Job Description

Senior Marketing Manager - Independent Lifestyle Hotels

Reports to: Director of Marketing

Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking an experience, creative, and commercially driven Senior Marketing Manager to champion brand storytelling, guest acquisition, and integrated marketing strategy across a curated portfolio of independent lifestyle and boutique hotels.

Independent lifestyle properties succeed on authentic narrative, hyper-local integration, distinct food and beverage programming, and experiential design. In this role, you will act as the brand guardian and growth strategist for each unique asset, collaborating directly with Hotel General Managers, Property Leadership, Corporate Operations, and Revenue Management. You will translate revenue and RevPAR goals into tailored, multi-channel campaigns, partnering with internal Creative and Project Management teams, PR agencies, and local cultural partners to drive direct-booking share and brand equity.

Key Directives & Strategic Priorities

• Property Marketing Plans: Formulate and execute annual, property-specific marketing roadmaps driven by distinct guest personas (leisure, creative/business travelers, weddings, and local F&B patrons) and market seasonality.
• Experiential Brand & Placemaking: Define and protect individual property narratives, ensuring room packages, culinary/cocktail offerings, seasonal pop-ups, artist residencies, and wellness events align with each hotel’s lifestyle ethos.
• Transition & Launch Strategy: Oversee go-to-market strategies for hotel takeovers, ground-up openings, and major repositionings (brand identity rollout, photo/video production, collateral, website launches, and media previews).
• Owner & Stakeholder Engagement: Present seasonal marketing strategies, budget allocations, and performance attribution directly to property owners, asset managers, and executive leadership.

Core Responsibilities

• Multi-Channel Campaign Execution: Direct and optimize integrated campaigns across paid social, search, targeted programmatic, email marketing, and influencer/content creator partnerships to elevate direct-booking pace and minimize OTA dependency.
• F&B & Lifestyle Programming Integration: Partner with property F&B and event teams to market on-site restaurants, rooftop lounges, and experiential venues to both hotel guests and the local Charleston and regional communities.
• Commercial Collaboration: Work hand-in-hand with Revenue Management to track pick-up pace, identify soft periods, and deploy agile digital strategies and targeted package offers.
• Cross-Functional & Vendor Management: Direct internal creative resources (design, copywriting, digital media) and external PR, social media, and digital performance agencies to ensure deliverables hit milestones and adhere to strict brand aesthetics.
• Performance Measurement & Attribution: Analyze and deliver monthly KPI reports covering website conversion rates, direct revenue share, ROAS, guest acquisition cost (GAC), email revenue, and earned media value.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Hospitality Management, or a related discipline.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 6 years in multi-channel marketing and brand management.
• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on marketing experience dedicated to the hospitality industry, with demonstrated experience in independent, lifestyle, or boutique hotel environments.
• Technical Skills:
• Proficiency in digital tools and platforms: Google Analytics 4, Meta Ads Manager, CMS platforms (e.g, WordPress, Webflow), and hospitality CRM/guest marketing systems (e.g., Revinate, Cendyn).
• Working knowledge of hospitality tech stacks: PMS, CRS, booking engines, and restaurant POS systems (e.g., Toast, OpenTable, Resy).
• Paid Media & Analytics experience is mandatory.
• Creative & Brand Sensibility: Aesthetic judgment and visual standards; skilled at curating photo/video shoots, reviewing art direction, and upholding tone of voice across high-design touchpoints.
• Stakeholder Management: Confident executive presence with a demonstrated ability to articulate marketing ROI and strategic visions to hotel ownership and GMs.