Marc Saunders, director of marketing & PR at Splendid Hospitality Group, was crowned ‘Most Inspirational Marketer of the Year’ sponsored by the Hotel Marketing Association (HMA) at the HOSPACE gala awards ceremony at The Royal Lancaster Hotel London on 18 November 2021.
After a difficult 18 months for the industry, the award, which was presented by Petra Clayton, Chair of the HMA, sought to acknowledge individuals and organisations that have risen to the challenges in their area of hospitality.
Marc was acknowledged for his inspirational creativity looking after Splendid’s portfolio of hotels in the UK, delivering a consistent marketing message to a diverse estate ranging from functional 3-star branded hotels to independent five-star luxury properties. Marc was lauded for his focus on individual hotels, launching Giraffe rooms at Hotel Indigo Edinburgh in conjunction with Edinburgh Zoo and chocolate-infused breaks at Hotel Indigo York to tie in with the city’s chocolate heritage. Marc’s push for different is what makes him an inspiration to work with.
Stuart Bailey, CEO of Splendid Hospitality Group, said: “This is a very well-deserved award. Marc is a true marketer, always thinking outside of the box, coming up with creative and innovative ideas for our diverse portfolio of hotels. His goal is always to add value to a guest’s experience – to make their visits to our hotels as memorable as possible and we are proud to have him as a member of our Splendid family.”
Marc commented on his win: “Creativity and innovation is at the heart of the Splendid brand, and we are always looking at ways to improve the customer journey. To be recognised for such an aspirational award is an absolute honour.”
In addition to the winner, Andrew Farrow, group director of marketing, RBH Hospitality Management was highlighted by the judges as another outstanding entry due to his success, focus and dedication to the diverse portfolio of hotels.
