Main objective: Hift the focus away from hotel guests (that was other's people task) and instead engage the local community, which primarily consisted of American and Canadian residents around the hotel are. That said, as a proud Mexican, I naturally made sure not to leave my Mexicans out of the picture. 😎
[🎵 Soundtrack for this section:
Beach by Wolf Alice 🎵]
Emailing Strategy
On my first week, I was handed a “VIP” database with 50,000 contacts… that hadn’t been updated in years. It was overwhelming, especially since my goal was to target REAL, engaged clients for the hotel’s restaurants and spa. So, I built a simple but effective strategy to clean the list, boost engagement, and improve the guest experience.
This may sound very low-key in terms of digitality, but the concierge team was my biggest ally. They were the ones who actually knew the real local VIPs and helped me reconnect with them. As I said before, there was no fancy CRM (Marriott wasn’t ready to invest in one—at least that’s what I was told), so I had to get creative.
And you know what? Somehow, I enjoyed the process of creating a community without fully relying on any digital smart tool (this was like a year before the big AI reality, btw). This allowed me to make really nice contacts—even for my own life—and I think that’s what’s precious about not depending entirely on the digital world. Ok, I’m rambling now. Let’s continue.
I focused on building real connections and making sure the right people received the right offers, in a way that felt true to the brand. The secret weapon most hotels overlook? Actually replying to feedback, emails, and phone calls WITH GENUINE CURIOSITY—and following up properly.
I mean, think about your experiences with hotels and restaurants: which ones stick with you the most? YES, the ones that showed genuine interest, right? Thanks to not having everything handed to me through digital tools, I reconnected with this value again: GENUINE CARE FOR OTHERS.
In the end, it worked. And it proved that strategy and a personal touch go a long way.
Simple steps that changed the game
👉🏻 Creating personalized onboarding flow using automated emails tailored to each lead’s interests, based on a form I designed to capture key demographic details.
This not only boosted engagement but made the experience feel more thoughtful and aligned with the brand.
👉🏻 Getting Marriott’s internal tools properly set up, for the first time in who knows how long. It wasn’t easy. There was constant back-and-forth with their international team, and I had no one locally to guide me. But it mattered.
I saw an opportunity to raise the quality of our output. So I pushed for better design—clear briefs, professional creatives (that ironically I worked with before as their Project Manager in that agency), and a process that respected everyone’s time and talent.
Working in-house gave me a deeper understanding of how things really operate behind the scenes.
It reminded me that even small, intentional changes can create meaningful impact.
I wish I could show you exactly how the emails looked once they landed in people’s inboxes, but the test emails aren't available anymore (probably cause they didn't continue using and updating the internal coorporative tool for emailing 🥲) Still, these are some of the designs that gave the newsletter a fresh, visually engaging feel for our local audience.
And yes, clients definitely noticed! The clients I wanted to attract definetely knew the quallity finally has changed.
Events
"Momijigari" was one of the most successful events during that year, and I take great pride in the creative concept and PR strategy I developed for Mikado, the Japanese restaurant at Marriott.
To boost visibility and attract more clients during Mikado’s low season, we launched "Momijigari", a Japanese tradition that celebrates the beauty of autumn.
I led the PR strategy and design, securing Tier 1 media coverage and increasing bookings through OpenTable and concierge channels.
Positive reviews were key. By working closely with the serving team and implementing an incentive program, we kept morale high and improved our rankings on TripAdvisor and OpenTable.
And after several rounds of creative back-and-forth, my designer brought my vision to life, delivering one of the most beautiful designs Marriott PV had seen in years (their words, not mine 😜).
Marriott Bonvoy Program F&B Campaign
"Dine. Earn. Redeem. In a New Way.”was a new proposal, which sought to incorporate into the existing Marriott Bonvoy Program the ability to earn and redeem points as a member. This would apply every time guests consume at participating Marriott restaurants and bars in Mexico, even when they aren't staying at the hotels.
I helped launch and manage the loyalty program campaign across the six restaurants and worked with the design team to update the branding and created all the content for emailing, social media, and campaign materials.
To support the operations team, I also created a clear guide to help them promote the program.
👉🏻 This is one of the biggest pain points in hospitality: The operation team is another whole world just as marketing would be for them. Not giving them a translated introduction to basically any marketing goal was the most common communication deficit that most hotels, even the most premium ones, haven't integrate at all...so this was HUGE to me.
In just five months, we became the top resort in Latin America for new Marriott Bonvoy sign-ups, going beyond our targets and growing our local customer list! And believe me, this wasn't only because of our marketing efforts. This was in general thanks to the operations team who had the humbleness to see their service to others with a new awareness.
Gallery
I collaborated with my design team to create these visuals, adding a asthetic yet professional touch to the hotel’s interior while encouraging visits to the restaurants and spa. They were printed in high quality and mounted on the walls for a clean, lasting finish.