Think Like a Marketer — Leora Halpern Lanz

Leora Lanz is globally recognised as a hospitality marketing strategist and author. She is one of the industry’s influential leaders and educators. Currently, she is Associate Professor of the Practice at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, where she teaches experiential and digital marketing alongside leading her own consultancy, LHL Communications. Previously, as Global Director of Marketing and Communications at HVS, Leora held senior roles at ITT Sheraton and the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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VS: I’d like to start with how you got into hospitality.

LL: I actually started in hospitality in high school, although I didn’t realise it at the time. Looking back recently, I reflected on the fact that my summer jobs in high school were in hospitality. A lot of people think of restaurants and hotels as temporary work, but I like to tell them you can make a wonderful career from it, too. In college, where I studied broadcast journalism, there was one professor and one hotel marketing class that completely changed my trajectory. From there, things evolved naturally.

VS: Were you ever tempted to work front of house? I’ve always felt people who experience both front and back of house have a better understanding of guests.

LL: Absolutely. During college, I worked in a restaurant on campus. I was a server, a busser, a runner, an expediter in the kitchen, and I also worked inventory in the stockroom.

That gave me my first real understanding of guest interaction and teamwork. Later, when I worked with Sheraton Hotels in New York for nearly nine years, although my role was in marketing, I was based on property and deeply involved operationally. We attended operations meetings, helped at the front desk, worked with housekeeping when needed, and even took turns as manager on duty. I’m grateful for those experiences because they gave me a full perspective of how hospitality works together. And honestly, I believe everyone should work in a restaurant at some point. It humbles you and teaches you how to work with people.

VS: Hospitality is often described as a feeling rather than a product. How should marketers communicate something so intangible?

LL: Hospitality is a philosophy, a mindset, and a business differentiator.

Every business should have hospitality, not just hotels and restaurants. Banks, retailers, insurance companies, engineering firms, mechanics, every company benefits from hospitality because it separates them from the crowd.

VS: You’re also a published author. Your first book, Developing Your Marketing Mindset, came out in 2025, and your next book, Marketing Mindset in Motion, is due in 2026. You talk a lot about developing a marketing mindset. What does that actually look like in the day-to-day running of a hotel or resort?

LL: I originally wrote Developing Your Marketing Mindset: Real World Lessons from Hospitality to celebrate ten years of teaching, which itself was never part of my original plan.

The book focuses on critical thinking, strategic thinking, and injecting hospitality into everything you do. A lot of people say, “I’m not a marketer.” But I genuinely believe everyone should have a marketing mindset. Whether marketing is in your title or not, you need to think critically and strategically, especially if you’re leading a business.

VS: I meet many hotel owners and general managers who say exactly that: “I’m not a marketer.” What advice would you give them, apart from buying your book?

LL: You don’t necessarily need to execute marketing yourself, but you should know how to think like a marketer. That means understanding strategy, asking the right questions, thinking creatively, and learning from examples across industries. At the very least, leaders need enough marketing awareness to understand what success should look like.

VS: Many hotel leaders today are increasingly data-driven rather than hospitality-driven. How do they balance data with authenticity?

LL: We absolutely have to be business-minded because if we don’t make a profit, there’s no hotel or restaurant to run. Every initiative should start with a clear understanding of success metrics. What are we trying to accomplish? How are we measuring success?

Without that, we’re simply doing activities without direction.

VS: What lessons do hoteliers underestimate when it comes to storytelling and brand purpose?

LL: I think many people underestimate social media and influencer marketing because they question if it converts into business. But today, that’s how many travellers, especially Gen Z and millennials, gather information. The important thing is understanding your objective first. What are you trying to achieve? Awareness? Conversion? Brand positioning? Once you understand that, you can decide which channels make sense.

VS: In the era of social media, influencers, and AI, what matters most in building trust with guests?

LL: Relationships. Consistent service delivery across every touchpoint builds trust.

In my upcoming book, Marketing Mindset in Motion, I describe modern marketing as less of a funnel and more like a pinball machine. People receive information from countless directions now. That means brands must ensure consistency everywhere. But ultimately, hospitality is still about people. Guests remember the people they meet far more than the technology. And we need to hire well. You can train technical skills, but genuine warmth and care are harder to teach.

VS: Where do you think hospitality will be in five years?

LL: I’m not sure anyone truly knows anymore because change is happening so quickly. AI will evolve, just as social media evolved, OTAs evolved, and Airbnb evolved. Every disruption changes form over time. The important thing is staying adaptable and learning continuously.