5-part methodology series. Next week, don’t miss the final installment: 5. Revenue Strategy from Marketing, where we link marketing initiatives directly to financial performance metrics to optimize profitability.