The Power of Brand Partnerships in Luxury Hospitality

By Josh Abbott, Group Account and Marketing Director at The Azalea Group, Former Director of Marketing, Foxhills Club & Resort | HMA Committee Member

In an increasingly competitive hospitality landscape, luxury hotels are under pressure to deliver not just exceptional service, but memorable, distinctive experiences that resonate long after a guest checks out. One of the most effective ways to achieve this, while simultaneously elevating brand positioning, improving operational value and extending marketing reach, is through strategic brand partnerships.

I’ve seen first-hand how the right partnership can transform both guest experience and business performance, having spent more than a decade in luxury hospitality, marketing and PR & representing everything from world-leading golf resorts to premium lifestyle brands. At Foxhills, our strategy around partnerships was that they are not treated as seasonal add-ons or gimmicks but strategic decisions rooted in brand identity and long-term value.

Below, I outline the framework I presented at the National Hotel Marketing Conference 2025: an approach that luxury hotels can use to attract, assess, activate and evaluate partnerships more effectively.

1.       Start with Identity: Attract Partnerships through Clear Brand Positioning

The strongest partnerships begin with absolute clarity about who you are and, just as importantly, who you are not. If you’re not sure who you are as a brand, it’s very hard to attract the right partner.

Understand your hotel's unique value proposition and target audience. What values define you and which audience are you speaking to? Think who else is speaking to them?

A strong brand identity attracts like-minded brands. Think of partnerships as matchmaking. It only works when there's alignment on both sides. Partners want to be associated with brands that reflect well on them too.

Luxury hotel brands must be deeply aware of their value proposition and target audience. At Foxhills, our key brand pillars included: luxury, community, family, togetherness, wellness, style, aspiration and belonging. These principles guided everything from our visual identity to our operational culture, and they also filtered the types of brands we chose to collaborate with.

Before approaching any partnership, ask yourself:

• What do we stand for?

• How do guests describe us?

• What emotional territory do we own?

• What are the non-negotiables we won’t compromise for a collaboration?

  
  

Once you have clear answers, you naturally become more attractive to like-minded partners.

Raise your Profile to attract Partners

Brand alignment is one part of the equation; visibility is the other. Luxury hotels should:

• Use PR campaigns to position your hotel in the market, particularly in trade media.

• Post employee-generated content & thought leadership: Position your senior management as experts in their field for credibility.

• Showcase your brand digitally. Leverage social media and your online presence to showcase the brand's strengths and attract potential partners. Invest in video content and storytelling.

Brands want to collaborate with hotels that are respected, contemporary and culturally relevant, and having a slick, professional online presence with good levels of engagement will put you in the shop window as they can see the direct benefit of being in front of your audience.

You have to be visible to be considered.

2. Choose the Right Partners: Consider Elevation, Alignment & Audience Fit

Great partnerships are not just about co-branding, they’re about shared values, shared audiences and shared aspirations.

When evaluating a potential partner, consider:

• Do they align with our brand values and tone?

• Does the partnership elevate our positioning or dilute it?

• Will it enhance the guest journey in a meaningful way?

• Does it give us access to new, desirable audiences?

• Can we create something together that neither brand could create alone?

  
  

Shared Audience

You should be speaking to the same type of customer. It doesn't have to be the exact demographic, but your audiences should find value in both brands.

Mutual values 

If your hotel champions sustainability, then partnering with an eco-conscious skincare brand or an electric vehicle manufacturer makes sense. It reinforces your story.

Complementary offering

The best partnerships offer something your guest already wants but that you don’t currently provide. Think of your partner as an extension of your service. It should feel seamless.

Brand Tone & visual identity

Consider the look and feel of your partner’s branding. If your hotel presents as understated luxury, don’t partner with someone who screams mass market. A mismatch in tone can confuse your guests or dilute your positioning.

Luxury consumers make decisions based on emotional and lifestyle cues, therefore, your partners must feel intuitive and complementary. Misalignment is immediately obvious and can be costly.

3. Establish Tangible Benefits. Why Partnerships matter!

When executed well, partnerships deliver substantial value across experience, marketing, revenue and reputation.

