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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Hotel Marketing Manager

💰 $75,000 - $125,000

MarketingHospitalityManagementBrand Management

🎯 Role Definition

At the heart of a hotel's commercial success, the Hotel Marketing Manager is the chief storyteller and strategic architect of the property's brand identity. This role transcends traditional advertising; it's about crafting a compelling and cohesive narrative that resonates with target audiences, builds lasting guest loyalty, and directly drives profitable revenue through all channels. The Hotel Marketing Manager champions the brand, navigates the digital landscape, and collaborates across departments to ensure the hotel's positioning is powerful, consistent, and commercially effective. This individual is a blend of creative visionary, data-driven analyst, and savvy business leader, ultimately responsible for putting "heads in beds" and enhancing the hotel's reputation in the market.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Marketing or Communications Coordinator (Hotel or Corporate)
  • Digital Marketing Specialist
  • Senior Marketing Executive

Advancement To:

  • Director of Marketing / Director of Marketing & Communications
  • Area or Regional Director of Marketing
  • Director of Sales & Marketing

Lateral Moves:

  • Director of Revenue Management
  • Director of Sales
  • Brand Manager (Corporate Level)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Architect and deploy a comprehensive, data-driven annual marketing plan that directly supports the hotel's revenue, occupancy, and RevPAR goals.
  • Develop, own, and meticulously manage the marketing budget, ensuring optimal allocation of funds and demonstrating clear ROI on all expenditures.
  • Spearhead the hotel’s complete digital marketing ecosystem, including SEO/SEM, email marketing, social media, and display advertising campaigns to drive direct bookings and reduce OTA dependency.
  • Curate and manage the hotel's brand presence and voice across all platforms, ensuring unwavering consistency in messaging, visuals, and tone.
  • Lead the creation and execution of innovative promotional campaigns, seasonal packages, and tactical offers designed to stimulate demand during need periods.
  • Oversee the entire social media strategy, from content creation and calendar management to community engagement and influencer collaborations, fostering a vibrant and loyal online following.
  • Direct the development of all marketing collateral, including digital and print brochures, in-room materials, sales presentations, and F&B menus, ensuring they are on-brand and compelling.
  • Conduct continuous market research and in-depth competitor analysis to identify emerging trends, market opportunities, and potential threats to inform strategic pivots.
  • Act as the primary liaison with public relations agencies, media partners, and key influencers to secure positive press coverage and amplify the hotel's story.
  • Manage the hotel's online reputation across all review sites (e.g., TripAdvisor, Google, Yelp) and social channels, implementing strategies to encourage positive reviews and professionally address feedback.
  • Drive the content strategy for the hotel's website, ensuring it is visually stunning, user-friendly, SEO-optimized, and conversion-focused.
  • Collaborate intimately with the Director of Sales and Director of Revenue Management to ensure marketing strategies are fully aligned with sales objectives and pricing strategies.
  • Formulate and execute distinct marketing plans for ancillary revenue streams, including food and beverage outlets, spa services, meetings, and events.
  • Analyze and report on the performance of all marketing campaigns, using key metrics (e.g., CPL, CPA, ROAS, website traffic, conversion rates) to provide actionable insights to senior leadership.
  • Lead and manage all property-level photoshoots and video production to create a rich library of high-quality, on-brand assets for multi-channel use.
  • Manage the customer relationship management (CRM) system, leveraging guest data to execute personalized email marketing campaigns that drive loyalty and repeat business.
  • Identify, negotiate, and cultivate strategic local partnerships and sponsorships that enhance brand visibility and create unique guest experiences.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop junior marketing team members, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Oversee paid media strategies, managing agency relationships or executing in-house campaigns across platforms like Google Ads, Meta, and LinkedIn to target specific customer segments.
  • Stay at the forefront of hospitality and digital marketing innovations, tools, and best practices, acting as the resident expert and championing new initiatives.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide ad-hoc marketing support for other departments, such as creating collateral for Sales missions or developing internal communications campaigns for HR.
  • Contribute to the strategic planning process for the hotel, providing market insights and consumer trends to inform long-term business goals.
  • Collaborate with the operations team to ensure the on-property guest experience consistently delivers on the brand promise established by marketing efforts.
  • Participate in industry events, trade shows, and networking functions to represent the hotel and build professional connections.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Digital Marketing & SEO/SEM: Proven expertise in managing organic and paid search, display advertising, and optimizing web presence for search engines.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Strong ability to interpret marketing data, analyze campaign results using platforms like Google Analytics, and translate insights into strategy.
  • CRM & Email Marketing: Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Revinate, Salesforce) and email marketing automation tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor).
  • Budget Management: Experience in developing, managing, and reporting on a significant marketing budget with a focus on ROI.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): Hands-on experience managing and updating hotel websites using systems like WordPress or other proprietary platforms.
  • Social Media Management: Mastery of native social media platforms and professional tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Hootsuite) for scheduling, monitoring, and reporting.
  • Public Relations (PR) Management: Skill in writing press releases, managing media relationships, and handling press inquiries.
  • Copywriting & Content Creation: Exceptional writing skills with the ability to craft compelling, on-brand copy for various channels, from website content to social media captions.
  • Project Management: Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, from campaign launches to website redesigns, on time and within budget.
  • Vendor & Agency Management: Experience selecting, negotiating with, and managing relationships with external agencies, freelancers, and technology vendors.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Thinking: The ability to see the big picture, anticipate future trends, and build long-term plans that align with business objectives.
  • Leadership & Influence: Inspiring and guiding a team while effectively collaborating with and influencing peers and senior leadership.
  • Communication & Presentation: Articulate, persuasive communication skills, with the confidence to present strategies and results to diverse audiences.
  • Creativity & Innovation: A flair for generating fresh ideas that cut through the noise and capture the imagination of potential guests.
  • Commercial Acumen: A deep understanding of the business of hotels, including revenue management principles and P&L statements.
  • Adaptability: Thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and quickly pivoting strategies in response to market changes.
  • Interpersonal Skills: Building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with team members, colleagues, partners, and media.
  • Negotiation: Securing favorable terms with vendors, media partners, and influencers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s Degree (MBA or Master's in Marketing/Communications)

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing or Communications
  • Hospitality Management
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-8 years of progressive marketing experience, with a significant portion within the hospitality industry.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a 4 or 5-star hotel or resort environment is highly desirable.
  • A proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing campaigns that resulted in measurable revenue growth and increased market share.
  • Experience managing a team and a substantial marketing budget.
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