Overcoming Industry Odds: Revolutionizing Hospitality Through Innovative Guest Experience Strategies
In the realm of hospitality, Sonesta Hotels & Resorts is stepping out of the shadows and making a bold move to redefine comfort. No longer content to blend in with the large hotel chains, they're repositioning themselves as a wellness-Infused haven, rooted in authenticity, discovery, and joy.
The mastermind behind this transformation is Elizabeth Harlow, Sonesta's Chief Brand Officer, who joined the company during a period of unprecedented growth. With Sonesta growing from 60 hotels to over 1,100 almost overnight, clarity became a challenge that many brands face and often fail to overcome.
"They were brands in name only," Harlow said. "No one could tell you the brand promise for each, who the target guest was, or what made us special."
That problem is now a thing of the past.
Crafting a Brand Promise for Modern Travelers
In a world where wellness is a booming industry and travelers seek more than just thread count and Wi-Fi, Sonesta has anchored its repositioning in consumer research and cultural relevance. The results? Three core pillars: self-care, discovery, and fun, all anchored by a simple brand promise: "a space to reconnect."
"We found that about 60% of U.S. travelers say wellness is a lifestyle priority," Harlow shared, "and 16% say they'll make hotel decisions based on well-being amenities. So we saw that as an opportunity."
However, Harlow also highlighted a more nuanced insight: coming out of the pandemic, people didn't just want mindfulness. They craved fun. "There was this craving for joy," she said. "So we baked that into our brand DNA."
This isn't a luxury wellness retreat à la Canyon Ranch. Instead, Sonesta sits comfortably in the upscale segment, competing with Hilton and Marriott, but with a refreshing human-centric twist.
"We're not trying to be a wellness brand per se," she explained. "We're offering affordable, differentiated ways to unwind, to be present. It's our own unique spin."
A Brand Tied to Emotional Utility, Not Buzzwords
From a marketing perspective, the strategy Sonesta is employing is effective. As Harlow noted, "Brands grow when they move from being useful to being meaningful." In one pilot hotel in Fort Lauderdale, a simple affirmation poster placed inside an elevator led to an unscripted guest reaction that struck a chord.
"They stepped back, looked at the poster and said, 'Wow, I love how mindful this hotel is,'" Harlow recalled. "That was the biggest kind of reward."
Experience-Led Loyalty and the Sonesta Shift
Sonesta is banking big on its Travel Pass loyalty program. Instead of mimicking competitors' points mechanics, they're embedding experiences that money can't buy.
"It's those kinds of partnerships we're always searching for," Harlow explained. "We want to offer access our Travel Pass members won't get anywhere else."
The brand's collaboration with Rolling Stone Magazine is a prime example. The program, titled Musicians on Musicians, features intimate performances and conversations between emerging and established artists.
"Last year in Chicago, we launched with Common and NoName," said Harlow. "It was amazing. We had this impromptu performance, and Common actually called us out in his freestyle."
These events create what she calls "money-can't-buy experiences" and elevate brand loyalty from transactional to emotional.
Local Flavor with Strategic Precision
Sonesta's brand architecture includes 15 brands, with Royal Sonesta focusing heavily on local individuality.
"In Chicago, we had two local artists for our Rolling Stone event. In New Orleans, it's the same-local musicians. It's all about tying back to the city," Harlow said.
Though Sonesta Hotels & Resorts doesn't prioritize local activation to the same degree, they're open to location-specific touches.
"It could be a local yoga studio, a bookshop, a walk our front desk agent recommends," Harlow noted. "Unwinding looks different for everyone."
Catering to the Needs of Next Gen Travelers
In branding, loyalty doesn't come from points. It comes from purpose.
According to David Rosenberg, EVP of SSA Ventures, "We're seeing a powerful shift among the next generation of travelers - they're choosing destinations that reflect their personal values, especially around sustainability and conservation."
Sonesta is proving that thoughtful, affordable, and accessible hospitality can offer moments of calm in a chaotic world-and do it at scale.
"Every hotel has a bed and a pillow," Harlow told me with a smile. "That's not what makes you remember a stay."
She's right. You remember how a place made you feel.
And Sonesta, with its pillars of self-care, discovery, and fun, just might become the brand you didn't know you needed.
Sonesta Hotels & Resorts has established its brand promise as a space for reconnection, focusing on wellness, self-care, discovery, and fun. This promise is anchored in consumer research and cultural relevance, catering to modern travelers who prioritize wellness and seek more than just comfort during their travels. The brand's Travel Pass loyalty program also offers unique, money-can't-buy experiences, such as intimate performances with Rolling Stone Magazine, to foster emotional loyalty among its customers. In their rebranding efforts, Sonesta aims to differentiate itself from competitors by offering affordable, human-centric means to unwind, integrating local flavors into their properties while providing a consistent focus on self-care, discovery, and fun.