Enhancing the guest experience

Partnerships introduce memorable moments that feel exclusive, unexpected and thoughtfully curated, boosting satisfaction and loyalty. From premium in-room amenities to unique activities, transport solutions or co-branded events, they can offer guests added value through exclusive products or experiences.

Expanding marketing reach

Joint campaigns allow luxury hotels to:

• Tap into the partner’s audience and extend your visibility to new, aligned markets

• Co-create higher-impact creative

• Split media budgets or production costs

• Generate content that has built-in amplification

The result of a shared campaign is broader exposure at significantly reduced cost.

Driving innovation without the overhead

Partnerships allow hotels to experiment with new ideas - products, services, experiences, technologies etc - without having to build or buy them internally. Stay agile and on trend through brand collaboration.

Strengthening brand positioning

Align with respected brands that reflect your values and elevate your image. Partnerships can reinforce what your hotel stands for and its brand story – whether that’s wellness, luxury, heritage, family focus or sustainability.

Unlocking new revenue

Joint packages, co-branded product sales, cross-promotions and new guest segments all contribute to diversified revenue streams. You can use partnerships to enhance under-utilised areas of your property (e.g. spa, dining, midweek stays).

4. Make Partnerships work: Input = Impact

A common mistake hotels make is treating partnerships as short-term marketing tactics. Partnerships take time to nurture and monitor that both parties are getting the benefits. This is why many big corporates employ partnership managers and partnership teams!

We don’t have that luxury, so make sure you only agree to partnerships you can keep on top of. Don’t spread yourself too thin - quality over quantity! But strong partnerships require:

• Time

• Consistency

• Clear communication

• Operational alignment

• A shared commitment to value creation

  
  

Think about this like planting a tree. If you just throw seeds around, some might sprout. But if you prepare the soil, water them, and give them sunlight – you’re going to get a tree that bears fruit. A partnership will only be as successful as the energy you invest in it.

To maximise impact:

• Ensure regular and consistent marketing activity, not one-off posts around the launch.

• Share data, insights and resources to optimise guest engagement.

• Look for opportunities to co-create new experiences, not just swap logos.

• Activate the partnership across departments - marketing, operations, guest services, reservations and sales must all be aligned.

Internal teams can make or break a partnership. It must be embedded, not bolted on.

5. Measure ROI: A Framework for Success

You should never enter into a partnership without clear objectives and KPIs. It’s not enough to say, “This felt like a good partnership”. We need the numbers to prove it. From digital metrics to guest feedback, you have to build measurement into the partnership from the very beginning.Not every partnership should be measured in direct revenue alone. Sometimes, it's about long-term brand equity, exposure or building a community.

But you must define success at the outset:

• What’s the primary goal? Brand exposure? Bookings/direct sales? Content reach? Email sign-ups?

• What KPIs will we track?

• What’s the investment versus return?

  
  

Consider metrics such as:

Trackable campaign assets

• UTM links

• Partner promo codes

• Co-branded landing pages

• QR codes in physical spaces

  
  

Marketing performance

• Website referral traffic

• Social engagement

• Email open & click rates

• Content reach & sentiment

  
  

Commercial impact

• Bookings & package sales

• Redemption data

• On-property spend

• Incremental revenue

  
  

Guest sentiment

• Feedback in post-stay surveys

• Social mentions

• Reviews referencing partner touchpoints

  
  

Remember, no two partnerships are alike – but impact should always be measurable, even if it's not immediate. And remember, the best partnerships evolve over time. Learn, measure, refine - and grow together. Data should shape the next phase of collaboration so make time to regularly review, track ROI and adjust future campaigns to maximise results.

6. Partnership Case Studies from Foxhills

Foxhills x Addison Lee: Seamless Luxury Transport

Our partnership with London’s leading private hire service brings premium door-to-door travel directly into the guest journey.The partnership provided seamless, reliable and convenient transportation solutions for hotel guests, corporate events, conferences and business gatherings, ensuring that every guest arrives in comfort and style. Whether it’s executive transfers, group transport for conferences, or VIP travel for special events, Addison Lee’s premium fleet and professional service enhanced the guest experience, delivering a stress-free, efficient travel solution that aligns with Foxhills' high standards.

Benefits include:

• Enhance guest experience from the minute they leave the door by partnering with London’s leading private hire and courier service, Addison Lee. Foxhills is located just 25km from Central London & 15 mins from Heathrow Airport.

