How smart personalization wins loyalty
September 10, 2025
In this latest episode of Hotel Moment, we explore the balance between helpful personalization and invasive marketing. With 40% of US consumers expecting personalized experiences, discover how to segment guests effectively while respecting privacy. You also learn why clean data is essential for segmentation, how cultural targeting secured 200+ room nights for The Datai Langkawi, and why using three segment filters generates 2.6 times more revenue than two.
In this insightful episode of Hotel Moment, Brenna Turpin, Marketing Coordinator at Revinate, addresses a critical question facing modern hoteliers: How do you personalize guest experiences without being creepy? With consumer expectations for personalization rising globally, hotels must navigate the delicate balance between helpful customization and privacy invasion.
What you'll learn:
- Why 40% of US consumers expect personalized online experiences and how this translates to hospitality
- The difference between personalization that violates guest privacy and personalization that offers value and enhances the guest experience
- How clean data becomes the foundation for effective guest segmentation strategies
- Why 81% of hoteliers use personalization to lift revenue and 57% report higher guest satisfaction
- The critical role of breaking down data silos to create unified guest profiles
- How using three segment filters instead of two can generate 2.6 times more revenue
- Real-world examples: The Datai Langkawi's Ramadan campaign (200+ room nights) and La Jolla Shores' urgency campaign (279 room nights)
- Practical strategies for segmenting guests across multiple channels and touchpoints
- How AI can enhance segmentation without replacing human interaction in hospitality
Learn why Matthijs Welle emphasizes that "in a time of AI, people expect real personalization" and discover how to use guest data responsibly to create marketing that feels personal rather than invasive.
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Episode Highlights:
[00:38] The personalization paradox - Brenna explores why personalization feels creepy when privacy is violated but welcomed when done respectfully. With 80% of consumers globally comfortable with personalized experiences, the key is collecting data with consent and using it to enhance rather than spam guest communications.
[02:08] Clean data drives segmentation - Matthijs Welle from Mews explains how cleaned guest profile data enables relevant communication: "In a time of AI, people expect real personalization. The email that I get in my inbox should speak to me and what my needs are and contact me at the right time."
[05:02] The revenue impact of granular data - Adam Mogelonsky emphasizes the importance of high-caliber data: "When you want to do any sort of one-to-one marketing... if all you know about them is their email and first and last name, it's going to prevent you from doing that deep dive on what are the emotional drivers behind why a guest is booking with you."
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Creepy vs. valuable personalization
02:08 - Clean data enables better segmentation
03:35 - Segmentation strategies across channels
05:02 - The revenue impact of granular data
06:40 - Real-world segmentation success stories
07:30 - Direct Booking Mastery Certification overview
00:38 - Creepy vs. valuable personalization
02:08 - Clean data enables better segmentation
03:35 - Segmentation strategies across channels
05:02 - The revenue impact of granular data
06:40 - Real-world segmentation success stories
07:30 - Direct Booking Mastery Certification overview
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.
Hotel Moment Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include: Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Patrick Norton of Brittain Resorts & Hotels, Shawn Jereb of Montage International, Carlo Del Mistro, Chief Digital Officer of Ennismore, Jason Pirock of Springboard Hospitality, and many more.
Are you a hospitality industry leader with insights to share? We're always looking for innovative voices to join our conversation about the future of hospitality technology.
If you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of Hotel Moment, we'd love to hear from you! Our podcast reaches thousands of hospitality professionals worldwide, and we're particularly interested in perspectives on:
- Innovation in hospitality technology
- Guest experience transformation
- Revenue optimization strategies
- Emerging industry trends
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