Navigating the luxury hospitality marketing space with Kim Castro

In this interview, Kim Castro, the Cluster Director of Marketing Communications at Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Qatar, dives into digital marketing within the luxury hospitality sector with Seamless Xtra’s Carolina Lubinus.

Kim sheds light on the transformative power of digital channels as well as the future of marketing in this ever-evolving landscape. Among her insights, she discusses leveraging digital technology to bring about personalised interactions, foster brand loyalty, and stay ahead of the curve in an era where creativity meets cutting-edge innovation.

 

How has digital marketing transformed the landscape of marketing communications for luxury hotels, and what unique challenges and opportunities does it present?

Digital marketing has revolutionised how luxury hotels connect with their guests. Today, we have the ability to showcase our properties to a global audience with captivating visuals, and personalise our communication to make each guest feel truly understood – it’s incredibly powerful!

Perhaps even more exciting, digital marketing creates channels for meaningful interaction with our guests. Whether it’s through reviews highlighting our strengths or booking engines where we can promptly address concerns, these connections are invaluable. Meanwhile, social media gives us the space to cultivate a community of passionate guests who recommend us to others, fostering incredible excitement and loyalty.

However, the digital landscape is a double-edged sword as it is becoming increasingly saturated with many hotels competing for attention. To truly stand out, we need to go beyond simply pleasing visuals and craft a unique narrative that resonates with our audience. Pair that with laser-focused marketing, this is how we’ll inspire those dreamers to confidently choose us for their next getaway.

Dusit Hotels and Resorts have a strong focus on providing exceptional guest experiences. How do you use digital channels to enhance the guest journey and foster brand loyalty?

Dusit Hotels & Resorts always strive to harness the power of digital channels to better serve our guests worldwide. We see our website, Dusit.com, as a key part of the journey, so we’re constantly improving its usability and ensuring it provides a beautiful first impression of our properties. Our goal is to make browsing easy, inspire travelers with stunning, lifestyle-driven imagery, and make the booking process effortless. We also aim to tell the complete story of each location, from the luxurious rooms to the unique dining experiences and local highlights – everything that makes a stay special.

At Dusit, we use digital technology to add convenience and personalisation to every stage of the guest journey. For example, in our Doha properties, in-room tablets streamline interactions for guests, letting them explore hotel happenings, order room service, or make restaurant reservations at their fingertips. It’s about convenience and creating a seamlessly enjoyable experience.

After a guest departs, we actively encourage reviews on various platforms like TripAdvisor or Google. It’s crucial for us to address all feedback with care, whether it’s highlighting what we do well or learning how we can improve. We also love when guests share their stays on social media – it builds a sense of community, and we actively engage to make everyone feel valued. Our loyalty program, Dusit Gold, takes it further, rewarding frequent guests with exclusive benefits and offers to inspire them to visit us again and again.

Looking ahead, what do you envision as the future trends and innovations in digital marketing for luxury hotels and resorts, and how do you plan to adapt and stay ahead of the curve?

It’s easy to get caught up in chasing the latest shiny thing. My philosophy is simple: any new technology, whether it’s a hot trend or the next big thing, has to serve a real purpose for the company. It needs to either fix a problem we have or create something new. And most importantly, it always needs to align with who we are as a brand.

Right now, we’re seeing AI explode onto the scene. It’s honestly a bit mind-blowing to think about how it might change the way we do marketing. We’ve already started dabbling with small projects, and it’s made our workflows way smoother.

But here’s where I get really passionate: AI can be an incredible tool, but we can’t let it replace actual creativity! I like to think of it as a way to bust through those moments when your brain freezes up — “creative unblocker” as I like to call it. It can spark ideas, solve the small tedious problems, and let us focus on the big-picture storytelling, but it is not a tool to spoon-feed us with material. The possibilities for hyper-personalisation, dynamic content, and guest communication are for sure exciting.

Another one is interactive storytelling, which has always been my focus since my early days in hospitality marketing. It’s about inviting guests to join the conversation, not just passively watching a sales pitch. The technology we have today makes that so much more exciting – think interactive content, campaigns where guests are key contributors, even augmented reality experiences. It’s all evolving so fast!

Moreover, I’m fascinated by the evolving metaverse and how it could be relevant to luxury hotels. While still in its formative stages, it’s certainly an area to watch as other luxury brands begin to explore its potential.

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Kim Castro is a dynamic force in hospitality marketing, currently leading as the Cluster Director of Marketing Communications for Dusit Doha Hotel and Dusit Hotel & Suites – Doha. With 7 years of expertise in 360-degree hospitality marketing, specialising in digital, social media, and crafting compelling content, Kim has a proven track record of driving impactful campaigns that align with business goals.