• Elevated look & feel - consistent premium transport in the Foxhills turning circle-Shared marketing.

• B2C and B2B advertising to AL’s extensive email database, LinkedIn and Instagram following.

• Hotel guests can now add on transportation to and from Foxhills through Addison Lee during the booking process, booking taxis and cars from the comfort of their hotel room through the in-room tablets which have been integrated with a co-branded booking engine.

• QR codes at the hotel reception make it easy for guests to book cars and taxis with Addison Lee di­rectly from their mobile phones.

• Those attending off-site meetings or corporate events at Foxhills can travel in groups with Addison Lee as Fox­hills’ sales process now includes a concierge service that can make large company bookings, making every B2B booking more personalised and seamless with bespoke door-to-door transportation.

• Foxhills members will also get an additional member benefit with a discount on their first journey with Addi­son Lee.

• ‘Escape the City’ hotel package to be launched which includes travel to and from London.

Foxhills x Auto Vivendi: Supercar Lifestyle Integration

Auto Vivendi’s elite supercar private members’ club aligns perfectly with Foxhills’ affluence target demographic and audience seeking a luxury lifestyle and aspirational experiences.Benefits included:- Shared marketing to eachother’s databases- Access to Auto Vivendi’s members (high net worth predominantly located in SW London)- Shared events & marketing activations- Foxhills is a ‘Club Hub’ meaning supercars get regularly delivered and Auto Vivendi members can pick up the car and stay in the hotel with added perks – comp upgrade, bottle of Champagne etc- Brand perception & elevation – consistently supercars parked out the front of main en­trance

Foxhills x Proverb: Performance-driven amenities

Proverb’s active, natural skincare, trusted by professional athletes, aligns seamlessly with Foxhills’ focus on sport, health and wellbeing.

This collaboration enhances the in-room experience and strengthened our positioning in the wellness space.

7. Industry inspiration: Who’s doing it well?

Across the sector, standout partnerships demonstrate the power of creative alignment:

• The Grove x Everyman & Jo Malone – cinema experiences and premium gifting

• Crowne Plaza x FIIT – digital wellness integrations

• Armani Hotels – brand extension as hospitality

• Ritz Paris x Frame – co-branded luxury fashion lines

• Marriott x TED & Mercedes F1 – thought leadership and experiential luxury

• Hilton x The FA – multi-year alignment with national sport

Partnerships in luxury hospitality are evolving quickly and the possibilities are expanding far beyond traditional brand categories.

8. Key Takeaways for Hotel Marketers

Know your brand

Audit your identity and understand what makes you attractive or unattractive to potential partners. What makes you distinct? What kind of partner does that attract?

Map aspirational partners

Identify brands that align with your audience, location or values. Look beyond hospitality: consider tech, wellness, sports, entertainment, fashion, travel and lifestyle brands.

Create a partnership deck

Showcase who you are, who you reach and what you can offer with hotel audience stats, social reach and ideas for collaboration. Be proactive, not passive.

Co-create value

Avoid transactional, one-sided relationships. Don’t just ask for money or freebies! Build something unique and repeatable that excites guests and tells a story. Collaborate on marketing campaigns to maximise reach.

Measure everything

Define objectives, set KPIs and commit to ongoing optimisation.

Allocate resources

Partnerships need ownership, activation and maintenance. Without time investment, they stagnate. Put a measurement framework in place from day one & make data-driven decisions. What’s the return? And how can you optimise over time? Outline clear objectives, mutual benefits and success metrics for each partnership. ALLOCATE TIME/RESOURCE TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Brand partnerships represent one of the most effective and under-utilised tools in a hotel’s marketing and commercial strategy. When approached thoughtfully, they enable hotels to innovate, expand reach, elevate guest experience and position themselves within desirable lifestyle worlds.

The most successful partnerships are mutually beneficial, strategically aligned and thoughtfully implemented. And, in a market where differentiation is everything, the right collaboration can be the advantage that sets your hotel apart.

This article has been written exclusively for the Hotel Marketing Association by Josh Abbott.

It may be reproduced in part or in full, so long as full credit is given to the author and the HMA and a link to the original article is included.

November 2025.