Led marketing strategy for five independent hotels in Old Town Key West following a transition from Kimpton Hotels, anchored by authentic storytelling and market differentiation.
Across the five‑hotel Key West Historic Inns collection, I developed distinct identities for each property—defining unique personalities, visual cues, experiences, and selling points that highlighted what made every Inn stand out. This included individualized offers, dedicated paid media campaigns, and redesigned websites including a homepage with a Key West Map and refreshed individual Inn landing pages. Each Inn also had its own booking engine, OTA listings, and asset library of lifestyle, drone and virtual tour shoots, managed by myself as the Area Director of Marketing.
I repositioned the broader portfolio around narratives rooted in the Inns’ deep history and the collection’s signature “bed & breakfast” style service, where guests genuinely connect with the Innkeepers who welcome them. This people‑first, narrative‑led approach created market differentiation while strengthening brand loyalty and the collection’s shared sense of place.
Brand Repositioning
Innkeeper Insights Social Media Series
Hired and managed social media agency and created campaigns including professionally produced Innkeeper interviews driving 825K+ Instagram views. Other initiatives included a Local Gem Series showcasing first-hand iPhone content of unique Key West experiences, curated Instagram highlights for each property, and a “Streetside Artisan” series featuring the stories of artistic vendors on Duval Street.
Digital Marketing
With my comprehensive website rebuild, we increased website visits 52% YoY, maintained a monthly shop rate of 43%+ and monthly booking engine entrance rate of 25%+.
Oversaw digital marketing agency and strategy, and launched paid media program for all five hotels showcasing individual experiences (Google/Bing Search, Performance Max, Metasearch, Paid Social), generating $2.3M+ in room revenue and 14:1 ROI.
I believe success happens when commercial services teams operate as one. I partnered closely and often with revenue‑driving property leaders to shape compelling offers and translate them into marketing that moves the needle.
Impacting the Bottom Line
All-Innclusive Package
Created an “All-Innclusive” package offered at all five properties with inclusions like bike rentals, exclusive food and beverage discounts, waived pet fees, late check-out and more, ensuring a seamless stay so guests can focus more on exploring eclectic Key West. This positioning enabled us to compete effectively with the all‑inclusive resorts farther up the Florida Keys.
The comprehensive marketing campaign launched in the middle of December and ran until April, resulting in moving share from OTA to direct and saw an overall production of more than 4K room nights and $2M with a strong ADR above $500.
Giving Tuesday: Innkeeper Donation
Timed to capitalize on peak Black Friday and Cyber Monday demand, we broke through a crowded promotional landscape by launching a differentiated Giving Tuesday offer that paired a compelling room discount with a donation from our Innkeepers to Davidson Hospitality Group’s nonprofit partner, Give Kids the World.
The offer became our top‑performing package of the year—generating $400K+ in production and more than 900 room nights in just four weeks. It strengthened base business during critical Q1 need periods and fully achieved the hotel’s annual fundraising goals. The supporting marketing campaign combined teaser content followed by targeted ads, with Google campaigns delivering a 52:1 ROAS and an 18% interaction rate, while social ads achieved a nearly 8% CTR at a $0.10 CPC.
Email Marketing Revenue Growth
Rebuilt the full suite of transactional emails across all five hotels—from confirmations, modifications, and cancellations to a pre‑arrival informational message featuring insider tips and an upsell program, as well as post‑stay follow‑ups with exclusive Innkeeper offers.
Developed and deployed proactive e‑blasts ranging from sales promotions to a monthly newsletter dubbed The Inn Side Story which highlights deals, property news, local recommendations, and concierge‑curated tips. Collectively, the proactive marketing emails generated more than $1.2M+ in lifetime revenue and achieved an average open rate of 35%.
Partnership Spotlight
Books & Books Nook
To deepen the sense of place across the Key West Historic Inns, I introduced the Books & Books Nook—a dedicated suite at Ridley House featuring a library curated in partnership with Judy Blume’s iconic Books & Books at The Studios of Key West. Designed as a cozy, discovery‑driven space, it showcases Florida authors, island history, locally inspired reads, and pool‑friendly novels. Guests who book the suite enjoy added perks such as bookstore discounts, private shopping appointments, and preferred seating at events and signings. A lobby library extends the experience to all Ridley House guests, while the broader partnership included hosting agreements for visiting authors and on‑property author meet-and-greets. This program elevated the guest experience, encouraged on‑property participation, and strengthened the brand’s connection to Key West’s creative culture.
The refreshed room category drove $95K in six months, 80% more than the prior year and our Instagram reel interviewing Judy Blume was our best performing ever.
